Month: June 2016

My Teddy And Me 05

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Auntie Nelle”, from France)

I have recently started a series of paintings featuring children in emotional and intimate connection with their Teddy Bears.

Here is a new one: a little French boy sleeping between his big bear “Caramel” and his fish “Merlu”. As I saw the photograph so kindly sent to me by his mother Nelle, I was so much under the charm. I did feel how soothing the bear and the fish were for the little boy. They looked like as if they were building a nest around him, protecting him from the whole world and allowing him to have a peaceful sleep. … simply wonderful!

 

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The Bears From The Yorkshire Moor 03

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!” s reporter Ann La Mar)

This will be my third and last painting of these wonderful creatures which are the Teddy Bears from the Yorkshire Moor. At least for now. In August this year I will travel to Yorkshire and visit them in person, introduced by “Go Teddy!”s reporter Ann La Mar. And no doubt that some of them will inspire me to new portraits.

These ones today are really a weird mix of races and I love it. As Coco Nofrio – Truffle McFurry’s cousin from the USA) so beautifully commented to the first Moor Bear painting I presented in “Go Teddy!” some days ago:

“Such a fabulous variety of Teddy Bears! What’s especially wonderful is that they are all different colors and they don’t care! They are all friends that enjoy each other for who they are on the “inside.” A lesson some humans still need to learn. Tanti baci!”

Coco Nofrio, you are SO right!

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The Bears From The Yorkshire Moor 02

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!” s reporter Ann La Mar)

 

My Teddy Bear Truffle McFurry presented recently the first group portrait of The Bears from the Yorkshire Moor. But there are so many of them that I had to do another painting featuring them.

Truffle is following the Brexit referendum, so he hasn’t got any time to write right now. His Dad is in the UK at the moment, and Truf’ is very scared that he wont ever see his Dad again if they vote for Brexit. I have found no way to calm him down.

Ann La Mar, one of our star reporters at “Go Teddy!” sent us some wonderful photographs from the Moor Teddy Bears. They are so interesting, so different from all the Teddies I know. I love to pain them. Truffle was very upset about the one with the red label showing a 25% discount. He asked:

“How can they put a discount on a Teddy bear? This is not a farm animal market!”

I have to admit, that bear looks very sad. And I understand Truffle’s logic. I answered:

“You know, Truffy, when they sell him cheaper, he will find very fast a lovely family who adopts him!”

But Truffle was not convinced:

“Then it will be a family with not much money, and money is important!”

Oh here we are, I thought, that philosophical discussion about money again.

“Yes, Truffy, money it is important. But Love is more important!”

But my Truffle is not daft. One can’t fool him him so easily. He said

“One can have much money and much love as well! Look, if we had no money at all, we could not go to the bear picnic in England this summer and we would not meet Auntie Ann, and ClaireBear, and Georgia, and Pedro, and all these wonderful Teddies from the Moor! This would be awful!”

I gave up. There is no sense in discussing with a clever Teddy Bear, you will always be wrong!

The Bears From The Moor 02 S

 

The Bears From The Yorkshire Moor

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 2 Comments

By Truffle McFurry

{Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!” s reporter Ann La Mar)

Hi everybody, Truffle here!

I haven’t written for a while, I was busy learning reading. I haven’t done many progresses though… I am normally quite fast at learning, so I wonder… perhaps I don’t really want to learn reading? I think I much more prefer when my Mom Miki de Goodaboom is reading stories to me… And anyway: why should I do it all myself? I have already so much to do, I am a very busy teddy Bear taking care of everything here on Planet Goodaboom…

My Auntie Ann sent me a great photo recently. She went on a walk in the Moor where she lives. Don’t ask me what a “Moor” is… I know what a “Moore” is, it is my Daddy.  It looks weird without the “e” at the end, unfinished… but at least one letter less to read!

So, in that Moor, Auntie Ann went to a boutique and it was full of Teddy Bears. She took photographs and  sent me one to show me how the bears look like in her Moor. I have to say, I have never seen something like that! Some are full of long black hair everywhere, some have eyes like my Mom and Dad, with some white on the sides, some are green like Mars men, some look like tigers, some have ears like sheep. And they seem to like living very close to each other, it must be very cold in the Moor! Only looking at them I have to put the air con on here!

I will meet them all in person when I go there in August, I can’t wait!

Thank you, Auntie Ann, you are my star!

