Live Auction Bears for Vancouver Island

Artist: Dawn Joy Ritchie
Patron: TP Systems Ltd.
Provenance: This Spirit Bear is white to convey its spiritual nature and the fact that John Lennon chose to wear white for his peace movement. Childlike flowers and stars are painted in very strong primary colors, ironically, not intentionally a little reminiscent of the colorful, whimsical style John Lennon had his Rolls-Royce custom painted in the 1960's. On his face are his trademark granny glasses.
Sold for: $3500

Artist: Joe Jack
Patron: Artina's Jewellers & Pemberton Homes Ltd.
Provenance: "In Cowichan Culture, when an animal is born, and it looks different from the rest of it's kind, or it acts in a peculiar way, it is said that it is the spirit of an Ancestor within that animal, and that Ancestor has come to bring you a message or to visit with you. Within the back of this Spirit Bear is a spiritual image of the Ancestor".
Sold for: $20500

Artist: Kim Jenson, Poem by Scott Thompson
Patron: RBC Financial Group
Provenance: Divine Peace stands as a guide and beacon for all. A purity hibernating within every heart, lending unwavering strength without question. Its uncaged brilliance is easy to see yet difficult to follow in the wilds of life. A guardian of the True North, "Divine Peace" roams strong and free on every path.
Sold for: $5000

Artist: Richard Hunt
Patron: REALTORS© of Greater Victoria
Provenance: The man on the Bear's front represents "Hamasta", or wild man dance, in which a man wears a costume similar to the Spirit Bear. The man's hands are tucked in the Bear's wrist bands to show they are dancing together as one, as in Richard Hunt's culture, the bear is a reincarnation of a deceased elder or family member.
Sold for: $4000

Artist: Diana dePol
Patron: Russell Books
Provenance: Looking up into a starry night sky, on a peaceful summers' eve, is the ultimate spiritual experience that the artist wanted to portray in her Spirit Bear. The night sky was painted as an ultra marine blue with myriad of stars, galaxies and milky ways with gold and colored dots and specs and then sprinkled gold dust and sparkles into a clear acrylic varnish, giving an illusion of our infinite universe. On the front is a mosaic Spirit Star and a Spirit Sun on the back with gold glass, beads, pebbles, etc. and thus the cosmic "Golden Spirit" was born.
Sold for: $2000

Artist: Kristi Bridgeman and the teens from VOCYL
Patron: Executive House Hotel
Provenance: VOCYL (Victoria Opportunities for Community Youth Leadership) is a group of young promising leaders (aged 15-21). Living with and without developmental disabilities, the 12 youth all participated in "Bartholomew"(Bart's) creation. One of the youth involved in the project is also the daughter of local artist Kristi Bridgeman. The bear is named after the hotels gathering spot of the same name. "Bartholomew" ~ dressed in his tweed duds, decorative tie, waist coat and watch bob ~ came out of hibernation in May of this year to adorn the sidewalk in front of the hotel.
Sold for: $2000

Artist: Lidia Laidlaw
Patron: Teldon Print Media
Provenance: K'uul means "one". When Lidia was thinking about what her spirit bear should be she kept coming back to that theme. Not only are Spirit Bears unique to B.C., their existence, like all the creatures of the rainforest depends on "one another", a natural order and balance.
Sold for: $3500

Artist: Adrienne Aikens
Patron: Royal BC Museum
Provenance: The sepia colored portion of this design is intended to reflect the historical connections between the Royal B.C. Provincial Museum and the Kermode Bears. When the white bears were discovered in northern B.C., they were given the name, Ursus Kermode in honor of Francis Kermode, Director of the Provincial Museum 1904 – 1940. The full color portion of the design shows the bears in their natural habitat.
Sold for: $4000

Artist: Dorset Norwich-Young
Patron: Royal Scot Suite Hotel
Provenance: "Stewart" Bear stands at attention outside of the Royal Scot Suite Hotel greeting all of the guests. His full Scottish attire is a perfect fit with the hotel. Rumour has it, many people have been checking under the kilt to see if "Stewart" bear is an authentic Scotsman…
Sold for: $3000

Artist: Mario Labonte
Patron: Ruffle and Brown Interiors
Provenance: Through Spirit Moon I attempt to emulate the raven's spectacular creation by blending elements of nature, spirituality and mystery. I invite the viewer to be present within the legend's realm. One can imagine standing high above a cliff observing the raven, in all its splendor wrapping its wings around the cold, white and untouched landscape. A pure white creature is born.
Sold for: $3000

Artist: Clarence Mills
Patron: Helijet International Inc.
Provenance: Haida from the Queen Charlotte Islands, Clarence Mills' Haida art represents the Spirit Bear with the utmost of honour and dignity - the body painted with mother of pearl interference and the different groups of muscles are painted in copper oxide- true to the glowing Spirit Bear. This is a Mother and cub Haida Bear family. The Bear cub is clutching to his Mother for comfort and protection, his paws holding tightly to his mother' sides.
Sold for: $3000

Artist: Mandy Boursicot
Patron: Province of BC
Provenance: "BC Spirit Bear" is the Kermode Bear of BC, with capital letters. He is a bear without a doubt. Painted to represent a pure Kermode, he looks like he has real fur, real claws and all the typical markings of a real Kermode Bear. BC Spirit Bear has distinct chevrons of golden brown on his chest and on his back, while a major part of his fur is a light blonde. If you were fortunate enough to meet a real Kermode in the wild, this is what he would look like. And BC Spirit Bear is now the new official mascot of British Columbia.
Sold for: $12100

