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This month we are proud to profile Donna Hager of Hager Bears, an award winning artist.
"Take me Home" Bears
by Maria Collin, Puca Bears
Sweet-faced bears with "take me home" expressions - these are the trademark of Hager Bears, the creations of artist Donna Hager.
Donna, once a general secretary, now describes herself as wife, mother and maid (!) and manages, simultaneously, to be a full-time bear artist.
Living in Indiana (USA), Donna began making bears in 1991, and now has an output of around 100 pieces a year – OOAK, small limited editions and a few open edition bears, and the cutest puppies, cats and bunnies.
A Style is Born
Donna bought her first "artist" teddy bear at a local craft show – she admits that it was made from inexpensive plush, had plastic eyes and plastic safety joints but, at the time, she thought it was magnificent!
Trips to "real" teddy shows lead to the beginnings of her collection of artist bears, and at one show, she also bought a couple of pieces of expensive mohair … which she admits to not daring to cut into for two whole years! Eventually, after working with acrylic plush, out came the mohair and, as they say, "the rest is history" – Donna's first mohair bear was entered in the Teddy Bear Review contest, and won!
Donna developed her own pattern and has refined and redesigned it to achieve her own style.
Sweetie Pie
Sweetie Pie, which Donna admits is her favourite, epitomises Hager Bears – a delightfully appealing face, an open mouth that seems to smile and laugh, with wide eyes just begging to get to know you. The attention to detail is remarkable,with careful needle and scissor sculpting.
Donna defines her style of bears as "sweet faced, with take me
home expressions" and tends to "defiantly" create more girls than boys! She finds it difficult not to embellish them … some of her bears sport the most beautiful hats, which Donna just loves to create – working with brocades, ribbons and silk flowers provides a nice break for her. One of Donna's collectors even sends her accessories around which to create a beautiful bear!
The Creative Process …
Inspiration comes to Donna from absolutely everywhere- a magazine picture, a greeting card and (no surprise) ribbons and trims in a fabric store.
Mohair rules the day – Donna says she loves dense long mohair, but has recently also begun using velveteen plush, for its softness and the detail which can be achieved in sculpting.
Donna's tools are basic – scissors, pins, a wooden spoon …
As for time taken to create a bear, anything from eight hours to two or three days if a costume or theme is involved. A perfectionist, Donna will clip, trim and style until she is perfectly satisfied with her creation.
Donna finds that her bears are getting bigger, year by year – they are now up to a whopping 20 inches!
She has begun to make "open-mouthed" bears, and is interested in exploring new techniques with eyes and paw pads – using coloured eyes and eyelids and, perhaps, designing new sculptured paw pads
… and its Rewards
"… laying out a piece of mohair in the morning, and by evening holding a newly-created bear with soulful eyes and a heart-tugging expression" – that's what it is all about for Donna – she is just
passionate about her bears. She has also created bears for collectors who have lost a loved one, and feels really good, knowing that the bear will bring comfort.
Donna finds that she has acquired a loyal following at shows, and also loves selling from her website, which, she gleefully adds, she can do in her "jammies"!
She, quite deservedly, says that she has a tremendous feeling of pride when a collector adopts one (or two!) of her teddies – pride in that she has firstly created something that is adored, and secondly, something that will be cherished and passed from generation to generation.
Donna used to decorate wedding cakes – something she found rather unsatisfying, as all her hard work didn't last long – the cake was admired, then cut and gone … she feels that with teddy bears, she is creating an heirloom to last.
Recognition
Donna won a Golden Teddy award in 1996, and has had an article and various photos published in Teddy Bear and Friends, Teddy Bear Review and Bears and Buds.
Donna exhibits at shows in Cincinnati, OH, Frankenmueth, MI, Ann Arbour, MI, Carmel, IN and Pittsburgh, PA.
Her bears can also bs seen on her website, www.hagerbears.com,
Bears and Buds and ebay.
And a final word to all up and coming artists … "don't expect to sell a ton of bears right away – it takes years to establish loyal collectors … but, if this is your passion, you will break through all the barriers!"
Contact Information
You can always look at Donna's bears on her web site at www.hagerbears.com or to discuss her creations by contacting Donna at hagerbears@verizon.net.
Donna Hager,
2255 East 150 North,
LaPorte,
Indiana, IN46350,
USA |
3428 Hillvale Road 
