"Lorek Byrnison," Toy #23, 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, depicting a Schleich polar bear figurine I've dubbed Lorek, after the polar bear-ish character in The Golden Compass (book). This painting is $75, including shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as asking . My Fantasy World I absolutely adore reading, almost as much as I love painting. As a result, my head is full of lively characters, all personalities I bonded with during some marvelous adventure. And it may sound strange, but I consider them friends and confidantes, and do carry on conversations with them in my head. It's quite a party in there on any given day. I guess a true reader will understand. So Lorek Byrnison is just such a character. He hails from Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials . He honors promises and values true friendship. He embraces who he is and loves purely. And, to me, he became an emblem of almost religious proportions: m...