River Watch II
By Sue Ryland
Original artwork
Oil on canvas
Framed
Image size: H: 44cm x W: 60cm
Framed size: H: 49cm x W: 64cm (White floating frame)
Sue has captured this wonderful grizzly bear stroll through the shallow water based on her live observation and photographs in the wild, in this case Katmai National Park, Alaska.
The Kodiak bear, also known as the Kodiak brown bear and, sometimes, the Alaskan brown bear, inhabits the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in south-west Alaska. It is one of the largest recognised populations of brown bear and one of the two largest bears alive today, the other being the polar bear, Sue's other ursine hero.
She is conscious that both the polar bears and grizzlies she paints are endangered species – largely due to loss of habitat and dwindling food sources – so there's a prominent ecology aim in her work as well, to bring these creatures and their plight to wider attention.
Her art is being shown exclusively in Spencer House Gallery this year.
ABOUT SUE RYLAND
Sue is a South Cotswold-based artist who specialises in oil painting and pyrography. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, Sue is passionate about documenting the wildlife she encounters.
In 2018, she travelled to Churchill, Manitoba where she was able to spend time among the polar bears. This inspired The Bears of Hudson Bay, a series of oil paintings and pyrography works.
Most recently, Sue's travels took her to Katmai National Park, Alaska where she witnessed grizzly bears during the salmon spawn. That experience formed the basis of her newest series of oil paintings, entitled The Bears of Katmai.
Sue received her BA in Textiles and Fine Art from West Surrey College of Art and Design. Her work can be found in private collections as well as in the permanent collection of The Museum in the Park in Stroud, Gloucestershire.