12x24” Metal Giclee Print, shadow mounted, wired and ready to hang.

About:

This was painted live at a festival in the summer of 2016. I started with the title “I Am the Universe”. I wanted to illustrate the idea that any living thing is a microcosm of the whole. I chose a bear standing up because his big broad chest made a nice place to put the universe. And because I love bears. 

At first I thought maybe he would be looking fierce and growling or showing off, but then something told me to make him chill, almost smiling. Much later it occurred to me that this painting is about inner peace, acceptance and confidence and he wouldn’t be roaring but instead would be at peace, knowing that the universe has his back.

The “portal” above his head is a symbol which appears many times in my art. It was from an ayahuasca experience; I saw it as a pure white motionless flame that was representative of my original nature, it was a point of origin, a portal, and yes, a space vagina. I almost painted it out because it takes a lot of attention away from the bear, but luckily I decided to leave it because it felt like an important part of the story. 

Signed on back