Hi,
My name is Maryanne Miller and I am the creator of Logi bears.
For most people, bears hold a very special place in our memories from childhood and I am no different. I have always loved bears and as a child it was always a bear that was tucked under my arm rather than a doll. Even now I can still remember my special childhood bears and being devastated when my Mum washed my growling bear and how he never growled again.
I came across artist bears as a buyer having purchased a couple over the years. I had been looking for a hobby that I could fit round work and children when my Mum suggested making a bear. I didn't even know where to start but the more I thought about it, the more I was intrigued. The first bear was a very woe-begotten looking fellow but he was snaffled away by my Mum and sits out on display to this day. I started making for friends and family and got well and truly hooked on making bears. That was 18 years ago now - time flies when you're having fun as they say.
As I have children and I work, I can only really attend a couple of Craft fairs or Bear fairs a year. It is lovely to meet fellow bear people and it really nice when a bear that I have created goes to a home. I usually have a selection of bears on display at The Barony Centre in West Kilbride. I have also been a featured artist in The Teddy Bear Times.
All my bears are fully stitched and I use traditional components such as wood/metal joints, glass eyes and steel shot. I mainly use mohair but sometimes dabble in synthetic plush furs. I do specialise in using vintage fur and love being able to repurpose a fur coat into bears. For many families, there is an old fur coat that is passed down the generations. It has belonged to a mum or a gran and for that generation of women, a fur coat was a status symbol rather than a second car or holiday. By recycling it into bears, the family can still keep the item that belonged to their loved one. I only use vintage fur and can often date the fur back over 70 years of age. Logi bears are not for children under the age of fourteen due to the nature of the components and I would recommend for adult collectors.
I have designed this website as a gallery for the bears. I hope you enjoy them.
Love,
Maryanne
