(24″x36″, oil on linen) “In Search Of” follows a mother polar bear with two large cubs finding firm ice sheets for seal hunting. Even during the Arctic winter, satellites show there is less sea ice now than during the early 80’s. In the spring, the ice is breaking up sooner and forming later in the fall, forcing bears to expend huge amounts of energy swimming long distances to reach seal populations. A study confirmed one female bear swimming 426 miles for 9 days. The bears were painted based on studies of a polar bear named Inuka of the Singapore zoo. Painted in oil over hand stretched Belgian linen, the composition was designed with flow of shapes and values in mind. This painting received 1st place award for the oil painting category at the 59th Stockton Art League Juried Exhibition, and was exhibited at the Haggin Art Museum in Stockton, California.