Artist Profile

A little bit about me and my work........I am a Scottish teddy bear artist who has been designing and creating Edwardian style miniature mohair bears since 1995. I am passionate about old teddy bears and try to incorporate their charm and charisma in my own little creations which range in size from 2-5 inches in mohair and a little smaller in some plush fabrics. Inspiration for this collection comes from German and English teddy bears. Great care and attention to detail is taken to achieve the overall look. The shape of the bears is reminiscent of the early designs with a pronounced snout, long arms, boot button style eyes, big feet and a slight hump on the back.

I do use a selection of fabrics but mostly mohair which is hand tinted to get an authentic colour. Various special techniques are used to recreate the gently faded and worn look of genuine old bears. On a trip to Germany a few years ago I was fortunate to find some genune 100 year old mohair in the most wonderful colours, just perfect for creating little old bears.

A wide variety of old trimmings and textiles are used to make clothing, including silks, Edwardian cottons, lace, braids and tiny glass buttons. I constantly search for unique accessories to compliment the bears. An antique chocolate box can be an ideal home for a tiny teddy, especially when adorned with lots of lovely faded antique velvet and silk flowers.

As most of the materials are old it is not always possible to create an exact replica but it may be possible to create something similar. Collectors personal items can also be incorporated into a special piece, making it truly unique.