GENERAL: The studio was commissioned by Alan and Peggy Bialosky to carve an item of jewelry using their teddy bear. The challenge was working with the teddy bear shape and trying to make him fit into a cage.
This teddy bear just would not stay in his cage. He steps out -- his bear paw up -- about to work right out to meet you. He was hard to contain.
First a naked teddy bear was carved in order to understand the bear facts. Bob had to know what shapes were under the fur. The bear was carved in green and then a brown wax and used to build up the far, so Bob could see where they body and fur lines were. This way the figurine could be understood as a structured body, not just a furry object. A Bialosky Bear has a particular look, body structure, and attitude, and Bob was chasing that shape and look.
The texture is less rough around the facial area, and the snout is smooth. The color is also less intense around the eyes and snout, so that his expression stands out.
The direction of the wispy patterns of fur on the face is very important. If all the fur hairs were coming down, he would look sad. If there were too many around the eyes, he would look angry. The fur must be carved in a certain way, not just painted, to achieve the Bialosky look.
The Bialosky Bear figurine cannot be removed from the pendant cage it is contained in.