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I ventured into collecting teddy bears about 20 years ago. I became addicted. Teddy bears may not have speech, but they speak so fluently with their eyes and accepting personalities. I became skilled at repairing and restoring vintage and antique bears. What wonderful memoirs they have to tell. I found myself contemplating who they had comforted, where they had traveled and what became of those who had cherished them? Some of my favorite artist bears were created to “bear” a resemblance to these aged relatives.
I discovered promptly that the larger bears consume a room quite rapidly. Out of necessity my concentration was focused on the miniature bear. I have always adored the miniature world, so tiny and yet so lifelike. I had a doll house as a child that my father had constructed for me and I spent hours in imaginary play. My teddies revive that imagination and allow me to escape the melodrama of every day life. It really is acceptable to recapture your childhood, as long as you don’t totally fail to remember that you are an adult. The miniature artist bears are ideal for the collector who has a limited living space; they require only a pocket-sized locale.
I have narrowed my collecting to miniature artist bears and antique bears. I also began to create and stitch my own bears. I hope as you visit the bears, browse through the books, look at the boxes and consider whether you are ready to try your hand at bringing life to a bear of your own, you discover a little of the enchantment that bear collecting has brought to me.
We also will be offering original art by Southern California artist Katherine Garvin. She has sold her work exclusively in Crestline California and in the local area. She only does one-of-a-kind pieces, so if you see something you like, you better bid on it. She uses art deco painting techniques on wood, and she likes to choose unusual wood items to paint on. These special hand painted boxes are the perfect place for a special Teddy to reside.
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