XRP Bear

JL’s palette for this oil painting is a symphony of warm tones, predominantly featuring rich reds, vibrant oranges, and inviting yellows. These hues reflect the emotional landscape of the depicted scene. Amidst the frustration and anger evoked by downtrends in market conditions, the choice of colours adds depth to the bear’s narrative, capturing the tumultuous journey of the crypto world.

Each stroke is applied to convey depth and texture. The fur, depicted with fast and elongated strokes, emits a sense of movement and vitality, while areas of thicker impasto paint, carefully patted onto the canvas, evoke the reflective nature of snow upon clothing. The layering of paint allowed for a subtle buildup of colour and dimension, enhancing the overall realism of the artwork and giving it a certain radiance that can only be viewed in the original painting, due to how the light bounces back into the eye as it passes through each layer of paint.

This oil painting blends elements of realism with symbolic imagery. Drawing inspiration from the world of cryptocurrency, JL infuses the piece with a sense of intrigue and mystique, paying homage to the XRP community and its iconic figurehead. The adaptation of ‘Bearable Guy 123’ introduces a playful yet enigmatic quality to the composition, inviting viewers to decipher the hidden messages and symbols scattered throughout the artwork.

At the heart of this painting lies plenty of symbolism. The bear, adorned with a crown embellished with blockchain logos, symbolises resilience and strength in the face of market volatility. The inclusion of the XRP logo within a blue ice-like gem conveys the sense of clarity achieved amid legal challenges and its dormant dominance. From the torn shirt symbolising battles fought to the blood-splattered marks depicting the ongoing struggle between bears and bulls, every detail tells a story of perseverance and triumph in the crypto landscape.

For JL, this painting represents more than just a visual composition; it embodies a personal journey intertwined with the highs and lows of the crypto world. Through the juxtaposition of the bear and the bull, JL invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences within the cryptocurrency community. As a testament to resilience and growth, the artwork serves as a reminder of the transformative power of patience and perseverance in the face of adversity.

The NFT displays snow falling to the ground with some of the scene almost icing over, the bear, much like the cold shows no mercy. To be consistent with the Bull NFT, the format is wide as filming of the painting was done in widescreen to give a cinematic effect. The purpose is to display some of the important close-up elements that make up the painting but also to allow people to get a feel for it before buying.

JL created the sound design to give it a cinematic and epic vibe. He draws inspiration from many tv series intros, and likes to apply that to each of his paintings. There is a certain darkness applied to the music, since this is when people are at their worst emotionally, when being invested. The bear is responsible for those emotions, so it felt right the music feel like an antagonists theme song. The intro includes sounds of cracking ice before the music hits.