Grizzly Bear Sculpture
Root Bear Float Foam Sculpture
By Jon Peterman of JP Graphics
This is Root (bear a float) heading down the Rogue River on his trusty ‘Bearly-A-Float’ inner tube. Root was carved and decorated by us as one of the 80 bears that graced the streets of Grants Pass, Oregon as part of Evergreen BearFest.
This is how the large bear sculptures were made. Beginning with foam blocks, the artwork was sketched on a grid and carved using the Hot Wire Foam Factory 4-Foot Compound Bow Cutter. The Industrial Hot Knife was used for the finer details.
Once the foam was carved, it was sealed, then covered in fiberglass. Smaller details were added using AB putty.
The fiberglass was primed before painting. Once painted, the bears were given a clear coat so they would be able to withstand tourists, kids and the weather. Some of the Evergreen Bears stand well over 8 feet tall. This Inner Tube Bear is approximately 7 feet tall.
Evergreen Bank needed an additional 21 bears to make the full 80 bear count to celebrate their 80th year in business. Bears from previous years were a part of this magnificent display. JP Graphics carved a total of 4 bears for this 21 bear project.
