The art of...

 

The art of...

The art of creating artist teddy bears follows a long road of trial, error, determination to improve and the gift of a creative soul.

An original handcrafted teddy bear flows from the maker's heart and hands, into a character woven with the warmth of childhood nostagia and a sense of comfort.

Competitive Investments

The deadline for the 2019 TOBY Industry's Choice Awards has now arrived and after a time away from competition work, I decided to stop umming and aahhing and actually enter this year. Not that I am terribly hopeful of success, as my experience of the TOBY Awards has been mixed over the years. That said, I did have the honour (not to mention shock!) of winning a couple of times with entries several years ago, so I guess you never can tell!

You could have knocked me down with a feather when I received notice that my big clown, 'Billy Buttons' had won a 2008 TOBY Industry's Choice Award... my very first TOBY Award!

And in 2011, I was absolutely thrilled to receive the TOBY Award again, this time for my careworn style 'Lonesome' teddy bear.

That said, it has been a good while since I last entered a competition after a disappointment with another competition, regarding an award I won three years ago. Sadly, despite contacting the organiser many times, my trophy was never sent and as competitions are costly and somewhat nerve-wracking to enter, I felt a little discarded after the initial joy of winning an award. As a result, I decided to take a step away from competing for a time.  Bear artists invest not only their hard earned pennies, but also fragile self belief, into submitting competition entries and to my mind, organisers should respect that investment.

So, why even enter artist bear competitions? 

Well, as I see it, teddy bear competitions are about so much more than who has made the 'best' bear that year. They are about promoting teddy bear artistry as an industry and validating those bearmakers who put heart and soul into their creations. They are also about inspiring creative talent in others, whilst sharing passion for the teddy bear, his heritage and also his future.

My 2019 TOBY Award entries (there are two) have now been submitted so there is nothing else to do but sit back and enjoy the suspense, while judging takes place. I dare say there will be a twinge of disappointment if at least one isn't placed this year, but if that's the case, it certainly won't be the first time and probably won't be the last either!

:-)

Twists, turns and teddy bear artistry

Time is a funny old thing isn't it ... I was hunting through some old photographs for pictures of my biggest bears and came across this one taken about twenty years ago, with my huge 32" 'Miguel the Magnificent' alpaca teddy. We were perched on the steps outside my kitchen window while my then husband, snapped a quick photo to record the creation of this huge teddy bear, before he took a flight to meet his new owner in the USA.

Me and Miguel the Magnificent circa 1998.

So much in my life changed since those days. After this happy pic was taken, I became divorced, a single mum and eventually, left my home of twenty three years, to begin a new life with my now husband and two teenage children. Then my kids grew up and made careers for themselves, left home to build their own nests ... and joy of joys, my grandson was born!

Just before my son left home my Dad passed away unexpectedly, which took a great deal of coming to terms with, as I rattled in an empty house each day. I filled the silence with waggy tails, noisy barks and golden sunshine thanks to Polly and Betty, my two beautiful golden retrievers and more recently, added a cheeky ginger kitten into this rather lively mix - one thing is absolutely certain, the house is no longer too quiet and I have no time left to rattle any more!

Thinking about things further, it wasn't until after the photograph with Miguel was taken, I finally plucked up sufficient determination to learn to drive, passing my test on the second attempt, at the grand old age of 42! I also taught myself to use a computer properly, learned among a zillion other things, to create a website to showcase my bears, write a blog and to utilise social media effectively. I also joined the Open University to develop my writing skills, then surprised myself by passing well!  And when a very boisterous Polly puppy arrived, I nervously signed up for dog obedience training classes and once again surprised myself by actually managing to teach not one, but two naughty puppies to become polite doggy citizens. I learned how to use a digital camera to photograph bears, to make cloth dollies and recently, to paint and draw. 

Me and Lonnie, February 2018

Since the early 1990's, I have witnessed the ebb and flow of teddy bear collecting and watched it reshape dramatically with the birth of the internet ... it has been a fascinating period of historic teddy bear change, both in terms of design and collecting ... and one in which I have enjoyed a privileged view! 

On a personal note, although my life has been full of ups and downs, twists and turns throughout those twenty something years, thankfully the one constant has been my teddy bears. The passion to create these gentle creatures has remained with me, during the best and the worst of times.

