Miki de Goodaboom

Dory The Fish And The Teddy Bear

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By Kev Le Chat

(Illustration based on a photograph by “Go Teddy!”‘s reporter Kev Le Chat)

 

“Mmm….” thought Dory, ” I’m going to swim, swim, swim down to the
bottom of the ocean today”

Halfway down, she wondered what she was doing there, and very nearly turned
around and headed back up where the shafts of sunlight pierced the deep blue like tiny daggers…

….but something had caught her fishy eye down in the depths…a small figure..
It seemed to be waving at her…

So she swam and swam, and the small figure came into focus..it wasn’t really waving,
It was the gentle currents on the ocean floor making its arm move to and fro.

She got a little bit excited then, it was orange and white striped, was it her friend Nemo??

No! She swam closer and saw that it was a Teddy bear wearing an orange and white striped hoodie – which made him look just like her friend! Now, Dory didn’t really know what a teddy bear was, and even if you told her, she would forget almost immediately, but she DID think it was cute!

She swam alongside his soggy fur, and he gurgled “I can’t really drown, but I would really like to get back to the surface and let the sunshine dry my fur”

“Okay!” Said Dory, “I can do that! let’s swim, swim swim together!”
So Dory helped the teddy off the ocean floor and they headed for the surface where the sunshine sparkled like diamonds.
“What do you want?” Asked Dory suddenly when they were halfway there.
“Err…” Said the confused bear. He didn’t realise fish had short memories, and Dory’s was shorter than most. But as it transpired, Dory even forgot that she’d forgotten who he was and continued to swim to the surface. Eventually, they emerged into the sunlight, Dory splashing and jumping in and out of the waves.

She nudged the little soggy bear to a nearby beach, and they spent many happy days with Dory playing in the surf and teddy sunbathing and diving in and out of the ocean.

Surely there has never been a more unlikely pair of friends, or indeed a happier one!

 

Dory The Fish And Her Teddy Bear S.jpg

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!

 

My Teddy And Me 05 S

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 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…

The 1930s Bear From Preston Museum S