The Painting Of The Month Special For April is (Drumroll please)

Sweetheart Bear!

Sweetheart Bear (Sold) is a lovely portrait painting in oil of a dear little polar bear cub face on a 12” x 12” wood panel. It is one one of three paintings in my Baby’s Breath Series.

I think this painting about babies, innocence, spring and nature is perfect for The Painting of The Month Special.

Sweetheart Bear is 12” x 12” oil painting on wood panel.

Close up of Sweetheart Bear . Look at those beautiful eyes. ©Christine Montague

The fur on this little cub’s sweet face, inspired by a photo I took of a very real cub, perfectly forms a heart, so the title Sweetheart Bear was a given!

What’s With The Baby’s Breath Flower Crown?

Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila) are lovely little white flowers on delicate stems. This flower represents purity, innocence and everlasting love. These attributes perfectly represent our baby bear. Flower crowns have a long history of being given to those we honour and celebrate. But this crown is also a reminder that our lives - nature’s and humanity’s, are as intertwined as the flowers in the crown.

A Featured Painting Mean’s a Special Price

Once a month in 2025, I will select a painting to be featured, and offer it at special value. (PS Do you know if you sign up for my newsletter to receive the announcement in advance?)

Sweetheart Bear

Original oil painting

12” x 12” x 1.5 “ wood panel

Edges nicely finished in black

Wired and ready to hang

Certificate of Authenticity supplied.

SOLD

Here’s the other paintings in the series -

Left is Sweetheart Bear Middle isLittle Innocent Right is Little Hero of The North.

Each are 12” x 12” oil paintings.

Wishing You All the Best For What Lies Ahead

Happy New Year!

Most of you visit this site from Canada, USA and the UK. For those of us in Canada and the US , we are about to have some big changes in leadership, aren’t we, and who knows what lies ahead for us all?

What Lies Ahead just happens to be the title of the painting below.

This lovely polar bear stands on an icy peak, the aurora borealis lighting the path forward.

Our magnificent bear is smart and resilient and she will steadfastly carry on with her (or his) journey through the arctic night.

Wishing you the strength and resilience of the polar bear & much hope, good health and safe travel in your 2025 journey!

A Little Bit More About What Lies Ahead

This is a 12” x 12” by 1.5” acrylic painting on canvas.

The portrait and northern lights are painted using metallic acrylic paints. The brightness symbolizes the stunning northern lights.

The edges of the painting are red. This symbolizes our love for the bear, the arctic, nature and our lifeline connection to it all. It is part of the Wonder and Warning Series.

Thoughtful Reflections

Art that Inspires

One of the great joys of being an artist who sells online, is that I actually get to have some contact with those who collect my art. Galleries are great, but most galleries keep the collectors names to themselves (rightfully so as their mailing list is their business). It is always a pleasant surprise when I receive a collector’s thoughts on why they purchased one of my polar bear paintings or receive a photo of the painting in situ in their home.

Recently I received these thoughtful reflections from a first time collector of my art that I think capture a lot of what I try to say with my painting. I am not bilingual, but these comments were written to me in French and so I wanted to include them in the language written.

Do you see what this person sees in my art? Id love to know in the comments below.

Reverence 1 ©Christine Montague. 12” x 12” oil painting. Private collection.

Reverence 1:   

It calls me to live with love and gentleness for others, because I do not know what they are going through, but everyone needs to feel respected, recognized, and loved. The beauty of the sky in the background gives me hope for a new day that dawns with the determination to do my part to stop the deterioration of the natural world and maintain hope for a better world since despair and resignation cannot benefits only those who exploit the world and others.

Elle m’appelle à vivre avec amour et douceur pour autrui, car je ne sais pas ce qu’ils vivent, par compte tous ont besoin de se sentir respecter, reconnue, et aimer. La beauté du ciel en arrière plan me donne l’espérance d’un jour nouveau qui se lève avec la determination de faire ma part pour cesser la détérioration du monde naturelle et garder l’espérance pour un monde meilleur puisque le désespoir et la résignation ne bénéficie que ceux qui exploite le monde et l’autrui. 

