Winnie's 100th anniversary and my son's Steiff bear

Today is the 100th anniversary of the real Winnie - the bear cub who went to England with Canadian troops and inspired A.A. Milne to write the stories so beautifully illustrated by E. H. Shepard.

I've always loved the drawings of Shepard and can never look at them without amazement at the man's ability.

Shepard was inspired to his design by a Steiff  stuffed teddy bear.  That got me remembering a sketch I did of my son's Steiff. The bear was passed down from his great grandfather and  one evening, two year old Christopher lovingly tucked him in on the couch before he himself when off to bed.

The bear ended up in a book for a German publisher, although in a very tiny way on the rocking
horse.

Shoreline Sketches

August 22 L. Huron from Old Woman R. w/c on arches  4.5 x 9 in.

Some pencil and watercolour sketches done around Lion's Head this summer.  Rock patterns and light over water and reflected off the cliffs here are endlessly fascinating.  Hopefully these sketches get worked up into larger paintings in the coming weeks or months.  But if not, it's just nice to sit outside and throw paint and draw lines.

August 23 Lion's Head cliffs  watercolour on arches  9x12 in

shoreline patterns  graphite on BFK  4.5 x 13 in.