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It was just over a year ago that we got the news that my mother had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Not knowing how much time we had, I dashed up for a quick visit to Montana in late September. Mom treated us to a few nights in Glacier National Park since that’s always been a very special place for us.
One day we took a drive through the park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road takes you through the ‘crown of the continent’, some of the most amazing scenery one could ever see. We drove up over the continental divide and even though we were in the earliest winter snow storm the weather looked good so we headed down along the eastern side.
As we drove along the shore of St. Mary’s Lake we observed a large number of vehicles stopped along the side of the road observing some sort of wildlife. It turned out to be a Grizzly sow and her cub (plus a coyote tagging along at a safe distance behind). Even though I grew up in Montana and had spent a lot of time in the park and in the back country, this was the first time I had seen a grizzly in the wild so I was excited to get some photos. As I was taking pictures of the bear I looked back to the west from where we had just come and was amazed by the view. Thus, this is the scene in my painting.
The bear was put in there by me. It represents my mom who was eulogized by brother at her funeral mass as a mama bear. And, as a U of M fan and graduate it’s appropriate to call her ‘Lady Griz’.
So, here’s this bear, seemingly transitioning from one dimension to the next, inexorably walking away from the viewer, the chances of us stopping it about the same as stopping my mom’s cancer.
Mom passed away early in the morning on Thursday during the first week of Easter. This is my tribute to her. It’s a full sheet watercolor (22"x30"). I call it “Almost Heaven”.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
One day we took a drive through the park along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road takes you through the ‘crown of the continent’, some of the most amazing scenery one could ever see. We drove up over the continental divide and even though we were in the earliest winter snow storm the weather looked good so we headed down along the eastern side.
As we drove along the shore of St. Mary’s Lake we observed a large number of vehicles stopped along the side of the road observing some sort of wildlife. It turned out to be a Grizzly sow and her cub (plus a coyote tagging along at a safe distance behind). Even though I grew up in Montana and had spent a lot of time in the park and in the back country, this was the first time I had seen a grizzly in the wild so I was excited to get some photos. As I was taking pictures of the bear I looked back to the west from where we had just come and was amazed by the view. Thus, this is the scene in my painting.
The bear was put in there by me. It represents my mom who was eulogized by brother at her funeral mass as a mama bear. And, as a U of M fan and graduate it’s appropriate to call her ‘Lady Griz’.
So, here’s this bear, seemingly transitioning from one dimension to the next, inexorably walking away from the viewer, the chances of us stopping it about the same as stopping my mom’s cancer.
Mom passed away early in the morning on Thursday during the first week of Easter. This is my tribute to her. It’s a full sheet watercolor (22"x30"). I call it “Almost Heaven”.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
