With unusual timing an old friend asked to be my friend on Facebook. It has been over 25 years sense the last time that I saw him and we have both grown up so much in this time. I use to take him for adventures when he was a small boy and now he was a full grown man.  He said that he had lived in California for a few years and was cover with tattoos and gages in both ears. We talked about art and Jason expressed his love for drawing and that he was motivated by my illustrations hanging in his parents’ home. I asked if he would like to come over sometime and I could look at his drawings. My wife decided to cook him a old fashion Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. After consuming most of the bird we went to the studio to review his work and talk. Jason like his father liked the Grateful Dead and much of his work was with bears. The conservation quickly turned to the LORD and we talked about how important a relationship with GOD was. The time ended way too fast, but I though we will surely meet again. This was not the case and within a week Jason had died from a overdose of heroin and fentanol. The quickness that life can be taken away and the permanency leaves a large hole in his family and all his friends’ lives. His parents asked me to speak at  Jason’s wake and so I tried to carry the theme of “dancing bears” for Jason and stones of remembrance. At the end I had illustrated a dancing bear on a small stone and place it on his remains. A few day after I opened Facebook and seen a message from Jason of two thumb nail sketches of bears. I used one on this illustration “Oh My” and put a little fur on it. This is why you see the JMP under the bear this one is for you my friend. 

 

It seems to me that this movie has made a  serious impact in our society today and we have all grown up with the Wizard of Oz since childhood. One of the most noted quotes out of many is “Lions, Tigers and Bears… Oh My”. But can we see this movie playing out in our daily lives today? Lions...  can they be? School shooting, abounding at any moment, and many feel the hunger of the beast striking at will. Tigers... seems so quietly stand in the foreground of this illustration and our society today and yet, consuming thousands of lives through abortion. So deadly and yet all we can say is "Oh, My". Last but not least, the Bears… this is what my friend had illustrated so many times. Could this be the same thing that took his life, like many in this country? Heroin.... An extremely brutal killer. That only once if he gets his hands on you, he will take your life. We all grew up with "The Wizard of Oz," but  can we see that we are living it now? How can we resist "Lions, Tigers and Bears" without fear? To make our schools safe from gunfire, our unborn children are protected from abortion and our youth are safe from deadly drugs!!! It was my first illustration of a bear, illustrated on a small stone and placed on Jason's remains, but it inspired me to do this illustration of the heart breaking  life  events around us today.