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limelight
Art Rogers, Chatham Village Bears
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Mastering
the Art
of Whimsy!
By Cissy Overton
Collectors and enthusiasts often wonder "where in the world do teddy bear artists
get all their ideas!"
Especially when the artist
is Art Rogers of Chatham Village Bears, LLC whose hauntingly beautiful, decidely different, creations, spring from a mind filled with inventive magic!
So where does Art find
most of his inspiration?
“My work begins as visualizations, mental
images I draw out of references like childrens'
books and new and
vintage toys."
"Looking through books
with both realistic and fantastic images," Art
explains, " helps
inspire new designs." |
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Kitty
"Purrfectly" splendid Siamese cat
with that quizzical air so typical
of the breed! Eleven inches tall
and Kitty's tail adds another six
inches, made with mohair.
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Inside the Man
Art provides further insight into his vision,
“I study real animals to further fine tune my conceptualizations. I also visit the zoo and
spend hours poring over animal photography
books and fabric.”
The Essence of Style
Determining the style to use is a very
important aspect for an artist to consider.
Art uses only his own original patterns
to start the style process.
He then translates those patterns into
a finished masterpiece meshed together
from an unusual mix of materials, which
helps set his style apart from other artists.
A Unique Flair!
When asked about what his style is, Art
describes it as, “Contemporary, but very
unique not just in design but also in the
materials I use - a blend of mohair, rayon,
synthetic, ultra suede – plus the extra
touches I add, such as hand made
eyes and needle sculpted faces."
“I love to work with mixed media,"
continues Art, "mixing materials gives
more depth and interest to a piece.
I don't adhere to any set definition
of what I should use. I follow no rules."
Currently, Art says he incorporates
mohair, rayon synthetic, ultra-suede,
real fur, glass, ceramic, wire, airbrush,
markers, paint, horsehair "and
the list is always growing!”
Variety Is the
Spice of Life
Sameness bothers Art, “I get bored
making the same item over and over
again. I like making a variety of animals
and am always designing something new.
I have the most fun when a new idea
comes to life and starts looking back
at me."
"That is why my newest creation is
always my favorite," quips Art, "and
today's favorite is my lion."
As far as collectors go, Art reveals that
their preferred creation seems to be,
"A six inch tall rabbit named Buster,
who is currently my best seller. The
smaller size & price tag and attention
to detail of this design makes him very
popular."
Happiness amidst his collector is a goal
Art considers of primary importance, "I
enjoy completing a successful new design
and absolutely love seeing the smiles
on my collectors' face. That is my biggest
reward!"
New Directions
Although Art's work is not traditional, he
says he would like to add a few traditional
bears to his line.
"You would think this should be easy,"
comments Art, " but I cannot always
control what I make. I once had a collector
request that I make a fox. It was two years
before I actually finished my interpretation
of a fox. It cannot be forced."
A Serious Artist
Fueled by his desire to be an artist,
Rogers worked towards achieving
that goal by engaging in creative
activities throughout his life and
earned a Masters Degree in Fine
Art and Sculpture from Washington
University in St Louis.
Fabric plays an important role in Rogers’
artistic pursuits. He explains, “I have
always loved fine fabrics. I initiated
my career with a painted abstract soft
sculpture series. This eventually evolved
into quilt making, and then to bears.”
The teddy bear world beckoned him
in 1997, when a friend asked Art
to help her complete a teddy bear.
With the assistance of a local teddy
bear shop who set them up with supplies
and helpful advice, Art assisted his friend
in creating her bear. When the bear was
done, he found he wanted to make another,
and another, and another......
So Few Hours
Like many bear artists, Art also has
another occupation. He is an Artist
Conservation Technician yet he still
finds time to create bears in a wide
variety of sizes and designs.
Juggling two jobs can be a difficult task
when according to Art, each of his pieces
can require as little as three hours or
as many as twelve hours.
Mentors and Friends
A number of bear artists inspired Art
throughout his career, including Johni
Jacobsen, Denis Shaw, John Paul Port
and Millie Gage.