- F. D. Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Reverence 3. ©Christine Montague. 12” x 12” oil painting. Private collection.

Reverence 3:

I feel a lot of the same emotions with this piece, and by juxtaposing them I see the same bear, but in a different state. Sometimes I interpret his roar symbolizing anger towards an environment that is malicious, unhealthy, aggressive, and hostile. Sometimes it seems to me like a cry of anguish, not knowing how else to respond to this new world. A world dedicated to destroying its existence.

Je ressent beaucoup des mêmes émotions avec cette pièce, et en les juxtaposant je vois le même ours, mais dans un état différent. Des fois j’interprète son rugissement symbolisant une colère envers un environnement qui lui est malveillant, malsain, agressif, et hostile. Des fois ça me semble un cri d’angoisse, ne sachant pas comment répondre à ce nouveau monde autrement. Un monde vouer à détruire son existence. 

- F.D. Vancouver, B.C., Canada

If you enjoy my Reverence Series, there are other square foot paintings still available in the series. You can peruse these polar bear and northern lights paintings in Shop Original Art.

Detail - Reverence 2. See the complete painting here.

Polar Bear Art for the Ukraine

An Art Auction with Heart at Waddington’s

All Proceeds Go to The Canada-Ukraine Foundation to be used where needed most. Make a Polar Bear Yours & Help the Ukraine, too

Bidding begins … NOW until April 14th, 2022. https://www.waddingtons.ca/auction/auction-for-ukraine-apr-14-2022/gallery/lot/107/

I wanted to help in some way with my art and wasn’t sure how. When this opportunity to donate came up I jumped at the chance. All proceeds from the auction will go The Canada-Ukraine Foundation. Waddington’s is a well revered, prestigious auction house (read more here. )They are generously waiving any of the fees normally associated with an auction.

So which polar bear painting can be yours?

A Light in the Darkness is a perfect title and symbol for this cause. Goodness and hope will shine even brighter in the darkness of evil. This beautiful bear rises up out of the dark sea, to face the future with strength, intelligence and resilience. Please bid here

Please bid for this important cause! You will have the fun of bidding from the comfort of your home, the triumph of winning art at good value and helping those who need it in the Ukraine. Please bid here

THANK YOU! GOOD LUCK!

A Light in the Darkness. 12” x 12” oil painting on canvas ©Christine Montague Available through waddingtons.ca April 9 - 14, 2022. Auction to help The Canada-Ukraine Foundation. Please bid at https://www.waddingtons.ca/auction/auction-for-ukraine-apr-14-2022/gallery/lot/107/

Merry Christmas December 25 Polar Bear Art Advent Calendar

Wishing you Peace & Joy Today

Only Two Polar Bears To Go

Here’s the 23rd Polar Bear Face for December 23rd

Here's polar bear face #23! A sweetheart of a bear for December 23rd! Enjoy your day!

Do you know that all my polar bear portraits are inspired either from photos I have taken of polar bears or are from my imagination. In this case this furry little face is inspired by a photo I took of the email bear, Juno, who was born @thetorontozoo , spent a while at the @assiniboineparkzoo and then returned pre pandemic to the Toronto Zoo again. Learn more about Sweetheart Polar Bear (on special) here

The Polar Bear Life Preserver

Polar Bear Life Preserver

The intrepid polar bear, backlit by the northern lights, is perched upon a circular ice floe. There isn't much room, but not to worry, this marine mammal is a powerful swimmer.

The real question is how much sea ice will our bear find located out past the picture frame? It is the frozen sea that the polar bear depends upon for travel, hunting, food and shelter. It is the frozen sea that is the life preserver for our beautiful bear.

12" x 12" x 1.5" oil painting on canvas

Edges are painted black. Wired, ready to hang. Certificate of Authenticity supplied.

$350 CAD. Free shipping to Canada and USA.

Please contact me.

Polar Bear Life Preserver ©Christine Montague