bears

My Teddy And Me 04

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

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?…

My Teddy And Me 04 S

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!

 

My Teddy And Me 03 S

 

William

/ Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Ann La Mar, from the UK

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

William came to live with us in 1996. I remember this because he came with our new car,  a Vauxhall Corsa, which was a special edition for the Euro 96 Football Tournament.

William’s  name is after my grandfather who in 1996 celebrated his 100th birthday. He had a lovely party and received a telegram from Her Majesty The Queen.

William has lived in Spain since 2009 along with his brothers Churro and Benjamin..

PS: Miki hopes she won’t be put in jail for forging Queen’s signature in the painting!!!

 

William S

I Want To Lay You Down In A Bed Of Roses

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

I was recently watching a  dramatic German TV film, about a young girl surviving a car accident in which she lost her mother. As she never knew her father, she was first taken in by her grand-parents, but the girl was too much trouble and the grand-parents could not deal with it. So the best friend of the girl’s mother, a married man, decided to take her home. But the troubles went on, even worse as the girl was jealous of the man’s wife.  At some point, no more knowing what to do with her, he went to her old house and got her beloved Teddy Tear, which had been left behind in the whole chaos following the accident. He brought Teddy to the girl, hoping that he at least could help her.

But some hours later, as  he entered her room, he saw the bear lying there, abandoned as if dead, and she  totally disconnected, lost in her thoughts from another world where there was no place any more for her Teddy bear.

Well, this image hurt me immensely, so much more than any of the tough scenes I had seen in the film. It just broke my heart. To me it was the strongest symbol of the girl’s despair. When Teddy can’t help any more, then nothing else can help… I know exactly that if the day comes when I won’t be bothered any more about my dear Truffle McFurry , then my life will stop.

I know it is a heavy subject, but I had to paint it and to write about it. And as it often happens when I paint, Teddy was suddenly lying on a red surface and Bon Jovi’s song came instantaneously to my head. For the next few days I could not stop hearing it haunting my inner space:

“…
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses …”

I Want To Lay You Down On A Bed Of Roses Bis S

Camembear

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 3 Comments

By Kev Le Chat

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

When I was a reasonably typical thoughtless twenty-something, I was hit with something that was hard to comprehend. My Mum was diagnosed with cancer.  Being useless at expressing my feelings properly at the best of times, I did something spontaneous….I bought her a big teddy bear. It was probably a bit mental really, but in fact, felt like the completely natural thing to do, and she kept it in her bedroom always.

When she passed away, it came to me. I don’t know if she never named him, perhaps she did. But I so know that he is a lovely reminder of my Mum, not a painful one. When we visited New Orleans many years later, Miki and I brought him some Mardis Gras beads and some New Orleans Saints sunglasses, shaled like fleur-de-lys. He’s become somehow synoymous with The Big Easy since then! …and the French connection doesn’t end there, because on Planet Goodaboom, he was given a name ( you can’t live there without one) …it is Camembear!

Bear on Bourbon S copy

Baby Bear

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 2 Comments

By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photo by PamPam La Rue)

Mother’s day is coming soon in the USA, next Sunday, the 8th of May this year. So I thought it would be the best occasion to present you “Baby Bear”.

Baby Bear is one of Truffle’s American cousins, a daughter of Auntie Pamaretto. She is so cute that when you look at a photo of her, you want her to leap out of the photo so you can cuddle her… and eat her cupcake, says Truffle! Truffle never met her in person, and perhaps it is better this way, as I guess he would never let her go back to America, so adorable she is!

Baby Bear is holding in her hands a  beautiful giant purple cupcake with a cherry on top and with the words written on it ” World’s Best Mom”. Well, Baby Bear was a gift to Auntie Pamaretto, from her daughter, and she must know what a great Mom she is! Truffle surely knows that Auntie Pamaretto is one of the World’s best Aunties!

Baby Bear lives among books about Italy. Books telling about the story of Ancient Rome, about the Etruscans, about Who was Who in Rome, about new Italian poets, much clever stuff like that. But the most clever and beautiful book ever about Rome, “Bridge Of Sighs And Dreams” was actually written by… Auntie Pamaretto herself! Yes, Baby Bear is so proud to have such an amazing author as a Mom. And not only that: Auntie Pamaretto is a brilliant artist too!

Baby Bear S