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The 1930s Bear From Preston Museum

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration be Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by Ann La Mar)

Yesterday my beloved Teddy Bear Truffle McFurry happily announced that we will attend the annual Teddy Bear Picnic on the 14th of August in Preston Park, in the UK. Ann La Mar, one of our star reporters here at “Go Teddy!”, has invited us and will take us there, along with one of her Teddy Bears.

Some weeks ago, Ann was at Preston Park and visited the Museum. She then sent me  the photo of an adorable green Teddy bear who was exhibited there, together with his mate, a cute little green monkey. As I saw then, I knew at once that I had to paint them. To my question if  she had more information about their personal stories, she answered:

“…I don’t know the history, it just said about the poor bear from the 1930s. His body had very short fur that you could almost see through. He did look quite sad and very fragile…”
Truffle and me hope that we will be able to meet him in person when we will go to the picnic! Perhaps I will then learn more about his long life… I certainly will ask HIM!

I did not quite succeeded in painting him sad and almost transparent, but well… I hope I still could catch something from his personality…

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Teddy Bear Picnic At Preston Park

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry

I Am Over The Moon!

I have amazing news!

On the 14th of August I will take part to the annual Teddy Bear picnic in Preston Park in England!
Miki de goodaboom, -my Mom- and me have been invited by “Go Teddy!” ‘s amazing reporter, Ann La Mar!

We will stay a whole week there, and we will visit many beautiful places, and Miki will find fabulous motifs to paint.
We are both SO over the moon! Well, we don’t know what is exactly above the moon, but sure that it is magical!

Thank you so much, Ann La Mar, you certainly are a star shining on us from above the moon!

 

Preston teddy Bear Picnic

An UnBEARable Journey

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By Kev Le Chat

{Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Kev le Chat here everybody, with another teddy bear tale…As you may know, I travel the world performing, and when I’m not performing, I look for Teddy Bears for “Go Teddy!”

Well, some weeks ago, I was beginning a very long journey back to Spain. It began with a train. The first of several. Now, this train was a local train, and wasn’t late at all. It got me into Swindon station perfectly on time, late at night.

Swindon station at night normally has hardly any staff, so I was surprised to find an usually large amount, milling around the help desk and the platforms.  I asked one of them if he knew if the late service to Paddington ( yes, Paddington!) had a buffet car onboard, where I could get a coffee. He immediately apologised and went and fetched me two bottles of water. When I offered to pay,  he said “Oh no, it’s been a terrible day, and you’ve had a lot of inconvenience”.

Now, I was very happy to get the free drinks, but rather confused. I hadn’t had a terrible day at all!  I sat down in the waiting room and well, waited. I suppose that’s what they’re for.

I looked up at the screen that tells you about all the trains, and noticed that virtually every one heading in the direction of Wales, was delayed, and some by a large amount. I decided that the man who gave me the water thought I was heading in that direction. Funny really, I don’t look Welsh. Well, except for my pet dragon.

I’m kidding I don’t have a pet dragon.

Yet.

Anyway, MY train looked like it was going to be on time. But then the screen changed, and a horrible message appeared:

DUE TO SOMEONE JUMPING IN FRONT OF A TRAIN MANY SERVICES WILL BE DELAYED

This was terrible! I now understood why there was so many staff at the station – to deal with the chaos a sad incident like this causes.  I looked at the screen again. This time, there was a slight delay to my train, about 5 minutes.

Now, I was quite excited about going via Paddington, because  I had a mission. I had heard that there was a ‘Paddington trail’ there, with wonderful statues, celebrating one of the most famous bears in the world! I could almost taste the marmalade sandwiches, as I imagined taking lots of photos for GoTeddy!

I looks at the screen again. Now it was 17 minutes late….oh dear. It was now around 22.30.. Eventually, it arrived, as promised, 17 minutes late. Also, as promised, the buffet car was closed.

As we hurtled through the night towards London, I sat back and relaxed. Plenty of time to wander around Paddington station and take photos, I thought, before I have to head to Victoria for my train to Gatwick airport.

Then, the train slowed….and stopped. Near Didcot Parkway. An announcement revealed that this was in fact where the poor person had been hit by a train.

We didn’t move for some time, and eventually, after long delays, I arrived in Paddington station more than an hour late, and with barely minutes to catch the night bus to Victoria. I sprinted out if the station without seeing neither hide nor hair of a bear!