There must be many reasons people become teddy bear makers. Mine was simply that I always loved traditional bears, ever since I was child and I had an itch to create my own ... then once I'd started, I couldn't bear to stop!

Thank you so very much if you have been a part of my teddy bear history. I have met many lovely people from around the world during my time as a 'bear artist' and am eternally grateful for the kind homes shared with my teddy bears and the kindness shared with me. 

:-)

Sad news

Away with the fairies is a lovely place to be on a day when the world might seem a bit too topsy turvy to make sense of ...

Yesterday I heard the sad and unexpected news of Beatrix Harries' passing. She was the creator of the most beautiful, sweet faced teddy bears and a truly generous teacher of the bear making art. Beatrix was well respected internationally but more importantly, well liked within our magical world of teddy bears.  Beatrix, you gave so much of yourself through your creativity and it has been my pleasure to know you. Your lovely smile and wonderful bears will be missed by so many. 

Goodnight and sleep tight, lovely lady x

Protectors of our teddy bear heritage

Reminding myself of the bear maker I truly am, with this fabulous new big bear!

22" Gulliver

Those who have followed my teddy bears since the mid 90's, will best know me for creating large, traditional teddy bears with soulful faces.  

I love these stately bears, protectors of our teddy bear heritage, guardians of our childhood memories ... and I am so proud to continue to make them for collectors around the world, twenty three years after creating my very first traditional teddy bear.

If you would like to know more about Gulliver, please visit him on my website:

www.allbearbypaula.com

Thank you!

:-)

Heart and Soul

Recently, I happened to spot a Tweet about this lovely book written by Jennifer Laing, published way back in 1996, so never one to pass an opportunity to add to my bear making bookshelves, I decided to track down a copy ...

I began my own bear making career in the early 90's, so flicking through this book was a real trip along memory lane for me.  I didn't know all of the antipodean bear makers featured by Jennifer, but did recognise quite a few familiar faces, so it's good to know that although some may no longer be making, others are still busy creating teddy bears 'Down Under'.

'The complete book of teddy bear artists in Australia and New Zealand' sums up that era in bear-making perfectly and also reflects our UK teddy bear industry of the day; it was a passionate period for creating teddy bears!  Back then, the internet was still inaccessible to most teddy bear artists, so the craft of bear making was an isolated process, slowly gleaned and polished through trial and error.  New techniques were cautiously guarded and naturally less advanced than the 'bells and whistles' of today ... but believe me, those simple, heartfelt teddy bears excited collectors and were very quickly adopted.

Sometimes I feel we bear makers may be in danger of losing our way with the pressure to be innovative, not to mention competitive.  As much as I admire the breathtaking artistry of many modern teddy bear makers, I truly hope the soul and passion those early bear artists brought to our craft back in the 80's (US) and 90's (rest of us!) will always remain at the heart of artist designed teddy bears.

Paws in Pink

Today I would like to draw your attention to 'Paws in Pink', a heartfelt, very personal venture, set-up by my friend Melanie Jayne, creator of 'Bear Treasures', to support the 'Breast Cancer Care' charity in memory of her dear mum.  I hope you will visit the 'Paws in Pink' blog and Facebook page and if possible, send a donation and enter the raffle to show your support. Thank you xxx

Paws in Pink on Facebook

Paws in Pink Blog

Paws in Pink - Just Giving Donation Page


ABOUT PAWS IN PINK

'Paws in Pink' is a group of teddy bear artists who have come together to created very special artist teddybears, donated to raise money for the 'Breast Cancer Care' Charity.

Paws in Pink for Breast Cancer Care was set up in memory of Melanie Jayne's mum Susan Culshaw, who died from breast cancer at the age of 51 and also to create a very special way to celebrate what would have been her 60th birthday in June 2013.  Paws in Pink is dedicated to all people who have suffered and survived breast cancer.

The first charity event will take place in June 2013 and will run until the end of July 2013.  The five teddybear artists who have created and donated special bears for our first charity event are Melanie Jayne - Bear Treasures, Lynette Littlejohn - LJ Bears, Susan Smith - Kesseys Bears, Amanda Ferguson - Honey Pot Bears and Sandra Piper - Skye Rose Bears.

