What Do Poppies Have To Do With A Polar Bear

Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies

I’m excited to announce Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies, a beautiful polar bear cub portrait is my Painting of The Month SPECIAL for August. In this original oil painting (24” x 24”), we see a full portrait of a pretty but somewhat scruffy looking little polar bear cub, set against a patterned background of of pink poppies. We know she’s an intelligent little bear as her bright eyes look out at us inquisitively.

Special Price: Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies is my Painting of The Month Special Offer August 2025

No Dark Water Here

Most of my polar bear paintings are about climate change awareness, too. Vanishing sea ice and dark water (Albedo Effect) and our warming planet are a threat to our beautiful polar bear’s survival.

But in Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies, the clean light green and blue painted background represents the clean sky, ice and water.

Why The Pink Poppies?

Detail of Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies with artist signature.

The colour pink is associated with innocence, sweetness, and femininity. The baby polar bear cub, cozy in its den, with mom to protect, amuse and feed it, is very innocent of the tough road of survival ahead.

Pink poppies represent beauty, peace, love and spiritual connection. And I realize that there are a lot of pink flowers (e.g. pink roses and pink daisies) that have similar symbolism.

But this sweet little face is inspired by my photos of Juno, a very real female polar bear cub born at the Toronto Zoo (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Born on Remembrance Day, she is named after Juno Beach.

So the baby pink poppy, (the red poppy is the Remembrance Day symbol), just seemed the appropriate flower to symbolize this dear little bear.

And don’t you find it fun , the poppy’s black centre, mirrors Juno’s round black nose?

Save now : Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies is my Painting The Month Special Value Offer for August 2025

Fuzzball and The Pink Poppies (detail) ©Christine Montague

Why I Use Polar Bears on my Military Helmet Art

An Art Salute to Polar Bears, Service Men & Women

Salute. My polar bear art on my donation to TPL Foundation Annual Gala 2021

Salute
The artwork on the helmet Salute symbolizes the respect, loyalty and responsibility practised

in the military and also the same that is owed to it by the country it serves.

My art practice focuses on the theme of polar bears, their vulnerability from climate change and the Canadian connection to it. The “strong and free” polar bear shares many attributes with the military - bravery, strength, resilience, and tenacity.

In my series of paintings entitled Golder Bear , I often portray a polar bear face set against a metallic gold, halo-like sun. The sun’s rays reach out connecting the viewer to the bear, the sun and the challenge of our warming climate. Gold paint symbolizes the “wealth” and “value” of nature.

Salute is created in the Golden Bear style. But in this artwork the polar bear’s face is framed by a gold maple leaf. Instead of the sun’s rays to connect us, there is a motif of repeating maple leaves, that blends almost camouflage-like. This “Canadian” pattern connects to the back of the helmet, where the golden silhouette of a soldier, looks ahead in salute, to a setting sun skyline of gold maple leafs. The soldier, the country and the polar bear, all to be valued and protected.

Respect and Remembering

On tonight!! The True Patriot Love Foundation Gala

I am honoured to have my details of my artwork include on the True Patriot Love Foundation Gala Banner. This annual fundraiser is all about supporting Canadian veterans and their families. The art helmet auction is now active and you can check out the terrific art helmets (mine helmet "Salute" lot #14) This is the third year I have created original helmet art with my polar bears on it. The auction is now on and I'll post more about that shortly.

Details of the artwork

The 23rd. A young child plays carefreely on the Canadian National War Memorial. The memorial's 22 figures representing the service men and women of WW1, are ghost like and moving. The child, is solidly rooted in the present.

Remembering. A soldier (my son) stands point on first Remembrance Day back from his extended tour of duty.

Waiting for His Turn to Go. A soldier watches a flock birds migrate. He is waiting for his call to duty.

#remembranceday2021 #remembranceday #canadaremembers#supportveterans #torontoevents #happeningtoday #artauction#artcollectors #helmets #militarycommunity #saluteandrespect

True Patriot Love Gala Auction Nov. 10, 2021 Three leaves contain details of Christine Montague

THE 23.National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ©Christine Montague

Remembrance Day. Not Black and White. Digital art © Christine Montague

Waiting For His Turn to Go. Graphite on illustration board. ©Christine Montague