The featured artist of the month for November is Trisha Balfour of Scotland!

What got you into bear-making?

I started making bears nearly 3 years ago (with an 18 month break when I was pregnant and while my daughter was very young). Basically I have always loved bears and visited my first bear fair and was amazed by the variety that I saw there. I decided to try making a bear myself and bought a kit. After two attempts I started designing my own bears, and since the birth of my daughter have stayed mainly with miniature bears, my bears range from 2 inches up to a maximum of 7 inches.

 

What unique quality do your bears have?

I believe my bears display a childlike cuteness in their faces. Many of my bears are designed on my daughter (i.e. accessories etc.) so perhaps this is where the childlike quality comes from.

Your opinions on bear-making today?

I believe bearmaking today is an extremely interesting and stimulating business (or hobby). It is a wonderful way to express one's creativity and with so many bear artists around the world these days it is wonderful to see the variety of bears that are "out there". It amazes me that so many different people can portray the same animal in so many different and wonderful ways.

Trisha's feedback on bear-making:

I would just like to say in closing that I think the www is a wonderful way for all of us to enjoy the world of bears. Since the birth of my daughter I have had to give up work for various health reasons, and find that making bears is the only way I have of making some extra money. Apart from the happiness creating bears brings me, it is also a wonderful way for me to watch my daughter grow. Thanks also to my computer I can see bears from all over the world via websites. This is a real bonus for me, as I would not get to see these wonderful creations otherwise.

Cozy Toes	Treat
Men'my Teddy	Bears shown above in order: Kringle Cocktail Robin

Trisha is one of the organizers of Bear Relief and has donated her website to host this wonderful auction. Over 100 teddy bear artists from around the world have donated a bear to be auctioned off in November. The proceeds of this auction will be going to help the children and families whose lives have been devastated by the tragic events that happened on September 11th. Thank you Trisha for your hard work!

To learn more about Bear Relief please click here.