I have never created a piece of art that was so energizing. All of my previous work has been so controlled and detailed. The inspiration for this piece came from an Edward Curtis photograph and started out that way, as you can see in my blog. But my heart was tugging at me to try something different, to break out of the mold that I had put myself into. So...I grabbed my eraser and dragged it across the paper a few times. Then I threw some tea on my drawing. Then I sprayed the illustration board with water and painted it with some elderberry vodka that I had made. Then I got braver and dropped some ink on it and blew it around with a straw. The colors were so vibrant and ended up in places that made me nervous so I had to step back and think about it for a few days. I dreamed about it. I found some feathers in the yard and dipped them in white gouache and stamped them on the paper. I added some burnt umber charcoal lines in places to strengthen the composition. Then I did a little research on Bear Bull and learned that he was a Blackfoot warrior and that his Blackfoot name was Kayne-ina which means "male bear" so I drew a male bear on my paper with a fine art marker. The process of creating this piece was the most liberating and freeing  thing I have ever done. I hope you can feel that energy when you look at this piece.