Illustrator Rebecca Rothman just made the most adorable drawing of two brown bears from a photo I took during one of our cruises to the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful warm sunny spring day in Alaska. (Yes, May is often a beautiful month in southeast Alaska, but I digress.) Our guide Dan, from Pack Creek Bear Tours lead us across the tide flats to an open meadow where two bears were lazing in the sun — one was male, the other female. It was spring and love was in the air. The bears were about a hundred yards away from us.
We spent several hours in the meadow with the bears. We watched the male dote upon the female. He went where she went, if she got up to eat, he got up to eat. If she laid down, he laid down. It was fascinating to watch their gentle behavior. At one point when they were laying in the grass, she sat up and scratched her belly. The way he lifted his head and looked up at her melted my romantic heart. “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” came into my head. She laid back down again and he did too.
When Rebecca sent me her drawing, I fell in love with it and immediately wanted it as a T-shirt. Jeffrey suggested that we add the “I love you” to the bottom. I agreed because who wouldn’t want to spread a message of love.
In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be offering the I Love You Bears t-shirt in children’s and adult sizes. Pre-ordering will be on our website shortly.
Rebecca and I also have other T-shirt designs from my photos turned into her drawings in the works, but you’ll have to stay tuned…

-Christine