It was my plan to post a drawing I did of two whales. I went through my recent sketchbooks, and they seemed to have swam away. But what kept appealing to me was this pen and ink sketch I did of a spirit bear.
Spirit bears are snow white bears, not albinos, that live only in a specific area of Canada,Β the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the largest unspoiled temperate rainforests on earth. This is a partly protected area in the islands and coastal areas of British Columbia. They are actually a rare subspecies of the American black bear known as a Kermode bear, most of whom have dark coats. The double recessive gene for the white coat must be carried by both parents in order to produce the white spirit, or ghost, bear. They are looked on as sacred by the indigenous tribes of the area, and have become symbolic of these people’s fight against proposed desecration of the rainforest by those wishing to build a pipeline there.Β It is unclear how many spirit bears there actually are, but estimates run from 150 to 200.
A beautiful sketch, Jeanne! And thank you for providing the background on this magnificent animal.
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Thanks, Lavinia. They are just beautiful, and even more unique when you see photos of them with their usually nearly black mothers and siblings.
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You are so gifted! I love this!
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Thank you, Kitty. Your appreciating it inspires me to draw more. π
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Wow, thanks for sharing this info, how interesting. I didn’t know about these Spirit Bears. Love the sketch, too.
Kathrin — http://mycupofenglishtea.wordpress.com
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Hi Kathryn, Thanks for the good words and for stopping by. There are so many wonderful and fascinating creatures on this planet; I could write forever. π
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Absolutely!!
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It’s a beautiful sketch Jeanne and I hadn’t heard of these spirit bears either, I’m fascinated to learn about them.
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Thanks, Andrea. Here’s a link from BC, Canada, all about them, if interested. http://bcspiritbear.com/spirit-bear-facts/ I suspect I should add that to the post, eh? π
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Fascinating Jeanne, thank you π
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My pleasure, of course.
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I like your post π.
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Thank you and for stopping by. π
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Take a look on my last post and follow me if you like it π.
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I’ll be happy to stop by from time to time!
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π
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Girl, you are so talented! Wonderful work.
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Merci! And you know what happens when people tell me they like my work? I actually feel like picking up my pencil/pen and drawing! Funny how that works …
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Get cracking, young lady artist!
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Yes, Ma’am!!! (That comes with a salute. π )
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I shall float around on cloud 9, as no-one’s ever saluted me before.
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Always a first time for everything! π
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Lovely sketch and I was pleased to find out about Spirit Bears.
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Thanks – I appreciate it! It’s an amazing world out there. π
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