Chris Osborne Art 
Bears of Ketchikan
The Story Behind the Painting
This was definitely a fantastic surprise and a highlight of our trip to Ketchikan. Mum and I waddled our way to the famous Creek Street shops, eyeing the iconic, vibrantly coloured buildings like kids in a candy store. As we emerged from the shops, we noticed people gazing up and snapping photos like crazy.
This always gets the better of me—there we were, and they kept yelling “Bears, Bears!” All we could see were some very shy bushes wiggling and the occasional black blob zipping behind them. I mumbled, “What a shame they can’t strut their stuff on the log!” Just a few seconds later, one of the two cubs pranced out like it was on a catwalk, and everyone went “oooh” and “arrr.” Then, in a dramatic twist, the momma bear emerged, and the crowd erupted in a collective “WOW!” That’s when I managed to snap the ultimate shot, as they both stared straight down my camera lens, probably wondering if I had snacks.
So there you have it, one of the best experiences of my life and a few humorous additions added by AI Assistant because I can’t write to save my life.
My Painting Process
This is definitely the painting I am most proud of and to-date I have had two offers of. $3,000 and $5,000 and I’ve graciously declined both of them. They took me two months to paint and at times I definitely got overwhelmed by the time needed to create this work. I wanted to create something much larger but still retain the details I was known for, this time in acrylic paint not gouache paint.
The Bears of Ketchikan are the main centrepiece of my exhibition, International Creations. This one means so much to me, taking mum on holiday to Alaska in 2024. The bears represent our trip and my mother as the momma bear and myself as the cub. I have dedicated this painting to my mother and hidden her initials in the painting. Which will be reviled on opening night of my exhibition, they are in plain sight so not really hard to find.
Initial sketch.
On larger paintings I use a grid system to copy the artwork to canvas.
10th September 2024
Under coat, this went on very quickly in about 5mins or so with a new brush I just bought.
14th September 2024
26th September 2024.
Yes its taken me that long to paint the log.
26th September 2024.
Painting in my studio / gallery with my favourite painting in the background “The Eastern Water Dragon”
Once I finished the bear painting I decided to release the lizard painting and made it available for sale. It was with a tear in my eyes that I sold it to a lovely couple from Sydney that will cherish it as much as I have for the past two years.
3rd October 2024
11th October 2024
I was very happy with the bear cub but totally getting annoyed with the background.
13th October 2024
Bears head looking good and the eyes seem to follow your around the room.
18th October 2024
Creating the bears fur takes a lot of layers and as you can see I’m only up to the middle of the bears and it’s taken me a few days. I did get a little overwhelmed and had a few days building stairs and birdwatching to to mix things up a little.
25th October 2024
Now this is where the painting took a dramatic shift and definitely one for the better. I decided to take this photo and import it into procreate software and paint an new background on my iPad.
I was happy with the results and decide it was time to paint the real canvas.
25th October 2024
Now this is where the painting took a dramatic shift and definitely one for the better. I decided to take this photo and import it into procreate software and paint an new background on my iPad.
I was happy with the results and decide it was time to paint the real canvas.
There was something just not looking right in this painting, so I remember an old trick from my art training. Turn you artwork into black and white, that will take away all the distractions of colour and only leave you with grey tones. I could see straight away that the tree hollow looked like it was attached to the bear like a sharks fin. Also the back ground didn’t seem to have much depth so I made changes to both of these items.
1st November 2024
Definitely adding some depth and a much more interesting background. The problem I had now was my paint was drying too quick in the 35deg days.
8th November 2024
Artwork finished. I decided to get some better photos of the bears and use my good camera and lights rather than my iPhone. Unfortunately my cottage at Possum Park isn’t that wide.
8th November 2024
8th November 2024
Close up.
8th November 2024
Extreme close up something you don’t want to see in real life.
My paintings are based on my travel experiences. Through this blog, you can discover The Story Behind the Painting, including where and when I captured these wildlife moments, old rustic cars from historical villages, and beautiful seascapes from faraway places.
Enjoy, Chris Osborne
Chris Osborne Art 