Miki de Goodaboom

My Teddy And Me 03

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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

 

My Teddy And Me 02

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on an anonymous photo)

 

I recently painted “My Teddy And Me 01”, featuring a baby boy and his teddy as best mates. Well, teddy bears are not only for babies, and I think there is no age to be best mates with your Teddy Bear. My own Teddy Truffle McFurry and me are the best examples!

I think I will paint a series of all kind of people in all ages with their Teddies, as it is a beautiful motif very dear to my heart.

 

My Teddy And Me 02 S

Benjamin And Little Ann On Their Way To Scotland

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By Ann La Mar and Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration of Little Ann and the van based on a photo provided by Ann La Mar)

Benjamin is the oldest Teddy Bear I have ever met! And yet – this is the wonderful thing with Teddy Bears when one cares for them- he still looks so young! Ann La Mar, to whom he has belonged since she was a little girl, certainly cared – and still cares – for him with all her heart.

Ann La Mar tells the story of Benjamin :

“… Benjamin was given to me by my grandparents. The little doll was called Tammy and I don’t remember the name of the other bear but he was yellow. The camper van was racing green. Benjamin and friends -including Golliver- used to go on holidays with me. My father loves Scotland so that is where it usually was. Benjamin lived in the UK until 2009 where sadly he has lived in a box until he was recently discovered. He will return to the UK very soon. He is about 53 years old…”

I -Miki de Goodaboom- met Benjamin some weeks ago when Ann La Mar came to spend some days in Mojacar, Spain, next to the place where I live. We – Ann, Benjamin, many other bears from Ann, my own Teddy Truffle McFurry and me) met for coffee and treats by the beach and had a wonderful time. I had already seen the photo of Ann holding Benjamin and the other toys in her arms in front of her father’s van, and when I saw Benjamin, now, 53 years later, I was extremely emotional. It was such a powerful way to connect Ann’s present and past through a Teddy Bear. Somehow it was like magic, as if time did not exist. My Teddy bear Truffle McFurry and me are very proud to have met Benjamin in person, and it already feels as if he has been 53 years in our heart…

Benjamin And Little Ann On Their Way In Scotland S

To Cuddle And Dream

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(based on a photograph by Kev le Chat)

One of my star photographers at “Go Teddy!”, Kev Le Chat, spent last week some days in Aue, Germany, and sent me a charming photograph, taken in the corridor just outside his hotel room.

The words on the blackboard, “Zum Kuscheln und Traeumen”, mean “To Cuddle And Dream”. I am wondering if the lovely plush toys are meant to be taken to their rooms by the hotel guests, if they need something like that. If so, what a wonderful idea! One might argue that Teddy Bears and other Plush animals are something very personal, and that it is perhaps not very hygienic to handle them from person to person, but well, many things in our lives are handled from hands to hands and we don’t care… money for example! 🙂

Thanks Kev le Chat, this motif is really a pearl for Go Teddy!

To Cuddle And Dream S

 

My Teddy And Me 01

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on a photo by Anonymous)

I cam across that photograph on the internet some time ago, as I was searching to buy clothes for my Teddy Bear Truffle McFurry. I think I found it in a Teddy shop, but I don’t know any more. Therefore I am very sorry not to be able to give the credit to the photographer!

Anyway, the image touched me very deeply and I had to paint it. It conveys exactly what I feel about Truffle, and more generally about all Teddy Bears: unconditional love, tenderness, intimacy, closeness, friendship, complicity, presence, faithfulness, fun and so much more.

I would adore to paint more motifs from that style, children with their Teddies, adults with their Teddies, pets with their Teddies, teddies with their Teddies… so please, if you have some nice photograph featuring such things, share them with me!

 

My Teddy And Me S

Rupert And Rupert

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By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration based on photos sent by a Go Teddy’s Follower from the UK)

I recently had the immense surprise to receive 2 photos from somebody in the UK who has started following Go Teddy. Both photos were featuring “Rupert”, in very different forms.

Now, I said it before, I was introduced to Teddy Bears very late in my life, and consequently my Teddy bear culture is quite poor. But I am working at it, and I hope that Teddy Bear lovers around the world will help me knowing as much as possible about Teddy Bears. Some are already doing, and my  Truffle McFurry and Me  are very thankful to them…

I did not know Rupert, and I had to research him. Wikipedia told me many interesting things about him. Basically, Rupert Bear is a children’s comic strip character created by the English artist Mary Tourel and first appearing in the Daily Express newspaper on 8 November 1920. Interesting is that originally, Rupert is depicted as a brown bear, but his colour soon changed to white to save on printing costs!

