*See below if you have interest in purchasing a poster
My idea for these posters began with the appearance in Seattle of a teenaged black bear that was first sighted in Discovery Park on May 17th. The next afternoon I was sitting in the garden of my Shoreline home enjoying the warm spring weather with my family except that the insistent noise of several hovering helicopters kept interrupting our backyard bliss. Turns out that the “Urban Phantom” (so dubbed by the local press) was at that very moment being cornered in the park nearest my home. We had a great laugh over this affair and were thrilled to read the next morning that he had eluded his pursuers. He was sighted yet again in another nearby park in the following days and again he evaded the trackers (YAY bear!) and I began to be a rapt fan, cheering for his absolute escape.
One week after the initial appearance of Mr. Phantom Bear I read the most delightful article in the Seattle Times by columnist Danny Westneat entitled, “DEAR HUMANS: GET A GRIP! LOVE, BEAR” (see link to article below). The tongue in cheek humor had me chuckling with glee and summed up my thoughts on this bear completely. A couple days later I realized how much it also provoked my own creative thoughts and had my mind percolating…a vision was beginning to take shape. As I drove past the local “scene of the crime” I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be funny if someone posted a sign of a bear here at the park and dubbed it BEAR COUNTRY?” Then I realized that I had a bear painting fresh off my easel….sure it was a painting of a Grizzly, not a Black Bear, but I decided not to quibble over details...It was a bear after all. Viola! My scheming had begun!
I immediately phoned my cousin Chris Holt, owner of the Seattle graphic design firm Coolstone, and pitched my idea to him. I had the art work ready and I just needed his help with the graphics to make it poster ready. Being the cool guy he is, he agreed on the spot and the plan was hatched! The poster you see here is the result and as soon as they arrived from the printers I had a team out helping me place them in all the areas that the Phantom was sighted and ultimately captured. I firmly believe he was tired of our antics and was on his way out of town of his own accord, but we pesky humans cannot leave things alone!
The placement of these posters in the area is my way of honoring the "Urban Phantom" and is an extension of my vision inspired by Danny in his column. My goal is to make people smile, give them a chuckle or even just give them pause to contemplate something other than the commonplace shuffle of daily life and grim news. For me the bear sightings added vigor and a fresh energy to the Pacific Northwest’s same ‘ole same ‘ole.
After all…..normal is boring!
~Cheryl King
Posters are available to purchase for
$6 plus shipping/handling and tax if applicable.
They measure 14.5”x11” and are printed on high quality 100# cover gloss
paper.
If you would like to purchase a poster contact me at redfriend1@msn.com
www.coolstone.com ~ Chris Holt's design firm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2009256542_danny24.html
~Danny Westneat's bear article
