Threes' Company : Moonbears

 "Threedom"

Yogi, Coco and Bern

How strange the way painting a subject you feel emotional about can play on your heart strings. I was already connected emotionally to the plight of three moonbears being rescued and their awaited arrival at the sanctuary in Vietnam yesterday. Moved so much that I began a painting of Yogi, one of the rescued bears. This is howYogi, below,  first started to appear in watercolour in a very raced quick study.

 

 Yogi, first brushstrokes and a very quick study.

Like life, a small glimpse into the whole picture.

The odd thing is. Once I had painted a lone moonbear I couldn't stop thinking of how these poor creatures  had spent a decade already in solitary confinement. How could I leave this bear alone in a painting too? And so I quickly added two other bears to my original painting. Coco and Bern are now appearing alongside Yogi ,but as you can see, their faces need adding. ( See below)  Maybe they are shy at seeing daylight for the first time. Or maybe they are inhibited in never having had the opportunity to interact socially with other bears. All these things they will learn in their new life.

 Adding two more bears to keep Yogi company in my initial watercolour

With so much to do before my trip to USA which starts this weekend why on earth am I worried about one lone bear in a watercolour that could easily wait as a painting until I return home? Maybe I think it will bring the bears good luck to be shared together in every way possible right from the start. Or maybe its because I have indeed a very soft heart!

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I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has told me they are thinking of  donating to help these bears. We all can help in some way no matter how small it is. I just can't imagine seeing any creature treated as poorly as these poor bears have been. But now, these have a new life!

Information on moonbears, their care, rehabilitation and the charity helping them can be found via this link.

https://animalsasia.org/uk/our-work/end-bear-bile-farming/

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Please note. Thank you to every one who wants to buy this and my other moonbear painting. I am afraid they aren't for sale yet but will be sold at a later date in aid of moonbears and Animals Asia.

Moonbear Love

 Small beginnings

A moonbear in watercolour, tiny brushstrokes creating an early shape.

We may think we can't make a difference. But each small kind action can lead to beautiful outcomes.

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There was great excitement today as the rescued moonbears I mentioned on my blog yesterday reached the sanctuary in Vietnam. I have followed their journey online. These bears have been confined to small cages for the extraction of  bile for Asian medicine. It is hard to understand centuries old  customs that inflict such pain on wildlife. You would imagine that in this Century the young of a country would be making changes. And they are are but it is taking time.

To know that someone had a vision to rescue moonbears from a hellish fate is such wonderful inspiration to all who love animals. Here I take a bow to Jill Robinson for all her heroic work and for founding Animals Asia . Taking a step at a time to making a difference in the world. Yesterday I shared the plight of Yogi the moonbear as he made his journey from a bear bile farm, to a place where he will live minus pain from here in. Accompanied by two other moonbears Coco and Bern who were also rescued.

This morning I raced to my computer to read the update on their rescue mission only to hear that the truck transporting these bears had broken down. The rescue team must have been exhausted yet now had to wait for a replacement truck to arrive, then move the bears from one truck to another before continuing on their journey. But the good news is the bears are now all safely at the sanctuary and begin the start of a wonderful new phase in their lives.

I had so much on today but still had to paint a moonbear. Even if it was an extremely quick study. So please forget this very quick rushed effort! But I wanted in my own way to celebrate and welcome Yogi, Coco and Bern to their new life.

 

 Stage 1.

A moonbear head and ear emerge in watercolour

 Stage 2

Hints of the moonbear muzzle in gold add to the first head shape

 Stage 3.

Adding the gorgeous body but with emotion because I am now feeling seriously sorry for these bears. 

Why? 

I think you might feel for the moonbears that have been rescued too. Because some have lost paws or limbs. Its hard to take in.  But some will have been initially caught in cruel snares before their suffering even began on the bear bile farms. Imagine the painful existence they have led. 

My painting is inspired by one such bear. But they live happily minus one limb, and they are enjoying life to the full surprisingly after all they have been through.

Stage 4

Strengthening the detail, enjoying the moonbear  markings on the chest and hoping my real painting of a moonbear minus bars when next painted will be full of the joy of seeing these recently rescued bears  face freedom for the first time in a decade.

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This is definitely NOT my best painting. It is a journey into a story. A story filled with love, determination and compassion. A story of making a difference to three bears when so many still need rescuing. But isn't that fantastic? 

Unless we take a leap of faith and make the effort nothing would ever change. We can all sit back and say " I can't make a difference" . But actually we can.

Jill did.

I want to too.

How about you?

You can find out more about the bears and their story via this link. Please take a minute to read about Yogi, Coco and Bern. It is a heart warming story.

https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/media/news/news-archive/moonbearmonday-getting-to-know-coco,-yogi-and-bern.html

And if you want to, you can even send them a gift!

https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/donate/gifts-for-bears.html

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