As 27 February is International Polar Bear Day, I thought it would be remiss not to revisit my graphite polar bear piece ‘It’s alright once you’re in’.

‘It’s alright once you’re in’ - by Candace Slager

There’s no grand activist story behind my decision to draw a polar bear. It was just nice to work on a large striking black and white piece with rippling water details. I was especially drawn to the marble-like eyes.

Work in progress I

Work in progress II

Something else in progress…

It’s titled ‘It’s alright once you’re in’ but in poor irony, it probably isn’t alright.

Most of us are aware that many animals are under threat for one reason or another. Polar bears are no exception.

International Polar Bear Day focuses on helping save these beautiful giants by bringing awareness to carbon emissions and its effects.

It encourages us to do the things we’ve always heard: recycle more, use less water, ride our bikes, choose eco-friendly options etc in our every day life.

“That feeling when you bring your own bag to the grocery store”

BUT HOW TO GET THAT GOOEY FEELING?

I’m not your dad so I can’t tell you what to do, but by gentle prodding with a carbon neutral carrot, may I encourage you to consider one of these easy activities:

Reuse

Don’t reuse toilet paper, but DO reuse bags. I particularly like the thrill you get when you take a bag with a Coles logo into a Woolworths store.

Keep your hair on

Drive smoothly. Aside from causing your wig to dislodge, aggressive braking and accelerating in your car is toxic for the environment.

Make friends with salad

Polar bears are the largest land carnivores in the world. Due to a lack of food, some have been forced further afield and, disturbingly, have been found hunting for dolphins. Unlike polar bears, we can and should eat vegetables. Consider replacing some meat with veggies. Your arteries will thank you.

Pull the plug

Unplug one appliance you are not using. This cuts down on a sciencey thing called phantom energy (energy used by appliances while still plugged into the wall). So unplug that toaster or quasedilla maker and sleep easy.

Don’t have children

Having only a fluffy four-legged child to contend with, I’m feeling pretty smug about this. Considering the petrol consumption of taking kids to/from their “soft play centres”, jamborees and sporting thingies, I thought this article’s suggestion of having less children as a way to reduce pollution was an interesting take, if a little extreme. Bouncy castles are way more fun without kids anyway!

We can all do our bit. Even my studio assistant is an avid environmentalist. Here she is in energy-saving mode (Caution: this is a standard factory setting. If tampered with, it could begin to spark)

My piece ‘It’s alright once you’re in’ is available for purchase. It comes in a variety of meat-free options. Can I prod you one last time with that carrot to go and see it for yourself in my online shop.

x Candy

Don’t even think about unplugging my TV

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Artwork feature: It’s alright once you’re in