Time-out - Grizzly Cub by Carl Brenders ~ Among baby animals, bear cubs are surely the funniest. They seem to be excited about every little object they find on the ground. They can jump and roll like crazy, just because of a little stick or a leaf they found. This can last several minutes. Then they can settle down as if they are ready to sleep, surprisingly jumping up again, looking for another exciting object, sometimes sharing it with a brother or a sister.

It is great to observe young animals, which always remind me of playing children. Painting them can be risky, triggering the critique, this is too cute. So, the art is to know how not to make them too cute, and the problem then is, they are so cute!

Cuteness is built into nature to activate the instinct of the mother to care for the babies. Their baby proportions make one aware that this little being cannot survive on its own. It needs care. A bear mother cannot think, but has that millions of years-old instinct to protect and defend her babies. The species has to go on; one of the wonders of life on this, oh so wonderful planet. Millions of years made this happen.