Alphonse did not like to drink alone, but sometimes it could not be helped. The drawing room was mostly dark and shuttered and sheets still covered most of the furniture.
It was an impulse, coming to the house off season, it would be empty but just the sort of emptiness he needed. The few remaining servants had been sent away after Christmas for the expense; until the season would begin again and rooms would be aired and life could return. But now, it was dead.
Alphonse had thought he'd wanted to be alone, but a big empty house in darkness, save the small fire he'd managed, with it's creaks and groans was not the balm to his mood he hoped. He poured another glass of claret.
The creaks and groans of the house seemed to change, and he wondered at them. The wind gave it's moanful song through the old windows and the fire crackled, but that odd thud...A Heavy thud of prodding footfalls. It sounded like a fat man in his bedroom slippers.
Then he saw the creature move into the drawing room and Alphonse didn't move a muscle.
The big brown bear moved towards the table, looming in the orange firelight. He let out a sort of soft nuzzling snort and a great blue light shone into the drawing room window.
Alphonse had forgot he'd drawn the shades... or had he? Moments before he was sat dark in the ochre light of his small fire and now a great sun-shining blue light cast shadows and light upon his odd new guest.
I'd love a snort, came the bear, or at least a voice from the vicinity of the bear and Alphonse's good manners trumped his fear and he poured a second glass.
Alphonse thought he imagined a great arm of a man, muscled and hairy reach out and down the glass, but the blue light was odd and the shadows were playing tricks on him. He'd also had rather too much port before starting in on the claret, so one never knew.
Yet the evening went on and glasses were filled and drained and the wine cellars were emptied a bit more. Alphonse's need for loneliness were met with the company of a bear in the old house , off season, on a strange night.
Alphonse still has no idea who the bear was, or how he came to be, but he had the best night of his life, drinking, laughing, sobbing about life's misery, all in the shrouded off season night in the drawing room of the old house.
It was odd how much commiserate misery one could share with a bear who appeared in a blue light on a dark night, but here he was , "And a good chap, all round." thought Alphonse, toasting the bear and new chum.
Perhaps I'm dead and this is purgatory, came Alphonse by the end of the night, sipping some good hock.
"It might be Heaven or Hell as well," came the voice from the bear's direction, either way, it's a good sort of place: a fire, good wine, and warm company."
Salut to that, came Alphonse and he truly meant it. He'd be fine if this night went on and on into infinity, the wine, the house , the quiet and the bear.
Misery loves company, thought Alphonse and sometimes that company is a talking bear; and he poured them both another glass.
I hope you like my funny little story accompanying my painting. I really felt it fit the #alienarthive vibe, as it has surrealism but a bit of the 'alien' about it. I'm always curious if my sort of art does fit 
This was one of the many first digital pastel/oils I played with when I was first using the tools. I still rather paint and draw digitally not unlike the way I do with real life tools, so I'm sure there is a more efficient or proper way to do it.
Here I started with a sketch and just played with light and darks with smudges of 'oil pastel'. I set the 'canvas' to a very fine paper and just let the smudges shine.
I was inspired to try some more in this vein, but as usual I've always so many art projects underfoot I'm not sure I should start more. But, I really wanted to share this piece when I found it on a good 'studio search'' the other day. I've been giving myself afternoons here and there with a pot of tea and some times to just go through pieces , both digitally as well as drawers, cabinets and attics with canvas stacked up.
It's a fun way to time travel thru one's own psyche in art made. A good way to spend an afternoon and be inspired to do more (often too inspired or too much more.)
I hope all of you find a moment to indulge in your own passions and to have a little journey in your own past and psyche.
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