Also, I missed the bus. Then it started raining. Eventually, a bus arrived and I got on. It dropped me somewhere near Victoria station, which seemed to be surrounded by workmen and barriers. So much so, that I couldn’t find a way in! After about 15 minutes of circumnavigating it,  I found an entrance! I had already missed my train, so was in panic mode. I started to walk in…and was stopped by two rather stern-looking security officers.
” The station is closed, Sir”
“What!?” I exclaimed, “but it’s a main railway station in the capital city, and it’s raining out here!”
They were unmoved.
“It’s closed for cleaning.”
“Well, can’t you clean around me?”
But they were having none of it.

So there I was, no Paddington photos, cold and wet outside Victoria station, hoping they would open early enough to get the next train.

In the event, they did. At a quarter to three in the morning, fifteen minutes before my next possible train. I ran towards the platform barriers, and inserted my ticket. The machine spat it out.  Of course, my ticket was specifically for the earlier train! Nightmare!

I was determined however…I decided on a different tack, and went to the manned barrier instead, gambling on the possibility that the guy was as tired at that time of day as I was, and I vaguely waved my ticket at him. He let me through!

So it came to pass that my final train did in fact deliver me to the airport in time. But as I wandered through the terminal, I was a bit down that I hadn’t managed to get any photos of the fabulous Paddington trail.

But then suddenly, I came upon the Harrods store, and there, in front of me, dressed as a Harrods doorman, was the biggest Teddy Bear I’d ever seen!  He was delightful, and I immediately took his picture. However, my delight didn’t end there, they sold LEMON CURD! Well,  everyone knows that bears and Kev le Chat LOVE lemon curd, so I bought two jars to take back to Planet Goodaboom. As I wandered through the shop, I also found…a HUGE pile of Paddington Bears!  What a lovely surprise after such a stressful day!

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My Teddy And Me 04

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By Miki de Goodaboom

I had a very happy childhood, great parents, great brothers, great cousins,  great friends, great places where we lived, great holidays every year… and yet, looking backwards, I think there are two things I haven’t had which are important in the life of a child:

  1.  A Teddy Bear (of course!)
  2. Somebody reading me stories before sleeping.

Now, I don’t know why I had none of them. The Teddy, I guess, is because in France, at least in those days, they rather gave dolls to girls, and bears to boys… and I hated dolls!

As for the story telling, I have no idea why not. Fact is that even now, in my “old age” of 61, I adore it when my partner tells me a story before sleeping. It has a deep soothing effect on me and I do fall asleep fast immediately then… me who has normally such difficulties to fall asleep because my brain does not want to rest. Of course, it is a bit frustrating: I never hear the end of the stories!

I did this new painting of the the series “My Teddy And Me” with this in mind… how cool would it have been (and still would be!) to have a bear who reads stories to me before sleeping! Wondering if I should teach my beloved Truffle McFurry to read?…

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About the Birth Of Go Teddy

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment
By Truffle McFurry
(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

On the way to the Cabo de Gata (Andalucia, Spain), in January this year, we stopped in Nijar, a little beautiful town with nice ceramics. Miki wanted to make some sketches and buy mugs there. But we were not 5 minutes in the town when I got so incredibly scared by something I saw: one big Teddy bear, slit open, was sitting under a tree, tied to a long wooden post and a bit further away, another one, a tiny little one, was hanging in the air from a post! There were other sad creatures too, also tied to posts, dolls and a green mini-cow.

You might think it was a nice place to live for them, among the orange trees and the blossoming almond trees, but it was so creepy, poor things! So creepy that “I took my legs to my neck” (this is how the French say it!) and ran away as fast as I could and hid under the Boomobile!

Later Miki explained to me that they were all used as scarecrows by the finca owner to protect his fruits. I am sorry, but I have no pity for his fruit. It took Miki hours to calm me down and convince me to go on with the trip.

Well, we cannot forget what we have seen there, and Miki and I have decided to found “Go Teddy!”, a league for the love, protection and support of all the Teddy Bears around the world.

Love you all (well, not the fruit guy…)

PLEASE JOIN GO TEDDY!

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My Teddy And Me 03

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

(Based on an anonymous photo)

 

As I said yesterday, I started a series of paintings, called “My Teddy and Me”. featuring all kind of people -babies, children, adults, old people- in emotional interaction with a Teddy bear.

I love to paint these artworks, as they exactly represent my own connection with Truffle McFurry, and more generally, with all Teddy bears. One of my dreams concerning this site “Go Teddy!” is that people around the world contact me and send me their own photos so that I can work on real personal photos, not being forced to help myself with anonymous photos from the the net.

But well, even anonymous, I am still trying to convey real and very personal feelings through these paintings. In this new one, my intention was to let you in into that deep conversation between that cute baby and his giant Teddy!

 

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