(Tatum, LuLu  - TBT&F Issue 243)

One Is Not Enough

by Pam North

It must be a wonderful world in the kaleidoscopic mind of LuLu Tatum, where a seemingly endless diversity of whimsical creations ever evolve into delightful reality. LuLu’s incredibly talented body of work is multi-dimensional: original one-of-a-kind bears, dolls, and animals; paintings in water color, oil, and mixed media; limited edition prints; extreme primitives; clothing and jewelry designs. LuLu claims to be an artist pretty much as far back as she can remember, and professionally since 1989. She sells her work (wholesale and retail) online and at shows, and it has been featured in magazines, books, and at exhibits. Many celebrities, famous writers, and politicians have purchased her creations.
LuLu's artistic leanings were encouraged by her family from her childhood. Her mother and both her grandmothers made stuffed bears and dolls for her and her sister, and the girls learned to make clothes for them. She herself started making rag dolls, animals, and teddy bears when she was quite young. “I always have had a love for art,” she explained, “and I'm proud to say I'm an artist!”
Totally self-taught, she renders her magic through her endless imagination and her acquired mastery of materials. She made her first bear from faux fur in 1961, but didn't develop her distinctive sculptured faces for them until the 1990s. She named her creations LuLu Bears. 
Her style of creating her bears is very unique. A polymer clay skull framework is the foundation, over which a thin layer of leather, suede, or mohair is applied and formed into wrinkles and curves to give each bear its dimension and whimsical personality. Sparkle and life are added with the insertion of glass eyes, the addition of hand-formed leather noses, and sometimes teeth and tongues. “I had made so many bears from the 1960s on, but I knew I needed to find a better way to put more expression into their faces,” she explained. “That way I could just go crazy developing new characters. I decided to try the sculpted skeleton over which I could shape and manipulate leather, enabling me to create laugh lines, frowns, wrinkles, all the details that would allow endless expressive variations. In the process, I found that the bears themselves often told me how they wanted to look. The process evolved through the years; I went from needle-sculpting the faces to forming the leather faces to capture all kinds of emotions.” The bodies and limbs are made of quality mohair, vintage faux fur or real fur, or antique velvets, and the paws have sculpted leather pads or funky shoes. Joints allow the bodies of most of her bears to assume sitting or standing poses, while other bears have needle-sculptured wire armatures. She works in various sizes, usually anywhere from 8" to 20". All are one-of-a-kind, and all costumes are appropriate to the character and handmade by her. Each of her sculpted items is signed, dated, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. It’s safe to say that no one can be satisfied owning just one of her bears; they quickly become an addiction!
One particularly delightful series of bears made their debut in 2008, beginning with waggish versions of Bearack Obama, and Bearnie Sanders, and Joe Bearden, then expanding further to include droll caricatures of John McCain, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Martin Luther King Jr., and Abraham Lincoln. The political bears ranged from 15” to 18”. While retaining their bearish look, the human personalities of each political figure were startlingly apparent. LuLu definitely made politics more fun in that time period.
Despite the wide variety of themes in LuLu’s bears and other animals, and the uniqueness each conveys, her signature artistic essence is imbued in each, meshing the montage of styles into a vision that is sublimely and unmistakably recognizable as hers. Yet just when she has established a bit of a trend in one direction, off she darts in another, delivering a whimsical creation of a totally different genre. That element of surprise is always the refreshing spark to the artistry that shines its beam through them all. A delicate balancing act between fantasy and reality is nicely navigated, combining caricature and realism with equal finesse. Soulfulness intersecting with fairy dust is reflected in each character.
LuLu says she draws from endless avenues of inspiration: “music, nature, philosophy, folklore, and even dreams and clouds,” and it’s from those inventive wanderings that she deftly transforms her visions into reality. “I'm constantly inspired, and when an idea hits, I immediately start forming a plan to create it. It's always a challenge, and each time I'm fascinated that I'm still learning after so many years of being an artist! I intend to create many future bears, for as long as I'm able. I absolutely love doing it!”
LuLu’s highly original and prolific scope of creativity doubtlessly will deliver many new surprises for collectors to snap up with relish.

Contact Information:
LuLu Tatum
Address: 2600 W Zia Rd. H7
Santa Fe NM 87505
Email: lulus.originals@gmail.com
Telephone: (520) 405-4463