Location: Canada
Ice Bear’s fine art has evolved over the past 20 years, from a graphic style that combined the forms and shapes of traditional Ojibway art, to free flowing techniques which provide richly toned paintings that change colour and depth as sunlight moves, and day turns to night. His many years as art director, and over 5 years as muralist have given him a great interest in technique; how paint ‘works’, colour, brush-strokes, and layering, some Ice Bear paintings have close to 20 layers of paint and medium. His work has great depth of field and dimension, which comes from his other artistic passion.
Ice Bear is also a sculptor, working in diverse materials, cedar, monkey puzzle tree, winterstone, resins, natural stone, and has introduced his first 3 limited edition bronze sculptures. He has also pioneered a modern revival of an ancient technique, combining sculpture and fine art painting in a number of murals and large paintings, providing a bas relief effect that has viewers reaching out to touch.
This portfolio is a collection of images that are, in fact, vision of the artist, an Ojibway person who is what his people call, a Dreamer. One who 'paints pictures in the sand' to help you understand your dreams, and to give reality to the visions that have filled his head since childhood. As many visions, he says, as there are pebbles on a beach; he can pick one out, look at it from all sides, and see if it tells him it wants to become visible to others.
IceBear also creates commissioned work, spends a considerable amount of time with a client wishing a special piece, to find out their dreams, and hopes, and a bit about their life history.
These images are just a very few from the collection of Dreams..
Ravens are messengers, and sometime tricksters. They can convey humor, annoyance, they remember people, recognize faces, and pass on what they know to other ravens. Here are two ravens, having a conversation, perhaps about the human foibles they watch from their high perches, or from the sky above where, like eagles, they soar effortlessly.
This is one of IceBear's first fine art pieces, after stepping back from a long commercial creative design career.
IceBear lives by the sea, so orcas are frequently seen here. The resident orca are endangered because of marine traffic, pollution, climate change which affects water temperature, and lack of food. Orca are also a integral part of their environment, their presence affects those above and below the water. Orca are also an essential and iconic part of the west coast existence, as the top predator, and a highly intelligent species, their demise would leave our region a much poorer place in every way. Orcas have appeared in a number of IceBear paintings
This abstract is truly one of his most magical visionary paintings. It invites you on a journey, one unconfined by walls, roads or other restrictions. a journey limited only by your own imagination. Perhaps it is something only seen by human created entities, like Hubble, or the new James Webb telescope, launched at Christmas. What wonders will it share with us?
This is a maquette, in resins and mixed media, and stands about 4 ft tall. It is a recreation of that stunning few moments when two eagles meet, high in the sky, and lock talons, tumbling over and over as they plummet in a death defying fall to earth, only to release when it would appear all is lost, to fly, separately but together, high back into the heavens. A bronze Artist' Proof has been cast, and the artist intends to release only a very few castings of Dance. It is his hope that one of those casting will be for a monumental installation in some appropriate setting.
This painting, inspired by the world famous Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, is the artist's way conveying the awe that is felt by those lucky enough to stroll the paths of this magnificent nature preserve. Massive trees, thick rich mosses, and prehistorically sized ferns abound. When the sun is right, a golden light beams through the branches so high above that they hurt the neck to look upward, bringing a feel of sacredness like that one feels in the great and ancient European cathedrals when the sun shines through their glorious rose windows.
The original painting was a little over 5 feet tall, reproductions can be created somewhat shorter if necessary, but this piece needs as much size as possible to convey that sense of actually being there in person.
Every now and then, the artist lets loose, throws caution to the wind, and creates a piece to celebrate all that is good in the world, and despite the constant bad news and gloom we are surrounded with these days, there is joy to be found, great deeds, compassionate actions, and, most of all, hope. If we only chose to focus our efforts on expanding all the good there is in the world change would come about. Inspired partly by Louis Armstrongs iconic music, here is Hope on canvas
Original painting is available, is just over 55' square.
“Two Ravens in a Corner”
“Northwest”
“Point of View”
“Dance of Eagles”
“Cathedral ”
“Its a Wonderful World”
