Ossipee Bears

Little Bedros, my grandson, likes bears—at least, in his current phase. His favorite ursine character is Walter from Trash Truck, the children’s book and TV show. Bedros’ Mommy and Daddy enjoy nature, and hiking is big with them. They like the Ossipee Lake area in New Hampshire and have a preferred spot where they can wander about with him. My wife, Becky, and I have walked there with them. Recently, we came across curious black rocks alongside the trail. Greg immediately whipped out his cell phone and activated one of the many apps he’s got on it. Within seconds, he announced the rock wasn’t a stone at all. According to the all-knowing app, it was dried out black bear, eh, poop. I’m reminded of paleontologists locating football-sized rocks that turned out to be dinosaur dung. We’re quite a way from that. I’m a city guy, and outdoorsy things are a bit out of my usual familiarity zone. In all truthfulness, I was a Boy Scout but didn’t get beyond Second Class, only the second rung on scouting’s hierarchy. I failed my one and only attempt to earn a Merit Badge, the one for cooking. I burned the chicken and undercooked the potatoes on a makeshift grill I had to create. Fortunately, Becky cooks and bakes very well. Thanks, dear. Greg was excited to learn of the presence of bears, while I took a more cautious approach. We’ve seen news coverage of hikers encountering bears on a trail and either making a ruckus to scare the intruder away or calmly walking backward until they’re out of danger. My concern was that Bedros might see an actual bear while being so fond of his animated friend Walter. Well, nothing happened, and there was no encounter. Yet. I suspect Bedros will be on other trails in the White Mountains region or elsewhere. With humans encroaching upon what had been wildlife habitat, Bedros may just meet a bear at some point. Fingers crossed he’ll know what to do. Soon after our recent hike, Greg texted me a gorgeous photo he’d shot with his cell phone from a hilltop looking toward Ossipee Lake. The kaleidoscopic sky alternated between blue and white and yellow, orange and pink. Being a student in a painting class where nearly everyone but me paints landscapes, I thought it was time to try my hand. The image was too good to pass up. Having been involved with buildings and architecture for my entire career, I had to include in my painting the structure at the top of the hill, which was also in the photo. As is my custom, I incorporated some humor. I’m usually the only one among my peers whose work is playful. The attached painting, Ossipee Bears, is my product—essentially my first serious attempt at combining landscape, architecture, family and funniness. The original is also one of my largest paintings so far, ledger-sized. I chose the format to allow plenty of room to accentuate the sky while keeping the faces scale-appropriate. As it is, they’re still quite small but recognizable, even to little Bedros. I’ve been reading a catalog of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m taken by the mastery of American landscaper painters Bierstadt, Lane, Homer and countless others. Their ability to paint accurately the smallest details has me in awe. Yet levity was not part of these painters’ repertoire. That’s where I come in. My painting classmates come to me asking what I’m working on that will make them laugh. Hopefully, Ossipee Bears brings at least a smile to your face. I wish that, someday, little Bedros will thank me for making fun of him and me, too. Besides, with Halloween just around the corner, maybe his Mommy and Daddy will dress him up as a bear. When I was little, the most popular bear was Smokey. For Bedros, it may be Walter, or even Pooh Bear.

Ossipee Bears

This story is FREE for you...

Robert Megerdichian

This story is FREE for you...

Robert Megerdichian

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