Four years after Darlene Allen started making teddy bears, Beth Smith of The Orlando
Sentinal newspaper compared Darlene's bears with antique teddies, stating the "handmade
Raspbeary Bear will probably become a valuable collectible."
Now in her fifteenth year, her collectors feel the same way. She has gained their respect and that of her
fellow artists. Self-taught, her bears have evolved and showcase even more of her originality, as seen
in her Mother Goose series with Rain and Little Johnny(96), Three Blind Mice(97), and Ten O'Clock Scholar
(99).
Alot of her work is designed from children's book illustrations like those by Charles Folkard. She translates
childrens antics and movements into her bears. They are often designed to be in a certain pose to evoke
a specific feeling or response. Other artists have told her that there is a lot of movement in her bears.
She considers that a success.
Darlene has exhibited at IDEX, Toy Fair, Steve Van Houten's Invitational and has collectors in
Australia, Japan, Germany, England as well as the USA. She created "The Teddy Observer", the first
newsletter for bear and doll collectors in Hawaii, introducing local artists to the mainland audience
of collectors. She has been featured in, Who's Who In Bear Making, Hobby House Press; Guide
To Contemporary Bears, Random House; Contemporary Price Guide; Design Artist for 1994 pin for Teddy
Bear Museum of Naples; and a 1998 Toby nominee for Geisel.
She and her husband, Kevin live in sunny Florida. They have two children, Lindsey and Dwayne,
and two impish cat sisters from the
same litter, Pooh and Dr. Suess.
In January 2000, I met Darlene at the IDEX Show in San Francisco. I found her delightful and wanted her
whimsical creations to be part of the selection at our shoppe. She is a wonderful and talented lady!
The Teddy Bear
Shoppe Of The Poconos
