Jenny Johnson
Three O' Clock Bears
By B. B.
Whisper it quietly, but Jenny
Johnson was never into collecting teddy bears – and didn’t even
like sewing! So fate clearly took
a hand when a niece’s obsession
led her to attend a local bear fair
in 2001.
Describing the moment when
the "bear" bug bit, she says,
“It was at the Motor Cycle
Museum near Birmingham."
"I bought a kit previously and
made this odd-looking soul. By
end of the fair, I got a tingly
feeling all over because I found
everything so magical. I bought
some fabric, came home and
made another weird- looking
bear!”
And so Three O’ Clock Bears
was born. Why the name?
Jenny’s primary occupation
is a hair stylist, so she finds
herself frequently stitching
into the wee small hours
to get a bear finished in time
for a show.
As it turned out, hairdressing
is the perfect apprenticeship
for becoming a bear maker:
“I have utilized my skills as
a hairdresser in the making
of my bears, including methods
of cutting, styling, even
colouring, into my bear
making, which I feel gives
my bears a unique look”,
she explains.
Jenny also finds herself able
to work on four to five bears simultaneously – a skill she
attributes to years of flitting
between several clients
simultaneously.
Describing her style as
traditional blended with
heartstring-pulling abilities,
Jenny says she is inspired
largely by the "Forties" and
"Fifties", particularly the
fashions, and also by her
pet dogs’ sweet faces and
soulful eyes; attributes she
tries to incorporate into her
bears.
At present Jenny is focusing
on pandas and adapting her
patterns to achieve a sense
of movement in the limbs.
She also promises that some
small dolls will creep into the
mix.
Unusual for a bear artist,
Jenny loves synthetic fabrics,
"They are very tactile and I
like scissor-sculpting them
to create exactly the shape
I want. I do also like thick
alpacas and mohairs – the
denser the better!"
Occasionally, Jenny skillfully
integrates silk into the paw
pads, which she embellishes
with painted detail.
Jenny attests to possessing
a very clear idea of what she
wants to achieve and describes herself as a romantic soul
who gravitates towards a
cute, whimsical, but careworn,
slightly shabby, style, wearing
hand-me-down clothes.
“If that sounds soppy, I offer
no apology. In a world where
there is so much badness,
I see nothing wrong with
awakening a little of that
nostalgic romantic spirit”
she defiantly insists.
A perfectionist, who is her
own harshest critic, she was
rewarded in 2004, with a
British Bear Artist Award.
Enthusiastic and upbeat, she describes every bear fair as
being an uplifting experience
and finds boundless enthusiasm
for each new project - whether
it is creating highlights, special shading, or an embroidered
nose, Jenny gives it her all!
The event which eclipsed all
other triumphs, however,
was the arrival of her first
grandchild, Elizabeth, who
serves as the
the inspiration
for her new "Chubby Cheek"
design.
“I’ve never been so excited
about anything in my life…not
even when I had my own
children!” she laughs.
Elizabeth, now five months old,
awaits the arrival of Jenny's
second grandchild.
Jenny's son and his wife are
expecting their first child who
will be a nice little boy or girl
cousin for Elizabeth.
It is hard to imagine Jenny
old enough to be a grandmother
or one, let alone two grand-
children! From all appearances,
she could be a young mother,
herself!
3428 Hillvale Road 
