Continued from Page One
Fools Gold, by Laure Weltsch
Bearaholic Pursuits
When traveling, I usually bring
a project to work on. If I do not
feel like lugging a sewing machine
with me, I stitch the whole bear
by hand.
On our anniversary last May, my husband and I spent several days
at a romantic resort overlooking
the ocean with sea lions barking
and waves crashing.
What did we do to pass the time
during romantic days?
He worked on job estimates for
his fence contracting business,
and I sewed bears on my sewing
machine.
It was absolutely glorious creating
bears in that gorgeous and serene
environment!
We both left refreshed, with
a great sense of accomplishment.
Now that is romantic!
My wonderful, teddy-shaped
husband and I otherwise reside
in a rustic 19th century schoolhouse
on the North Coast of California.
We are blessed with a bit
of redwood forest in our yard,
two warring cats, a smelly but
friendly dog, a goat named Jose
and a variegated assortment
of chickens.
Show Destinations
As a California girl, the shows
I have done so far have been
on the West Coast in California
and Oregon which are as follows:
International Teddy Bear Convention
in Nevada City, TBBNC in San Jose, Linda Mullins' show in San Diego,
now managed by ABC Unlimited,
Annual Portland Paws in Lincoln
City, Oregon and Bearly Raining
in Portland, Oregon.
Starting this year, I venture
into new realms by attending
a July show at Overland Park,
KS.
Currently, I see the teddy bear
market and its shows as somwhat
in a transitional state. Wise bear lovers are cashing in on time and
travel costs by doing some of their bear shopping online and saving
up for special trips to shows.
Online shopping has several
obvious benefits, but the "up
close and personal" experience
of seeing bears and their makers
"in the fur or flesh ", will always
make shows an essential part
of the teddy bear experience.
Finding Us
Fool's Gold Bears can be found
on various Internet artist listing
websites: Bears Direct, Bear Pile,
Hot 50 Teddy Bear Websites, Teddy Central's Top 50, Teddy Bears Hug,
Teddy Bears on the Net and the
new webzine, Bears& Buds.
My artistry has been featured in
Teddy Bear Review and Teddy Today magazines.
Currently, I appear in Hugglets
Teddy Bear Guide and Teddy Bear
and Friends magazine.
Teddy bear retailer, Parlor Bears,
Lincoln City, Oregon carries Fool's
Gold Bears in their lineup of quality artists' work.
I also receive visitors at my studio
by appointment or you can visit my website: www.foolsgoldbears.com.
My Own Signature Style
Teddy bear artists are known
for their generosity in sharing
bear making tips and tricks,
yet amazingly, it is rare to see
an artist's bear that closely
resembles another artist's work.
I have been fortunate enough
to have taken classes from Ted Menten, Martha Burch, Armella
Dana, Earline Maples Brohmer,
and Denis Shaw.
Besides being great fun, attending shows with other artists is a great
learning experience, I exchange ideas with other artists at shows, whenever I can.
I have shown a couple of people
how to make a bear, but so far
I haven't taught any public classes.
First, I want develop my own patterns to offer for sale.
Some of the special features that represent my "signature style"
include: internal eyes, wired limbs, external eyes with eyelids, custom accent coloring and needle sculpting.
Each character has its own unique personality. Most are one of a kind, and all are my own original designs.
Real Rewards
Whenever I perceive that my art
is giving pleasure to another human being, it becomes a high point for me.
I enjoy tremendously, the feeling
I get when my chosen career can
be a blessing to others.
When a bear nears completion,
lifelike characteristics begin
to emerge, particularly when
the expression starts to form.
That is when I begin to feel
I am interacting with my creation.
When that happens, I know
the piece will "speak" to others.
For me, the whole process
is about communication.
I think this must be how God
feels when we interact with him.
The bear's eyes especially, reveal
a presence that speaks silently,
straight to the heart.
The fur becomes soft and inviting;
it warms to the touch. The weight feels like a living, breathing soul.
The colors harmonize beautifully, almost musically.
Listen closely... The faint hum
of teddy's love song is whispering
ever so sweetly.
My heart skips a beat. Softly,
I smile.
Additional Comments
New artists sometimes ask me
for advice and I tell them, "When
you have a vision in your heart,
you will achieve the greatest satisfaction when you extend
yourself to your furthest limits
and reach for the highest goals."
The most profound revelation
I've ever had in regard to my
art is, "Wow! I can do whatever
I want!"
That was a turning point for me.
I'm no longer limiting myself to
the bounds of normalcy.
I'm free to create whatever I can dream up, with no apologies for whatever might be "the right
way".
As long as the finished product
is durable and pleasing to me,
it's perfectly acceptable.
My favorite aspect of artists'
creations is their amazing
diversity.
Every style has its own appeal and
I like them all. I enjoy seeing brand new styles emerge on the scene;
it's so exciting!
I find myself curious to try my hand
at all of them. It's intriguing to watch how my interpretations develop.
Recently I've been experimenting
with Japanime-type (big-headed) designs. They're pure fun. I love making silly, dorky little critters
that make me laugh.
Regarding my own creative abilities, any of the creativity I possess is inspired by my Heavenly Father,
the Creator, Himself.
I am eternally grateful to Him for his love and favor in letting me to share
even a tiny speck of his vast creative nature.
"Where the Spirit
does not work
with the hand,
there is no art."
Leonardo da Vinci
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3428 Hillvale Road 
