"It's like being on vacation all year long," exclaims bear artist Cathy Lynn Forcino about her home in sunny Florida, on beautiful Tampa Bay. “Living on the water is a dream come true for me,” she says.“Dolphins, sailboats and an occasional manatee go by and I watch pelicans diving for their dinner, all while creating my bears."
Cathy started her bear career six years ago with a show in Tampa, and sold almost every bear she took along. “I do everything myself from the initial design and layout to the finished bear,” she says. I pour my heart and soul into my work, and every bear is unique; a one-of-a-kind original.” But this attention to detail takes a lot of time and limits the number of bear she can create, so Cathy decided to offer her bears on eBay. This allowed her to find homes for her bears as soon as they were completed.
“The first bear I listed on eBay was ‘Hobart,’ and I think he sold for less than $100.00,” Cathy remembers. “Whatever it was, it was less than the cost of his fur and other parts, but I was so excited that it didn’t matter. I started work on another little guy right away.”
Cathy has a passion for antiques and her designs show the influence of the earliest bears. “I stay true to traditional styling,” Cathy says, “But I give my bears a sweetness of expression that is missing in most antique bears. I concentrate on proportion, so that they are equally beautiful displayed with or without clothing. What I prefer is a timeless design, a bear that will become a well-loved family treasure."
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Harlan |
Hobo Jo |
Like many other artists, Cathy gives the credit for her success to her mother, Millie. “I never knew this world existed,” she said. “And when I started going to shows with my mother, I certainly didn't’t think I had the talent or creativity to be a part of it. But Mom convinced me that I did. She believed in me and now I have the best job in the world – making people happy.”
Cathy has been working hard developing her web site to offer a platform to showcase her past and current work. The web site gives her a place to talk about the other important parts of her life: her husband Jeff and their Maltese “furbaby,” Baylee. “Jeff takes care of the things that I just can’t get to,” Cathy says. “He runs the bears to the Post Office, picks up supplies, keeps the house from falling down around us and best of all, does all of the cooking. He is really a great cook. Baylee’s job is to act silly and make me laugh, which she does very well.”
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What does the future hold for this artist? “Lots of trips to the beach!” according to Cathy, as well as lots of trips to her favorite antique shops.
“Jeff and I love to scrounge around, looking for vintage fabrics and clothing and odd bits that I can incorporate into bear ‘accessories.’ Even Baylee gets into the act, riding around in an oversized purse and grabbing things off the shelves as she passes by.”
Cathy spends a lot of time on new designs. “Although my reputation has been built on the ‘classic’ look, I have been known to surprise collectors on occasion by turning out a fabulously colored or patterned bear. I am working on some new things right now that I hope will delight the wonderful people who collect teddy bears.”
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Willow |
3428 Hillvale Road 
