The current Bear Story book stems from a group of real life bears that were brought here from Lake Tahoe Ca. They were getting into trouble there but actually have been causing problems here in Dutch Flat also. The cat and dog in the book are also real life animals that live here. My bear book will hopefully tell a cute story but also educate children and people how to co exist with bears and all wildlife. From a small mining town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Charlene McLaughlin is a multi-faceted artist with a focus in oil painting design. Inspired by the relevance of wildlife and the great outdoors in her every day life, Mrs. McLaughlin leverages her relationship with the wild to create a unique space on canvas where her characters bring to life the anthropomorphic relationship between mankind and wilderness. Her creative amalgam of thought provoking illustrations convey sincerity and emphasize the importance of conservation and the preservation of our connections to the wilds.