Black Bear Swimming in the Gulf in Destin

You may have heard that on June 11th a black bear was seen swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in Destin. This is a very unusual thing to witness! Our friend Arix Zalace explains why the bear may have been out of its normal habitat in this video.

In March 2022, our friend Alex Lewis took a photo of Andy surfing. Then last June, the photo was printed on canvas so Andy could paint it. (You might remember when Andy did a similar painted photography collaboration with Ryan Manthey several years ago.)

This painted photography piece hung in our gallery for about a year. Andy had been seriously considering turning himself into a surfing bear. First, because it would be fun and amusing. Also, does anyone really want a large painting of Andy in their home?

When we saw the videos of the bear swimming in the Gulf on June 11th, it was the inspiration Andy needed to finally re-imagine the painting. The name of the piece, Daddy Bear, came from a nickname some of our kids jokingly gave Andy.

Lori SaczynskiJune 21, 2023