Sue Ann Holcomb
I am
Sue Ann Holcomb from Double Oak, Texas, retired
medical technologist and avid teddy bear artist. I live on a wooded acre with
my husband Paul, four cats, one dog, and whatever wildlife is currently residing on our
property. Two grown daughters, Sheralyn and Pamela, Pam's husband Scott,
four grandkitties and one granddog complete the family
circle.
In the
attempt to describe how I became involved with teddies, I hope not to
sound trite or maudlin; however, the effect of bears is one of
comfort and healing for me . . . one of the most common connections
arctophiles have with their bears. It was during a time of
extreme stress that I discovered the therapeutic value of these
creatures. As is the case with many artists, I progressed from
buying bears to making them, using commercial patterns in the
beginning. As I became more involved in the process, I
discovered magazines and books totally devoted to the teddy
bear. What a treasure trove! Naturally, the next step was
designing my own teddies, so I took a couple of design workshops from
established artists, worked on developing my own style, and the
result is Past Time Bears. I participated in my first bear show
in October of 1997 and have been hooked ever since. Thank
goodness for a supportive family!
Past Time Bears (bunnies and chickens) range in
size from 6" to 25" and are characterized by
a tousled, carefree, waifish quality that invites one to pick them up. I want
the person who chooses one of my bears
to see compassion, friendship, comfort, loyalty, playfulness... whatever emotional need
that person has at the time. Teddy bears don't solve problems, but they
DO understand . . . and that quality goes a long way
in the healing process. One of my favorite descriptions of
bears comes from Ted Menten; "A teddy bear's virtue is that he
cannot love himself. . . only others." Well
said.
Click on the Library of Bears to the left for links to my Past Time Bears Collections.
