"Spirit Bear" By Chris Tutty

Spirit Bear: Banff
Artist: Chris Tutty
Medium: Acrylic, Airbrush & Mixed Media on Canvas
Dimensions: 40 x 40 inches

Spirit Bear: Banff by Chris Tutty is a powerful portrait that celebrates the rare and mystical white bear known to roam the Banff wilderness. Painted with reverence for both wildlife and the rugged Canadian landscape, this 40 x 40-inch piece radiates a spiritual presence that feels almost larger than life.

Tutty layers a wide range of techniques—hand-painted acrylic and oil brushwork, precise airbrushing with Createx Auto-Air Colors and House of Kolors paints, and geological-style layering with metallics, mica powders, resins, and glass-like finishes. As a nod to Georges Seurat, the master of pointillism, Tutty integrates pointillist detailing throughout the bear’s fur and the surrounding atmosphere. These thousands of carefully placed dots shimmer with light and color, giving the illusion of depth, vibration, and movement as the viewer steps closer to the canvas. The result is a dimensional, almost embossed image that feels alive, as though the Spirit Bear itself is emerging from Banff’s forests.

Beyond its artistry, Spirit Bear: Banff carries a legacy of giving. Through Elevate Auctions and Bill Brown, Chris Tutty’s wildlife series has helped raise over $100,000 annually for Calgary’s local charities—making each brushstroke not only an artistic achievement, but also a contribution to community impact.

Available Editions

• 40 x 40 inches: Artist Proof Original Giclée with a stunning glass resin finish

• 20 x 20 inches: Artist Proof, an intimate size perfect for cabins, dens, or small feature walls

Each Artist Proof is created using a high-definition archival pigment print of the original, digitally remastered with spectrometer-balanced colors by Rob Ryan of Render DC. Once stretched on canvas, Tutty reworks every proof by hand with airbrushing, pointillist accents, metallic flake, molding paste, and pearls, sealing it with glass resins to retain the vibrant brilliance of the original. Every Artist Proof becomes a new, one-of-a-kind painting with expressive variations—accessible to collectors at a more approachable price point while retaining museum-level quality.

Owning Spirit Bear: Banff means holding both a breathtaking wildlife portrait and a piece of Calgary’s charitable story. It is a testament to nature, artistry, and the spirit of giving back.

⚠️ Please note: Due to the extensive layering process, pointillist detailing, and resin curing times, artworks may take up to one month to complete before delivery.