Create-Ted

For all of us that love Teddy bears you might not know that we actually owe huge thanks to an artist for its creation as well as Teds namesake Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.

For those who do not know the story…On November 14, 1902, Theodore Roosevelt attended a bear hunt in Mississippi. During the hunt, Roosevelt came upon a wounded young bear and ordered a mercy killing because he hated to see him suffer. The Washington Post ran an editorial cartoon created by the political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman that illustrated the event. At first Berryman drew the bear as a fierce animal but later he redrew the bear making it a cuddly cub. The cartoon and the story it told became popular and within a year, the cartoon bear became a toy for children called the teddy bear.

This painting, while not depicting the event specifically, celebrates the idea behind it…. I wanted to capture the focus, imagination and thought that goes into a painting as the artist brings their ideas to life (quite literally in this case) on the paper.

Thank you Paul for agreeing to be my model for this painting. I really appreciate it and I hope I captured even just a little of your wonderfully creative spirit, and the care and thought you put into each painting you do.

Transparent Watercolour 22 inches by 15.75 on Arches 140lb cold press paper. 

Ona