As this polar bear portrait evolved. so did this big bear's expression. It was as if something had caught his attention out there had caught his attention out there in the arctic night. I imagined the smells and sounds from a distant settlement calling out to him. The polar bear is a marine mammal that depends on the frozen sea for hunting, mating, traveling, safety. Because of climate change, the sea ice is dispersing earlier and freezing later. This brings our bear ashore for greater periods of time . Chances of volatile contact with people.