All donations taken during the June and July 2013 fundraising event are taken through Paws in Pink for Breast Cancer Care Just Giving page and all donations go directly to the charity.

 www.justgiving.com/pawsinpink

More than words ..

After last week's unpleasantness, these beautiful flowers arrived today with a lovely message.  The senders are very special people who have themselves worked tirelessly to support bear artistry and bear artists for many years. Thank you so much, your thoughtful gesture means a great deal to me xxx

A friend for Rica.

Rica & Willi by Rita Diesing of Ridibears

Do you remember me telling you about little Rica at Christmas?  He was a special present from me to me, after a busy year of bear making.  I stumbled across Rica whilst browsing the orphans page of Abracadabra Bears website (http://www.abracadabra-teddies.com/orphanagegallery.htm) and as a long time admirer of Rita Diesling's (http://www.ridibears.de/) lovely bears, I couldn't pass him by!  Every time I visited the site, there was little Rica, begging me to adopt him in time for Christmas - so eventually I accepted fate and did just that!  Well, as is usually the case with these things, one thing quickly led to another and on a return visit to Abracadabra, I noticed another of Rita's bears had been orphaned.  Fortunately for me, Marsha the owner of Abracadra Bears was able to reserve 'Willi' for me until my birthday in February.  I am happy to tell you these dear little bears are now reunited and have now settled comfortably into my workroom with me!

UK Teddy Bear Guide 2010 Available Now!

The UK Teddy Bear Guide published by Hugglets

This is the 23rd year of publication by the Hugglets team and it's a terrific resource for anyone who loves bears both in the UK and overseas.  The cover price is a mere £5.95 plus postage ... so go on, why not treat yourselves! 

Click here to visit the Hugglets website:

 http://www.hugglets.co.uk/guideindex.php

Oh and just in case you are wondering, the beautiful bear in the picture holding the Guide is my lovely 'Dudley', a wonderful 25" bear created by Frank Webster of Charnwood Bears.  Sadly I haven't seen Frank in a while and can't find his work online; unfortunately he isn't advertised in the new Guide, so I can only assume he is no longer creating his wonderful bears ... please let me know if I'm wrong, I'd love to see Frank's bears again!

Sindie

I was so sad to hear of Sindie's passing. An old friend from way back, I knew Sindie Smith as a girl who could light a room with her laughter, creativity and enthusiasm. Sindie's battle with breast cancer ended last Thursday and at just thirty nine years old, there seems no rhyme or reason ...

I hope Sindie will forgive me for this old photograph taken in the good old days! Sindie Smith and her lovely 'And Finally Bears by Sindie Smith'.

If you knew Sindie and would like to offer a donation to 'The Cavendish Centre' in her memory, (a registered charity which offered much needed support to Sindie, Gary and their two daughters during her illness) please visit the following link. Thank you.

www.justgiving.com/Sindie/

Sindie's husband Gary manning their 'And Finally Bears by Sindie Smith' stand at the Rochester Bear Fair in 2000.

And finally, I'd like to say my goodbye to Sindie by sharing her thoughts on the well documented ailment ...

'BEARMAKERS' BUM!'

In Sindie's own words ...

"My research has a long way to go, however I have discovered some very interesting facts:

1. If you hold your food higher than your mouth, all the calories jump out before you can consume them.

2. Long, thin foods i.e. chocolate fingers, sausages, Kitkat, Niknak crisps, spaghetti Bolognese etc maintain their form when consumed so you will become long and thin too.

3. Ring doughnuts, coconut ring biscuits and bagels have low fat centres so are okay to eat.

4. Anything with lots of air in it is also low fat i.e. Aero, chocolate mousse, Wispa etc .

5. Avoid anything round (see no.2) such as apples, tomatoes, ricecakes, grapefruit, pickled onions etc."

Sleep tight Sindie. You won't be forgotten and whenever we think of you, we'll always hear your laughter.

Ahead of her time ...

As a teddy bear artist myself, I can't help but admire the talent of other makers. Miniaturists for example, I mean how on earth do they manage to capture character in such precise detail? As a maker of big bears, I don't mind telling you, those tiddlers intrigue me! Then there are the realistic grizzly bear makers, a rare breed of bearmakers with the patience to study real bears, capturing animal characteristics, as they transfer nature's lumbering form into soft sculpture. Amazing!

