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Bear makers and teddy artists are always welcome to contact us for a portrait. We're looking forward
to hearing from you.
Henry
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Catherine, please describe your bears with your own words.
I design my one of a kind Bumpkin Bears to be friends for life with a soulful kind look on their faces that touches your heart. I design them with the utmost quality in mind and use the best
mohair, alpacas and faux furs. I enjoy combining colours that gives each bear its own unique appeal. I have a soft spot for antique bears and pandas and find that I am drawn to this in my design work along with a contemporary touch to give them their Bumpkin spirit.
Each bear has their very own personality which I love to show through the stories I write for them on my website. Bumpkin Bears really are bears with a story to tell.
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When did you start making bears and what was the occasion?
I first discovered the world of artist bears at Christmas 2001 on a visit to a local doll and bear fair in Belgium. Having always adored teddy bears and loving
to create crafts I was so excited to see all the wonderful creations.
I was treated to a teddy bear making pattern which I started the very next day.
I still have this little bear and I look back on him with great fondness
as the start of my journey in this artistic world. Little did I know I would
eventually have bears adopted all over the world! The moment I finished him
I could not wait to start another bear. After a few times of using patterns
from other people I bought books on teddy bear design and started to read
everything I could on the subject and as time went by Bumpkin Bears appeared
out of my imagination.
Rufaro
Milo
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How do you get ideas or inspiration for new bears?
My mind is always over-flowing with new ideas for my bears, I get inspiration from all sorts of places, from old vintage children’s books and illustrations, expressions on animals faces and the colours of nature all around me.
Having also been lucky enough to see black bears in the wild I am constantly
enchanted by these wonderful wild animals and their soulful eyes.
I am a real outdoors person, having spent much of my childhood at my Granny’s
home in the heart of the English countryside. I gain a lot of my inspiration
for my bears and their stories from memories of these special days.
The name I chose for my Bumpkin Bears comes from the nickname that I was given
"country bumpkin" because of my love of being outdoors.
You could always find me barefoot out in the garden or in my welly boots over
at the next door farm helping with the horses and sheep!
What do like most when making bears?
I love the whole design process from sketching my ideas through to seeing the bear
come to life in fabric. I get such a buzz when I work on the bear’s face and
expression.
Do you have a personal great dream regarding the bear making?
Hearing how much happiness and comfort my Bumpkin Bears bring to their new
families makes all my efforts to build my business so worthwhile.
I have been commissioned to
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bring to life some very meaningful bears, one of which was in memory of a dearly loved Grandfather. Knowing just
how much my bears mean to their owners is the driving force behind my creativity and I dream to keep learning
and stretching my skills to keep bringing to life the bears I have in my mind.
How would you describe a perfect teddy bear?
For me a teddy bear is a best friend, a soul mate that will always be there for you no matter what,
always with open arms for a hug. I love to bring to life bears that you just
know looking into their eyes that they understand you and want to be by your
side.
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Can you imagine a life without teddy bears?
A world without teddy bears would be a very sad place, one which I would not like to imagine. I have loved teddy bears all my life knowing
what wonderful companions they are and now I feel very fortunate to be part
of this wonderfully creative world where I can bring my imagination to life for the pleasure of others. I have been delighted to be nominated
as a finalist in the Reader’s Choice Awards for the Teddy Bear Scene magazine 2006 and a finalist for the British Bear Artist Awards 2007.
It is wonderful to gain recognition for all my hard work and dedication to this scene.
Please tell us something about the place where you live. What's your place of birth?
I am part English, part Irish and part Scottish and now live in Belgium!!
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I was born in England and soon learnt to love and appreciate nature and the great outdoors. I have always been a creative soul, always making my own hand made cards and gifts for family and friends. I feel that taking the time and effort to create something unique for someone shows how much you care. At college I studied Art and Textile Design and went on to study communication studies including photography at University. I love to draw illustrations and sketch all my ideas for my bears to help with the design process.
I moved to Belgium in 2001 with my gorgeous fiancé and 2 crazy cats! We now live just outside the beautiful city of Antwerp in a little rural village with it’s very own windmill! Our home is surrounded by fields and we get a lot of wildlife in our garden. The city of Antwerp is striking with grand old architecture which has been very inspiring for creative souls throughout time.
Dolly
Captain
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Is there a teddy bear scene in Belgium (regular fairs, competitions, magazines ...)?
There are some bear and doll fairs in Belgium and also in Holland. There is a Dutch magazine, De Teddy Beer. My business is run primarily through the internet and my website (www.bumpkinbears.com) where people can join my mailing list to be kept up to date with new Bumpkin Bears making their entrance into the world.
Do you think that your bears are influenced by your country or would they look the same if you lived elsewhere?
A lot of the characters I create are inspired by England as this is where I have spent most of my life, but to the same extent I think that my Bumpkin Bears are influenced by everything around me, the tiniest thing like a flower can inspire a pretty mohair combination for a bear. I think that most bear artists would agree that we put so much of ourselves into the creation of our bears that you will see our own unique characters in their looks.
See Catherine Young and her bears at:
www.bumpkinbears.com
And her email is catherine@bumpkinbears.com where you can ask to join mailing list.
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Copyright: © Catherine Young
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