whimsical

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

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

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

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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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!

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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

Golliver’s Travel

/ Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

I am just a little Teddy Bear, and I don’t do politics and I don’t know much about PC. Well, I do already know a bit about Personal Computer, but not about Politic Correctness! And from what I have heard about it recently, it seems to be weird stuff.

Well, sometimes I have my strong opinions, but normally I don’t get public with them, because I am scared. They say, everybody is spying on you on the internet nowadays.

But now I feel  I have to speak out very loudly. The other day I met my wonderful Auntie Ann from the UK. She presented me my Teddy bear cousins, and then she presented me Golliver. Well, to tell the truth, this was not his real name. She said, his real name is not allowed, because of PC. And she said, Golliver was even banned from the world.  Because he is black!!!

Now I got worried. To start with, Golliver is so beautiful, and was loved by million of children and grown-ups around the world, so why did they ban him? Just because he is black? Is that PC? Why don’t they ban white dolls as well?

But what got me really worried, is that I am black too. All my Teddy bear brothers and sisters and cousins and mates have a light fur. I am the only dark one… does that mean that they will ban me too? That I won’t be able to have my own Facebook page and my website any more? Why not? Many people love me so much! My Mom Miki loves me so much, and my Dad, and my Auntie Ann, and my Auntie Pamaretto, and my Auntie Nelle… and my brothers and sisters and cousins…

Anyway, we all love Golliver and we are immensely happy that he travelled all the way down from the UK to  Mojacar, Andalucia. We love him so much, he is so beautiful and so funny, and he will never be banned from our lovely town!

Miki would be immensely to paint your own Golli! So please, if you have one, contact us, send us a photo and tell us his personal story and we will publish it here!

Please, protect us all!

Go Golliver, Go Teddy!!!

 

Gollivers Travel S