Now this person from the UK sent me a photo of his Rupert Teddy Bear, a white Bear. And he sent me a photo of a very special brown Rupert, to be found in Linford Park Wood, Milton Keynes.

So I decided to paint them both together in that beautiful wood… and here they are!

Rupert And Rupert S

Doggy Guitar

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By Miki de Goodaboom

The other day when I travelled back home from Benidorm on the Costa Blanca  (Spain), I had to stop at a petrol station by Murcia, as a storm was suddenly going on. Giant water drops were falling from the sky and the wind was becoming a hurricane, and I thought it was safer to stop and wait.

I entered the bar from the petrol station, and there I had the surprise to attend a jam session. A dog was playing the guitar and a beautiful white Teddy bear was sitting by him, enjoying the music.

Later they told me that they were together on their way to a rock music festival in Portugal. The dog was apparently a famous  musician called “Doggy Guitar”, based on the western character Johnny Guitar whom he loved. And the Bear was his Roadie. I am ashamed to say that I forgot to ask his name. I must have been under the spell of Doggy Guitar’s music, as I normally never forget to ask a Teddy Bear for his name!

Doggy Guitar S

The Doo Doo Bears

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By Miki de Goodaboom

 

Truffle Mcfurry and me  recently spent some days at my parents’ in Benidorm, on the Costa Blanca in Spain. And as we both love to see how Teddy Bears look like in the places we visit, we went on Teddy Bear photo safari. Also sometimes, we might find some who need to be rescued and adopted!

This is when I saw “The Doo Doo Bears”. To be completely honest they are called “Dou-Dou”, but I prefer the double “oo”, because it looks funnier and also to make sure that English people speak it the right way. It would be terrible if they called them Dou-Dou, like in “trout!!!

Truffle and me fell totally in love with the Doo Doo Bears, they are so immensely cute and cuddly! Truffle wanted one for himself, with his name embroidered on it. He said this would certainly help him falling asleep when he has got insomnia, and he would even share it with me when necessary. But he had been naughty with the Mime shortly before  and I did not get him one.

Well, I should have known better, I am upset now, I would love to have one in our bed!

PS: … and yes, you understood it correctly, Truffle sleeps with me…

Doo Doo Bears S

The Mime From Benidorm

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By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

 

My Mom Miki and me, we recently spent some days by my grandparents, in Benidorm, on the Costa Blanca in Spain. Miki wanted to go on Teddy Bear photo Safari down-town, and of course I went with her.

There I suddenly saw a statue on the middle of the street, wearing a beautiful pink long dress and a pink hat. I asked Miki about the statue. She explained to me that it was not a statue, that it was a real person. That such a person is called “A Mime”, and the aim is to stand or sit there, without moving at all , like a statue, looking beautiful and getting money for it. I observed it a while, and indeed people were stopping and putting money in the box.

Well, I thought, I can do that too! Teddy Bears are great at not moving, and Miki tells me all the time how beautiful I am. And anyway I was wearing blue clothes, I thought it would look pretty with the pink from the mime. Blue for the boy, pink for the girl! So I went and sat in front of the Mime, didn’t move at all, looked beautiful, and waited. I thought this way we could sure earn more money, and we could split it.

But then, after a little while Miki, busy somewhere else, noticed me there and screamed. The Mime  was looking at me with very angry eyes in the middle of her white face. She had just opened her eyes, more was she not allowed to move, you know… Miki grabbed me by my nose and put me back in her bag. I  heard her apologising by the Mime, who did not answer at all . Such an impolite creature! Miki was quite upset with me and explained to me that one does not do such things with Mimes!

Well, I have no idea why, and Miki said I am too young to understand! But many people had gathered there to look at us, I am sure they would have eventually thrown money into the box. But we were already gone, it is so unfair!

And you know what: when I look carefully at the Mime’s face, I think she was not a girl at all! So, on top of it, I think she was cheating! Miki often says that honesty does not always pay… I understand now what she means!

 

The Mime From Benidorm S

Georgia And Pedro

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By Ann La Mar, from the UK

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photo provided by ClaireBear)

 

I was so excited to be Georgia’s god mother and that Claire thought I was up to this task! I bought Pedri for her in Spain. I told him all about Claire and what wonderful cakes she bakes. Chocolate cake, cup cakes and carrot cake really made Pedro want to go to the UK very quickly. It was the marzipan on the Battenburg cake that got him excited, he loved almonds.

So he came on the plane with me and was taken by car to Claire’s “House of Cakes” where he and Georgia have been friends ever since. Now Georgia has grown up, she helps with baking cakes so Pedro has a continuous supply of his favourite cakes… one very happy bear!

Georgia And Pedro S