Donna Griffin – Thinking Small in a Big Way

by Pam North

	Donna Griffin's magical menagerie attests to the old adage that “good things come in small packages”, and she is a master of the miniature.		
	In 1972, Griffin left for a nearly 5-year stint in the U.S. Army, during which she met her  husband and also got to do some traveling. While they had an assignment in Massachusetts, the Griffins lived next-door to a neighbor who introduced her to the world of teddy bear-making. The seeds  were sown, and although it took a few years for them to germinate and sprout, Griffin eventually began to seek her own unique niche in that pastime. One of her early attempts was a “Green Bearet” bear, made as a fund-raiser for her husband's company headquarters of the 10th Special Forces Group. Her career and the addition of two children to her family life didn't allow her as much time as she would have liked to pursue her new muse, however, and it was only after a sojourn in Okinawa, Japan that she returned to the United States and began to really indulge her creativity. While overseas, Griffin had learned Chinese brush painting and flower arranging, so her first efforts were teaching calligraphy at a local community college, opening a calligraphy business, and doing pen-and-ink watercolor renderings of houses. A 1996 class with a well-known teddy bear artist finally sealed the deal for actively pursuing her own talents in that genre; Griffin launched her own business of critter-making, called Donna and the Bears, and she began to bring her “soul-mates with sweet faces”, as she lovingly refers to them, into adorable reality. 
	Although Griffin has made occasional animals as large as six inches, her preferred size range is 3” to 4”, and such miniatures have their own unique pleasures and problems. While their tiny sizes make it an easy matter of carrying hundreds in a small box when traveling to a show, the materials used in their creation must be proportionate in texture and weight - viscose, tiny-scaled ribbons and laces, joints, and itty-bitty glass eyes. Even sewing in miniature is more difficult, with the increased minute handwork that is entailed. Griffin takes all of this in stride, however, and explains her love of the very small. “My intention is not to make duplicates of things that nature already has done extraordinarily well, but rather to suggest that if there were creatures like lions, bunnies, bears, sheep, elephants, turtles, etc., who all were about 4 inches tall, walking around with lovely clothes on in a land where peace and love ruled overall, this is the way they might look. I'm always inspired by nature - what's blooming at the moment, and how I can translate that through beautiful fabric and ribbon. I enjoy making pin cushions for the little ones to sit upon, with matching or coordinating fabric and flowers, either crocheted, or made from ribbon-work using silks and satins.” Griffin's Pincushion Pandas are a novel series that reflect this concept. She also encourages artists who would like to work in miniature sizes to resource the Internet for materials that are suited ideally for making tiny animals, as there now are many sources specializing in them.
	“I love to create special pieces for the holidays (Jingle and Olli). Photography is as important as making the animals. Because they all are so small, I like to introduce a recognizable element such as a human hand to show their size, or a teacup (Lammy Belle and Blue Bella). Sewing clothing to fit the wee ones is a challenge, but well worth the effort (Diana, Blue Bella). Sometimes it's best to make the outfit as part of the body (Jingle). Many times, just a hat and collar or vest will do (Raphael, Dandy Lion), and sometimes only a bow or a flower is needed (Lola, Lammy Belle). When I have a particular assignment for a gallery piece, or find a wonderfully unique piece of fabric, I usually can see the piece in my imagination immediately, although it may take awhile until I actually can work out the pattern, or engineer the workings of the body that I've imagined. As for other inspiration, I have way too many supplies on hand, just waiting to be used!”
	Griffin has received several awards for her work over the past few years, notably Golden Teddy Awards in 2007 for “Katie”, and 2009 for “Maude”; and the Toby Industry Choice Winner and Public's Choice Winner for “Dibley” in 2005, but award are not her goal. Rather, she works for the fun and satisfaction of seeing the creatures of her imagination emerge into reality, and for the joy they bring to collectors who like to adopt them.
	When she isn't absorbed in making her delightful animals, Griffin is ever expanding her horizons, lately making time to practice a new hobby, called Zentangle, which is a process of drawing abstract, black and white, structured patterns called tangles on 3.5-inch (89 mm) square paper tiles. As the artist becomes engrossed in drawing each intricate pattern, it becomes a form of artistic meditation. Griffin recently has attended a special training seminar that led her to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher.
	When asked about her future plans and challenges, Griffin shared these thoughts:  “I don't plan too far ahead, but prefer to enjoy spur- of-the-moment inspiration. Deadlines already are looming for upcoming shows. When my life allows, I attend several events: the Doll and Bear Show, in Philadelphia, PA, in the spring; the Teddy Bear Artists Invitational (TBAI ) in Binghamton, NY. in the summer; and the Hunt Valley Show in MD in the fall. I enjoy being a part of Teddies Worldwide online shows throughout the year, as time permits. I have an Etsy shop (www.Donnaandthebears/etsy.com), where I occasionally post a bear or other animal for adoption. Offering my pieces over the internet allows folks to adopt my bears in areas of the world that I could never hope to visit. I have a blog/website where new pieces are posted as I'm working on them, and I do put tutorials for sewing and crochet ideas there from time to time. I encourage everyone to sign up for my mailing list to be notified of available bears and friends.” 
	Griffin chuckles when she remembers a show at which a visitor told her how much she had liked her bears when she had seen them in photographs, but how she was surprised that in reality they were so small.	Such is the quality and attention to detail that is so amazingly represented in these exquisite tiny treasures.

Contact Information:
Email: donnaandthebears@aol.com.
Website: http://www.donnaandthebears.com/