Tribute to California State Bear

In a salute to the official state animal of California, Jelly Belly commissioned Bay Area artist Kristen Cumings to create this portrait of the California Grizzly Bear (ursus californicus) rendered in Jelly Belly^® jelly beans. Cumings “painted” in beans in a public demonstration at the California State Fair for over 50 hours, the only time in three decades Jelly Belly Art has been made in public.

The Grizzly Bear adorns the California State Flag and is the inspiration for the University of California, Berkeley football team Golden Bears. The majestic creature known for its strength and speed is an enduring symbol of the State’s earliest days when settlers and bears shared the wilderness.

To see the other amazing works of jelly bean art, go to the Jelly Belly Bean Art Gallery.

About the Artist:
Kristen Cumings lives in Martinez, California, and is a painter and illustrator. Her portraits inspired by people she meets in her daily life are shown in Bay Area art galleries and are in several corporate and private collections. When she is not painting, Cumings is a teacher’s assistant in a special education classroom in the East Bay.