24" 'Bon-Bon', runner up in the 1997 British Bear Artist Awards

Sandra Wickenden, a talented UK bear artist, paved the way for our current representational grizzly bears and in 1997 I had the honour of being placed second to her inspired 'on all fours' grizzly bear 'Yona,' in the British Bear Artist Awards. First and second places couldn't have contrasted more that year - my entry 'Bon-Bon' was a crazy, bent legged, flamboyantly pink girl bear with a striped nose and Sandra's fabulous Yona was ... well, judge for yourself ...

'Yona' by Sandra Wickenden. First place in 1997 British Bear Artist Awards.

Yona featured a sculpted leather nose, mouth and claws and was multi-jointed, making her extremely poseable and way ahead of time in terms of teddy bear design ... besides having an additional neck piece to lend added expression to her poseability, this magnificent bear also had a rotating mid tummy section.

So what happened to Yona and Bon-Bon? Well, the original Bon-Bon was invited to the Hong Kong Toy Museum to live after the competition and four sister bears were created exclusively for 'Theodore's Bear Emporium' in Richmond (no longer trading). As for Yona, I have a confession to make ... I was in awe of that wonderful bear and after a quiet whisper to lovely Sandra, I was allowed to bring the original bear home to live with me!

A celebration of bear artistry

After fifteen years creating bears, I may be considered an old timer when it comes to bearcrafting in the UK, but it is worth noting that bear artistry came to the fore in the US many years before we Brits caught on. The lovely Ginger Brame of 'Bearbits' fame, is currently celebrating her 25th bearcrafting anniversary with a fabulous blog giveaway. Please spare a moment to visit Ginger's blog and leave a congratulatory comment ... such long term dedication to the craft of creating such wonderful bears definitely deserves applause!

http://bearbits.blogspot.com/2009/05/celebration-continues.html

'Posy' created by Ginger Brame of Bearbits, to celebrate her 25th bearcrafting anniversary.

Bear artist blogs - Top 100!

You know how it is, you sit on your swivel chair and before you know it, you've surfed a zillion craft sites and discovered an exciting new facility which you just can't resist playing with! Or is that just me?! Anyhow, I've been fiddling around with a 'Top 100' ranking service this morning because I think it could be a great tool to encourage bear artist blogging and of course, the promotion of our blogs!

100 Best Bear Artist Blogs

After hunting around for a while, I found some lovely bear graphics on sale for just a couple of dollars, so I snapped 'em up and have been playing around in Photoshop to create a couple of banners and a cute background for our shiny new '100 Best Bear Blogs' ranking service. Now all we need are some members! So, if you're a bear artist reading this and you have a bear artist blog you'd like to promote, please nip over and sign up so we can get this thing moving!

Secret Santa

My Secret Santa arrived a few moments ago! I found this little chap by Elanor of Shantock Bears on a flying visit to 'Edwina's Friends' and couldn't resist treating myself ... after all, I've made so many bears for other people this year, surely I must have earned myself a tiny Christmas treat by now?!

5" 'Blitzy' by Elanor Andrews of Shantock Bears

At just five inches, 'Blitzy' certainly is that - a teeny, tiny, cute as ninepence, bitesized treat! Ho, ho, ho, Happy Christmas to me!

New horizons

It's strange isn't it, how the things you take for granted and think will never change, inevitably do. 'Teddy Bear Scene' magazine thumped onto my doormat this morning and what did I read inside those welcome pages? News that stopped me in my tracks, that's what.

My first memories of the UK bear world are of wonderful bears, created by the talented bear artists of the early 90's. I was in awe of and inspired by these makers ... people like Sandra Wickenden, Janet Clark, Gregory Gyllenship and of course, dear Frank Webster. So the news today, that Janet is to hang up her bear making mantle in favour of fresh artistic challenges for the foreseeable future, came as a surprise, to say the least.

Janet has been inspirational in the UK and far beyond for many years, with both her bears and her fabulous dolls. I for one, don't mind admitting I will miss her unique brand of inspirational eye candy at future specialist bear shows.

