Artist Statement:
BEAR CARPENTER, acrylic artist based full time in Edmonds, Washington.
“Every evening, when I get home from work, I paint. Painting scenes from the community where I live, everyday locations I walk by or visit, is what I enjoy. In my art, if I have captured a moment or a memory that makes you happy, then I have done my job.”
Raised in Oceanside, CA, the 1970s SoCal surf scene informed Bear’s early watercolor work of coastal surroundings. Turning to acrylics in 2015, his work reflected an appreciation of streetscapes, historic buildings and ocean waves. Surfing days long gone, the Pacific Northwest provides new creativity. In 2022, Bear’s work was selected for the Cole Gallery Plein Air Show (September) and for the Edmonds Plaza, Edmonds Arts Festival (June). His style is mostly self-taught, and his acrylics today have been influenced by those many years as a watercolorist. Bear was mentored by San Diego watercolorist Dan Camp, honing techniques in studio and plein air painting of San Diego beach towns, local landmarks and California missions. At that time, some of his watercolors depicting coastal scenes and missions were accepted into the Ruth Mayer Gallery in Laguna Beach, California.
Bear sold work at Art on the Green, North Coastal Art Gallery, Carlsbad CA and also the Pier Plaza Art Afaire in Huntington Beach, CA (2015-2021). His original acrylics of local streetscapes and well known beach spots in San Diego County became popular among locals and tourists.
Now in Edmonds, he has found a similar experience at the Museum Summer Market downtown and by participating in the Edmonds Art Walks. His work can be found at Crow in Edmonds and online at Cole Gallery & Art Studio. Bear also contributes to the ‘Sketching Edmonds’ section of the Edmonds Beacon newspaper. He was the featured artist for the Beacon Magazine, Summer Edition (2022).
Bear finds inspiration around his hometown on Puget Sound, yet a surf vibe still shows up in the artist’s work. You will often see a van make an appearance in many of Bear’s paintings. It is a personal homage to the old surfer and to the first vehicle he owned—a 1968 white VW van.
As for the red van, the color simply pops in a painting.