He gives beginning artisans the same
advice he learned from his mentors and
religiously follows, "Enjoy the connection
and friendship with the collectors but most
of all, take pleasure in what you are making
and you will be successful."
Art's work and his career have gained
extensive editorial coverage in many
magazines worldwide, including Teddy
Bear and Friends, Teddy Bear Review,
Teddy BearScene and Teddy Today.
Availability
Art's bears and animals are available
at these shows where he regularly
exhibits: ABC Unlimited Productions'
Schaumburg April and October, San
Diego, St. Louis and Kansas City;
Brightstar Promotions, Inc's Louisville
and Indianapolis; TBAI; and Teddy
Bears of the Heartland, Clarion, Iowa.
Additionally, his bears may also be
purchased at the following shops:
Teddy bears of Witney, England
Sue Pearson, England
Abracadabra, England
The Toy Shoppe, USA
Teddies of Mt Holly, USA
Tres Petite Doll Shoppe, USA
Basically Bears, USA
You can order direct from Art anytime,
as well. Click on the link below for his
full contact information:
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Gaston
Sublime synthetic,
alpaca, ultra suede,
17" tall.
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Ajax
Made with mohair,
hand made ceramic
eyes, 14" tall.
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Barrington
17" tall, with tail 24",
made with ultra suede
and mohair.
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Warren
Made of lovely blue
and white mohair,
10" tall.
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Thaddeus
Made of mohair, ultra
suede, 17" tall, with
tail 24".
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Benjamin
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Wolfie
18" tall with 10" tail
made with ultra suede,
synthetic, alpaca,
mohair.
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Hans
Fashioned from
mohair, 16" inches
tall, ceramic eyes.
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Lawrence
Made from rayon,
mohair, ultra suede,
17" tall, w/tail 24".
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Jacob
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Edric, the Magnificent
8" tall including his "hairdo", feathers galore from the artist's
wide ranging travels including a large stash of feather Boas
from New Orleans and Key West! Edric is sort of a dandy,
preening his feathers in the glimmer of the running stream,
hoping to attract much needed attention.
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Melange, the Cat
Premium mohair, porcelain eyes,
16" tall, loosely jointed, needle
felted nose, airbrushed for fine
details.
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Prince, the Panda
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Adriano, the Elephant
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Augustus, the Mouse
6" tall, mohair mouse.
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Xanthus
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Multi
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Leony, the Lion
16" tall, 24" long tail, premium mohair, ultra suede
paw pads, beautiful glass eyes.
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Azure
13" mohair parrot , glass eyes,
cashmere feet and beak. this
pensive fellow mulls over the
many momentous problems
facing birdom, such as what
to do about those nasty crows!
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Hercules
That's right. He is stronger
than the ordinary bird! He works
out every day with his twig and
stone. Just look at that beak!
Premium quality mohair, glass
eyes, cahmere feet and beak.
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Golden Pond
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Buster, the Bunny
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Maximillian, the Cat
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Ivanhoe, the Mouse
6"tall, premimum quality
mohair, glass eyes.
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Dannon
8" tall, created of upholstery fabric, cashmere,
lots of feathers, glass eyes. Dannon looks
fierce but at heart, he is a just a pussycat.
What! Did someone say the dreaded word?
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Simba, the Krazee Cat
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Pizazz, the Krazee Cat
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Godfrey
This happy-go-lucky guy doesn't
have a care in the world! Seeds
are plentiful and he located a nice
little bird condo and is all set to
move in. Yes, life is good in
Godfrey's world.
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Chartrain
A scholarly sort, Chartrain
spends hours at the Birdsonian
library where he studies about
all the ancient bird tribes.
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Frankenguy
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Brownster
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Lalo
One of Art's majestic yet whimsical lions, 16" tall,
with a 24" long tail, mohair, ultra suede, glass eyes
needle sculted and shaded paws and other details.
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3428 Hillvale Road 
