Jump In, the Water's Fine

For some reason I have a hard time coming up with an interesting setting for a Polar Bear painting. That is why I have painted many more Black Bears and Grizzlies. I have never painted a Panda, but I did do a Koala Bear some years ago.
This one, Jump in, the water's fine, is 9x12". It came together very rapidly. It seems to me that my best paintings happen fast. The paintings that take forever never come out as well, no matter how much effort I put into them.

This painting gave me no problems. I worried about how to make the water look natural, but I'm satisfied by the way it came out.

I spent Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day in Wasilla with family. On Christmas morning I took the time to walk around my nephew Dan's neighborhood. This is the view from his backyard.

A closer look at the little cabin. Does it's inhabitant suffer from cabin fever on these long, I mean short, winter days?  I think it's really just a shed.

The sun tried to break through the clouds, but could'nt quite make it.

It's all very picturesque, even in the dim Winter light.

There were some birds around, like this Hairy Woodpecker. There were also Ravens, Magpies, Chickadees, Redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

 A Dusky Thrush, (Asian vagrant) is being seen in Anchorage these days. I have looked for it, but it's too hit and miss to be a reliable sighting, and too cold to spend so much time searching for it.

A frosty, Cow Parsnip seed head.

Some more of the same.

We had a large gathering at my nephew's house.

Since I was walking around the neighborhood with a light coat and no gloves, indoors sure looked warm and cozy through the window.

Olivia and Sarah watching tv.

Malek opens one of his presents while Sarah looks on.

Sarah looks too cute. It was a good Christmas.