Bear Painter

Before I started painting in the winter of 1999, I had been a social worker in New York City; worked behind the counter in an expensive men's shop; sold temporary and permanent staffing to Washington DC law firms and computer training to the U.S Government. I had been  director of an adult education school; a freelance business columnist, fashion journalist and model.

     None of my other careers has given me as much personal satisfaction as painting. It is both the most difficult and most rewarding thing I have ever done.

The question of subject matter is always a challenging one. After painting a series of self-portraits and high fashion shoes, I decided to look outside of myself and my closet, and become a bear portrait painter.

     I enjoy working with teddy bears because of the texture of their fur, the round shapeliness of their bodies, and their rich facial expressions. They also talk less and take fewer coffee breaks than other artists' models.

--Beth Herman

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