Today’s the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic

Assignment: Paint a picnic basket for the Henry Sheldon Museum’s 26th Annual  Pops Concert and Fireworks Display summer fundraiser.

Materials: basket, gouache paints, love.

Process: Get an idea, do some research, make a sketch.

You know me and bears, we seem to be inseparable lately.  So it wasn’t much of a leap to choose the lyrics to Teddy Bear’s Picnic as my inspiration. This version by Anne Murray is lovely, but beware–it is a major earworm!

I did a rough little pencil sketch, added some color and was set to do the finish.

I painted a sunny background, leaving the edges of the lid showing.

Once the background was dry I added the bears, flowers and more flowers.

Some bees create the lines for the text: Today’s the Day the Teddy Bears Have their Picnic!

And what is a picnic basket without a yummy surprise inside?

This basket is beautifully lined with padded linen and has the nifty chain to keep the lid at a comfortable angle.

Making the handles jolly with multicolored stripes was the final touch.

Summer seems WAY far away in this neck of the woods, but I know it’ll come someday and If you go down to the woods today, you’d better not go alone!
It’s lovely down in the woods today, but safer to stay at home!
For ev’ry bear that ever there was will gather there for certain, because
Today’s the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic!