Sâkihitowin Grizzly Bears Limited Edition Print

LIMITED EDITION FINE ART PRINT

- High-quality Giclée fine art print made with museum-grade archival pigment inks + paper; The colours will not fade and will last for 200+ years. 
- Hand-signed, certified and numbered by artist Melissa Bain
- Only 150 editions of each size released. Once sold out they will no longer be available!
- Exclusive (Only sold here!)
- Shipped unframed in protective packaging.
- Includes FREE Expedited Shipping for all sizes.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

The original 24x36" acrylic painting of the Grizzly bear family (mother and two cubs) is titled Sâkihitowin ᓵᑭᐦᐃᑐᐃᐧᐣ which means; having love and kindness for oneself, family, and community. It is an authentic Indigenous practice and significant in the  ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐊᐧᐠ (Nehiyaw/Cree) 3 ways of knowing, being and doing. It is the act of being in love, i.e. a mutual love. [Source: Cree dictionary]  The title of the painting was chosen by it's commissioner, Lee Bear Muskwa; which has very special meaning to him and his family. Lee Bear, also known as LJ Muskwa, is a Canadian Indigenous artist/creator, comedian and fast-rising star in North America. It's a true honour that Lee Bear chose me to paint this special image for him and his family.

The photographic image referenced / licensed for this painting was taken by talented American wildlife photographer Andrew Sentipal; Photographers note: "That is one of my favorite images. I really liked the stacked ears. This was taken in Katmai National Park in Alaska. The only way into the particular area this was taken in is by float plane. No roads, boat access and hiking might be 40 plus miles to get there. We landed on a small pond nearby and walked to the area of the river to watch the Salmon run. The place where we were when I took the image is a small flat area above the river where the Salmon were spawning. Look hard and you will see a small portion of the river in the frame. We spent quite some time with this group. Mom was fishing and the two first year cubs played with each other on shore when we first spotted them. Then she took them up and away from the river. Mom looked exhausted. Male grizzlies will kill the cubs in order to mate so she had to keep moving them around. She felt comfortable enough with us that she fell asleep and through a long lens I was able to photograph them for quite some time. A day to remember for sure. Looking at the bear images from that shoot brings back lots of memories. It was a big honor for mom to allow us to sit on the bluff with her and eat lunch. It is so special to spend time with these amazing animals. Check out the Brooks Falls bear cams on YouTube to explore. The salmon are running and the bears are taking advantage of it." ~ Andrew Sentipal

Artwork © Melissa Bain. Image Reference/Photo © Andrew Sentipal. See more of his photography work online at: Andrewscamera.com