And talking of fresh challenges, on a much less inspiring note, this has been mine today! In response to a forum challenge I decided to venture into my first attempt at a digital postcard. Believe me, this was a far greater challenge than it might appear! If nothing else, the process has intrigued me and now I am determined to learn more about the mysteries of 'Photoshop' editing software. Anyway, this is the result of my 'Winter Wonderland' digital challenge ... I know, 'don't give up the day job' eh?!

Now and then.

I was so pleased when I found my 'Hugglets' folder in my loft space at my last house as I was packing up to move. At the time I remember promising myself time to flick through the contents at my leisure, if I ever sorted myself out in my new home ...

The red folder, lettered gold, is full of 'Hugglets' magazines, the very first UK specialist teddy bear publication. Sadly, the magazine hasn't been published for a very long time since those first enrapturing issues ... (mine are dated from 1993, but I know the first issue was published even earlier). The Hugglets team, Glen and Irene Jackman, are now better known for their fabulous London based teddy bear shows and annual Teddy Bear Guide, yet should also be heralded for the introduction of artist designed teddy bears to the UK and subsequently, for the dedicated promotion of both UK and internationally artist designed teddy bears.

As I time warped back to 1993, I revelled in the reflection of what was to me, a golden era in teddy bear design. Many of the designers mentioned have since changed direction and so seeing their work again was like meeting old friends once more. I found myself smiling broadly as I rediscovered pictures of their bears, long since forgotten.

Teddy bear shows were reported with much enthusiasm. Leading lights Janet Clark, Frank Website, Sandra Wickenden, Gregory Gyllenship, proudly filled their stands at those early shows with magnificent display pieces without concern for size, after all, big bears were highly sought after! It was fascinating to see their early work again and to begin to understand how far they have travelled since they first set out on their artistic journey into teddy bear design.

Back in the early 90's, teddy bear design was less flambuoyant than it is today, more based in traditional techniques. Simple teddy bear features expressed nostalgia; hints of Steiff, Bing, Herman, Chiltern, Chad Valley, long since passed, were brought lovingly back to life. Wide eyes, warm natural colours, smart black embroidered noses, these teddy bears were created with a firm sense of security instinctively crafted into each gentle detail.

If I flick through the pages of my most recent teddy bear magazine delivered a few days ago, the differences leap out at me! Today's artist bears are generally speaking smaller and so much less naive in expression; the gentle soulful expressions of a decade ago have been replaced with bold flirtation, cheeky grins, arms that really hug, legs that bend and perch, necks that twist and turn, these modern day bears have evolved human characteristics which have been cleverly moulded into bear form so that each bear may pout and pose for any PR opportunity. The pages are bright with colour; fur, eyes, noses and even ears, their shades are as bold or a subtle, as any skilled artist's palette could hope to achieve.

Reading those magazines made me think about my latest range of bears. When I started designing my own bears back in the early 90's, my goal was simple, I wanted to create beautiful bears I could love, bears which would stand the test of time and remain true to their forebears. Bears which could one day equal the appeal of those created by the UK artists and manufacturers I most admired. Real English teddy bears.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just like everyone else, I love to try new techniques and am so grateful for the fabulous array of coloured mohair now available. Playing with design is what makes the process of bear craft so enjoyable, it keeps designs vibrant and interesting, yet as I fiddle with an eyelid, or a second neck joint for example, I sometimes question why and whether these embellishments are for embellishment's sake, or whether they remain true to my original goal. With this firmly in mind, I have recently returned to my roots to create my 'Timeless Teds', a range of teddy bears developed in tribute to the endearing qualities of traditional bears, yet with I hope, a fresh modern appeal.

Today teddy bear design is a popular craft, so it seems to me more important than ever to create identity in my work. I want collectors to recognise my pieces whether contemporary in style, or indeed traditional. Needless to say, identity is not something I can add to my designs in a practical sense, but instead is passed from me to my bears by subtle osmosis; I like to think it boils down to an enduring passion for what I do and an inherent respect for those wonderful early bears that first inspired me.

I don't doubt I will soon feel the urge to work on my contemporary designs again, but in the meantime, I hope this entry goes some way towards explaining my motivation for keeping my teddy bear designs true to me.