I’ve been itching to finish up this image of a bear that’s been rolling around in my head for the past month or so. It’s gone through a few different sketchy versions and I just wasn’t super happy with it. But the other day, as I was thinking about my gardens and what I might want to plant this year, I came across some lupine in a catalog. I sketched a few and that’s when the concept for this illustration finally clicked.
The Lupine Bear is happy sort of zen bear—my inner mama bear. The bear is well-known as a protector that can stand up and fearlessly confront threats, but the bear also exemplifies the playful and happy side of life. It feels right that she is in a patch of lupine since these flowers are symbolic of happiness and can bring inner strength and the ability to overcome pain or trauma. Lupine Bear is holding a fish which, in many cultures, symbolizes health, luck, greater awareness, the capacity to adapt, rebirth, change and even the sacred feminine. And these connections feel pretty inspiring right now as I struggle with my own worries about what’s around the next corner and how my family will get by the next month or so.
So my inner mama-bear wants to share this image with you. Download and print Lupine Bear to fill with your own colors, and please feel free to print a few for those in your care. Share a little love, and don’t forget that compassion truly is the guardian of our existence and survival.
Keep scrolling down! I am also adding links to a few other coloring pages you can download, print and color. Many of my RCC facebook community members already have these, but I thought it would be nice to offer them here, too, as a way to help people get through the uncertain days and weeks ahead. Yep, the Corona virus has thrown the world into a tizzy and we are feeling the ripple effects.
The reality of the need for “social distancing” is sinking in for many of us and, looking ahead, it’s important to focus on the positive things in our lives—to not let the stress and worry we are feeling over the quickly-changing (and often worsening) news overwhelm our thoughts and shut us down mentally and physically. We each need to find and maintain balance so we can be healthy and be there for those we love and care for. And we still need to connect with others. If you are not a part of our FB community and would like to join, please do! And take a look at some of my other blog posts if you are interested in coloring and art.
I’m going to try to spend a little more time outdoors and reach out to friends and family more often. Take advantage of the extra time my daughter and I have together now that her school has been shut down. Maybe even read that Kingsolver book my dad gave me for Christmas. I’m also thankful I have my art and plan on continuing to draw new illustrations and create more books. More coloring and blog posts. Having projects, big or small, can help us relax, be more mindful, focus on positive things, and give us a sense of purpose, accomplishment and pride—even when the world seems chaotic and we feel we have no control. Hang in there, my friends, and please try not to feel alone or overwhelmed.
Woohoo! Thank you so much for this fabulous bear page to color!
Sincerely, Dawna Sharp
Sent from my iPad
>
You are welcome, Dawna, enjoy! 🙂
Thank you, all are beautiful
You are welcome, Caroline – hope you have fun with them! 🙂
Thank you so much . Here in Scotland we are facing same pressures. I am having to limit news exposure as it causes more anxiety. I have to isolate from everybody except my household for the next 12 weeks due to being asthmatic. My sons school has closed until at least August so will also be home schooling. We are lucky , we live rurally so social distancing isn’t really a problem . I like you had decided to spend time outdoors. I have a new greenhouse and kitchen garden to plant. I have also been printing colourings to do as I find whilst doing art nothing else enters your brain so great for these worrying times. Thank you so much for sharing your time and energy at this time which I pray brings out the best in humanity . Take care and stay safe. Xxx🙏Claire
Hi Claire, you are so welcome, and I hope you and your family stay healthy! Spending time in your greenhouse sounds wonderful, and of course, coloring can help wile away the hours when we are all home-bound. Like you, I am hopeful this will bring out the best in humanity. Stay strong and find your inner mama bear, my friend! 🙂
Thank you☺️❤️🙏
You are very welcome, Mona – happy coloring! 🙂
Thank you Susan! I bet all of your images have a wonderful meaning or story behind them. This is quite fabulous and it would make the basis of a wonderful book!! Can’t wait to see your new images.
On the unknown future, there is much to hope for as encouraging data is starting to come out and I truly believe that we create our own reality. Please channel positive thoughts, energy and love. While I truly am empathetic to all, particularly those that are in increased peril, we need to be mindful that we are strong and courageous and will overcome!
Hugs–
Michele
Hi Michele, most of them have a story or at the very least, special meaning and my guess is that mama bear will end up in a book down the road. And I agree – it is so important to stay strong, brave and positive – not only for ourselves but for the good of all! xoxo my friend!
You, dear Susan, are so generous & brilliantly creative too! Thx very much for this beautiful gift.
In Seattle gardens, er, at least mine, Lupine can be a little bossy. So they are abundant, & appear most often in shades of violet (silly me – used to think Violet was Purple!). Often sold in nice big gallon sized containers, these attract MANY butterflies! Yippee!
Thank you VERY much for your kind gift! One of my dearest friends just bought her very FIRST coloring book & pencils. (Can U imagine?!) While she watches for the Amazon delivery van, I know she’ll LOVE printing this out & pondering what color goes where. What fun!
I am trying to not overwhelm her w/ too much coloring info. This buy started when she acquired a book & pencils for her mom. My friend let me help 🧚♀️ with suggestions on their first pencils 🧚♂️ (such a nice price, at the moment, for smaller sets of Prisma’s. Yippers!)
We laugh at my enthusiasm. I say, so sorry, the coloring 🧚♀️ fairies 🧚♂️ are so THRILLED to know her. They can’t wait to start flitting around, showin COLORS. More on that later.
Ty again.
PS Here’s a wonderful nursery, quite close to my home. Thought U might like poking around. At Christmas, they have reindeer visit. 😃
https://www.swansonsnursery.com/blog/our-top-picks-for-may?rq=Lupine
Julie McCullough Hale 206-478-7312 jmhale@nwlink.com @jmhaleseattle
📪 Sent from my iPhone
>>
You are very welcome, Julie, and I hope your friend has fun coloring the bear, too – such a great hobby to introduce someone too! Love the nursery near you – gorgeous photos on their site – makes me want to start digging in my garden right now, but it’s still too cold. We have snow headed our way this evening so it will be a good long time before I get to see lupines in person! Happy coloring! 🙂
Only our Susan would put so much thought and love into a story to tell with her beautiful art. You are such a special lady
Thank you, Susan, for your generosity in sharing your beautiful artwork with us. Stay safe!
You are so welcome, Cathy! 🙂
[…] of downloadable, printable PDFs for coloring. And in case you haven’t seen it, I have a few free designs for adult coloring (and kids too) in my Mama Bear […]