Polar Bears and Snow

Asleep in the Snow © original pastel by B.E. Kazmarski

Today I’m featuring polar bears, one of my favorite subjects; I’ve painted several and these two are the only originals I have left, one large and one small.

“Asleep in the Snow” is an original pastel painting of a polar bear family settling down in the snow at sunset. This painting was drawn from many photos of snow, of Alaska, of polar bears, but mostly from visits to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium which has a renowned polar bear exhibit. The basic composition was from one photo I had seen, wondering at the stark, quiet, even threatening beauty of the Arctic that the polar bears endured on a daily basis. It is matted and framed, $350.00 plus shipping—please visit “Asleep in the Snow” in my Etsy shop for all the details of size, mat and frame.

White? © original watercolor by B.E. Kazmarski

This painting is “White?”—we know that snow and polar bears are both white, right? I can assure you there’s not one speck of white anywhere in this piece. In addition to being a dedication to polar bears, it’s also a comment on the perception of color. It’s a small original watercolor sketch painted from photo references, matted and framed and an affordable $50.00—please visit  “White?” in my Etsy shop for the details of size, mat and frame.

Studying a wild animal in its natural habitat is a reminder that the world does not revolve around us, that these creatures get along just fine (and probably better) without us, that we are really only one more species carrying out our lives on Earth. And while, for me, the inspiration to put an image on paper is always primarily a visual inspiration, wild animals carry the same emotional inspiration as domestic pets—animals are so un-selfconscious. Add to that the beauty of a natural landscape and you’ve got a perfect recipe for visual pleasure.

I’ve sold prints of these pieces and I love having the originals hanging in my studio, but in reading more and more about the plight of endangered species, especially polar bear habitat, I need to make room for some new pieces to interpret what’s happening now.

I have reduced the prices on these pieces to make them more affordable for those who want a touch of the wild in their home.

These pieces are available matted, framed and ready to hang. The full details of size dimension and mat and frame are available along with several others in my Etsy shop under “Original Art”.

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