Artists

Mouse in the House: Sculpted rodents steal film from Steve Carell

August 13, 2018 by Stephanie Finnegan

Mice in Pavilion in "Dinner for Schmucks" — Make-believe mice (they’re not real, promise) share a meal in “Dinner for Schmucks”

Movie stills courtesy of Dreamworks Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment

The other day while watching “America’s Got Talent” with my children—one of the few shows on TV that a parent doesn’t have to worry about grabbing for the remote control when topics get too “hot and heavy”—I heard the audience guffaw at a joke that I found mildly amusing. The contestant—an aspiring comic who had the deadpan delivery of Emo Philips and the eyeliner/dark look of an emo teenager—mentioned how he still sleeps with stuffed animals. Then he paused, and delivered the punch line: “I love taxidermy.”

Hello Yesterday: Limerick Bear visits bygone days

May 29, 2018 by Stephanie Finnegan

Garrett Limerick Bear — Garrett, looking ready to enjoy a patriotic summer holiday

Summertime definitely means more outdoor activities, but for some folks (like me) it means more chances to travel to historic mansions, Victorian estates, and the curio shops that surround these beckoning landmarks. Yes, it’s true that the summer means more sun, more warmth, and more excuses to exit your front door and soak in some much-needed, naturally occurring Vitamin D.

Witchy Woman: Vicky Lougher’s bears are supernatural and theatrical

April 23, 2018 by Stephanie Finnegan

This week, my daughter is attending her middle-school dance. She’s in seventh grade, and it’s a big deal. Even though they are not wearing gowns or tuxes—this isn’t a prom, after all—she definitely wanted to look nice. So she spent a day in search of an “elegant creation.” How interesting that teddy bear artist Vicky Lougher creates her well-heeled (and sometimes undressed) critters under the banner of Elegant Creations. The array of well-garbed bears run the gamut from a “Wicked” witch, who could be belting out “Defying Gravity,” to a dapper husband-and-wife pair of newlyweds. Her characters are supernatural and theatrical, sure to cast a spell on collectors.