Artist: Sylvia Verity
Patron: A-Channel Vancouver Island
Provenance: The Spirit Bear is symbolic of all that is serene, majestic and beautiful in our wilderness. Its grandeur catches our imagination and speaks to us on a level far above its physical presence. I endeavoured to capture this presence by painting him as an integral part of his home and atmosphere. His winking and grinning brings out the "Teddy" in him!
Sold for: $2500

Artist: Noah Herbison
Patron: Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Rodd McCormick and Island Displays
Provenance: The artist's inspiration stems from a library of motifs such as spirals, concentric circles, parallel curves and branching lines. These motifs are influenced by West Coast Native art, fractals (a shape that appears similar at all scales of magnification and is therefore often referred to as "infinitely complex."), and natural forms, all carefully balanced and harmonious curves and spirals.
Sold for: $5500

Artist: Ice Bear (Chris Johnson)
Patron: Pescatores Seafood & Grill
Provenance: Mishi Makwa, is Ojibway for Great Bear. It tells of Bear's world, the great forests, and the disappearing habitat. It offers hints of many traditional aboriginal legends, of animals who become men, (or men who become animals), the spirits who watch over the forests and all the creatures in it, and the ancient spiritual traditions of the original residents of this continent.
Sold for: $2500

Artist: Judson Beaumont
Patron: Bear Mountain and Custom House
Provenance: "Jack" the Golden Bear was designed to pay honour to Jack Nicklaus, considered by many to be the greatest golfer of all time. This bear represents Jack Nicklaus wearing his Masters jacket and signature plaid pants. Jack Nicklaus visited Bear Mountain in August and personally signed his name on the green Masters jacket worn by the bear. This sculpture also comes with a framed photograph of Jack Nicklaus signing the bear. This is one of two Jack Nicklaus bears created by Judson Beaumont.
Sold for: $3000

Artist: Hope Corman
Patron: McConnan Bion O'Connor & Peterson Law Corporation
Provenance: Public art educates. It captures the imagination of kids, tourists and adults. BEARASSOLICITOR sports a dapper morning coat paired with pinstripe pants and complete with shiny black shoes and spats. Complete with wire rimmed glasses, well-worn attaché case and a three dimensional pocket watch chain.
Sold for: $2500

Artist: Patrick Kitchen
Patron: Artemis PR & Design
Provenance: Diva Bear was born in the imagination of Artemis' multi-talented Art Director Patrick Kitchen and came to life at the hands of Patrick and his artistic mother, Lynn Kitchen.
Always adorned for her next appearance on stage or at a gala, Diva is devoted to benefiting the special children who deserve the best.
Sold for: $3000

Artist: Tineke Visser
Patron: CIF Composites Inc.
Provenance: Tineke's inspiration for this bear came from the children's books that she illustrates for. "Pipo" is a bright, fun, colourful bear whose whimsical artwork is a rainbow journey through our colorful world. He will bring smiles and joy to children and the young at heart for years to come.
Sold for: $20000

Artist: Charles Elliott
Patron: THRIFTY FOODS
Provenance: First Nations have revered and respected the White Bear for time immemorial. Designs on the Spirit Bear are of his life's survival, the salmon and eggs, the great Cedar Tree and the diving osprey. This Coast Salish art discipline of which I have mastered as a lifetime artist and teacher is a gift from the Creator to be shared and passed on.
Sold for: $2000

Artist: Tine Andreissen
Patron: Zone 19I-2 Lions Clubs
Provenance: My vision for the spirit bear, "Peace and Harmony", was based on the description of the First Nation legend that states that "the world was pure and clean and covered with snowdrifts and ice blue glaciers" and I imagined that it was filled with green forests around clear blue lakes with the white bear rising out of a black bear family.
Sold for: $3250

Artist: Dean Lauze
Patron: Bear Mountain Resort
Provenance: A tribute to the great Calgary Flames goaltender, Mike Vernon, who was one of hockey's greatest goalies, winning two Stanley Cup Championships - one in 1989 with the Calgary Flames and one in 1997 with the Detroit Red Wings. Dean Lauze, the artist, did a masterful job in sculpting the full hockey uniform right up to the goalie's mask on the bear.
Sold for: $6000

Artist: Robert Cerins
Patron: Dr James Cornell and Dr Trevor Miranda
Provenance: The vision Robert had for Robearto is to cheer up all who see him. He painted hearts all over Robeartoe's body in hopes that children will find the hearts in a game like manner and count them all. Even adult kids are allowed to count the hearts.
Sold for: $2500

Artist: Wendy Sage River
Patron: THRIFTY FOODS
Provenance: "Mother Earth Father Sky" encaptures the wonderful spirit of the Great White Kermode Spirit Bear. Wendy wanted to honor the first nations legend of the bear and endeavored to create this in painting two bears within the bear, the raven, the salmon and the environment that the bear lives in. Her own West Coast upbringing and Cree heritage help to influence her art style.
Sold for: $4500

Artist: Patricia Banks
Patron: Gabriola Island Lions, Nanaimo Lions, Nanaimo Hub City Lions and Harbour LItes Lioness
Provenance: Envision a Spirit Bear rising above its environment, the rugged north-west coast of BC. The Spirit Bear, a legendary white bear: mysterious, hidden by its remote environment, invokes respect and awe in the hearts and imaginations of all. "Spirit Rising" challenges us to rise above our own environments, both internal and external, to benefit those who need our help.
Sold for: $5500

Artist: Cim MacDonald
Patron: A&W Nanaimo
Provenance: What a privilege it was to have so much fun while helping to raise funds for children with disabilities. When I received the call to paint a Spirit Bear for the A&W, Nanaimo, I was very pleased. I grew up watching Happy Days on TV and drinking Root Beer at the A&W; the Fonz seemed like a natural icon for me to portray. His prominent placement on the grassy bank of the highway allows him to give the famous "thumbs up" to all who pass.
Sold for: $2750