Bears-Direct - Teddy Bear Artist Spotlight

Artist Spotlight
Anita Spero
East Bench Bears

About a year ago, I was snowbound in a house in Red Lodge, Montana, and was so incredibly bored! I had no idea what to do with my time. I happened upon a book by Nancy Tillberg and it began ... a complete and utter obsession with all things bear!

I had always collected teddies, but I had never given much thought to actually making them myself. After a few misses, I came upon my own patterns and now design all of my work exclusively!

My bears range in size from needlefelted babies who are one inch tall, to big bears as large as 19" tall. I work in wool,

mohair, recycled mink, and high quality plush. I recently became entranced by using mixed media, so be sure to be on the lookout for my new "clay face" bears!

With me, it's all in the eyes – my bears have sweet, soulful expressions, and they always have some sort of handpainted detail on them, be it their muzzle, the eye shading, or their footpads. My bears always have rather large schnozzes as well! That helps give them their unique look.

A bear can take anywhere from twelve hours to a week or more, depending on the size and detail. All of my bears are machine sewn, with details stitched on by hand – such as their ears, noses, and footpads.

The inspiration for a piece usually comes from the particular piece of fabric I have to work with. Most times, I actually start out with one image in mind, but then the bear "speaks" to me, and tells me which way to go next. This often results in a quite different look than I had set out with in the beginning!

I let my bears inspire me, as well as nature, God, and all things beautiful!

Theatre is also a wonderful source of inspiration, as I am constantly striving to create that one bear that just screams DRAMA!

Awards Won

Well, if we are talking fame, it would be important to note that I won second place in the State spelling bee in seventh grade! No, seriously, I have not won any awards yet, but plan to enter several competitions this coming year. I have also entered the first URSA awards challenge sponsored by Bears and Buds webzine, so be sure to check that out!

I am an actress by nature, I went to college for theatre. I performed with several children's theatre troupes, and have now gone on to bigger and brighter things! I am a graduate student in Elementary Education, hoping to become a first grade teacher!

Having just set out in this venture, I am striving to create museum-quality, heirloom quality, artistic bears that can be enjoyed for years to come. Bear making, for me, is quite possibly one of the most rewarding things I have done to date. I hope that I will be making bears for many years to come!