Cindy Malchoff My Apple Tree by Pam North Cindy Malchoff lives in the beautiful northeast corner of New York State, with Lake Champlain on her east and the majestic Adirondack mountains to the west. After a short career in the accounting field, she chose to become a stay-at-home mom. She is an artist who has found her niche in soft-sculpture wildlife art, creating both teddy bears and birds. Much of her inspiration comes from her own backyard. Malchoff specializes in sculpting life-like birds ranging in size from diminutive hummingbirds to life-sized flamingos. Her birds have gained her numerous awards, and great recognition. She has found that mohair can take on feather-like qualities when colors are applied with various painting techniques. “I am self taught,” Malchoff stated. “Using some common sense. and a lot of trial and error, I started recycling old fur coats. I love creating bears as one-of-a-kind or limited edition, and I welcome custom orders for bears and birds as opportunities to stretch my creativity, I am always looking for the natural beauty that surrounds us. I have a love for the environment and wildlife that is subtly expressed in the pieces that I create.” To stay in touch with nature, she enjoys biking, hiking, canoeing/kayaking, and back-country camping. Malchoff described her bears as “hand-crafted, with friendly, appealing faces, and one-of-a-kindcharacter pieces with storytelling imagery or literal themes.” What she likes best about making bears and birds is meeting people, attending shows, and visiting with old and newly-made friends, who become like extended family to her. “The joy people experience when viewing or collecting my creations is very satisfying!” she exclaimed.She attends teddy bear shows in many states, and also went to London UK this past fall. She attends some juried arts & crafts festivals, and also participates in a few online shows a year. Additionally, she merchandises her available creations on her web site. She has received much recognition for her expertise in her craft: three TOBY Industry Choice Awards; a TBAI People's Choice Award; A TB&F Ambassador Award; and she was a Golden Teddy Nominee.Since 2005, she has been organizing one of the premier teddy bear convention/shows in the US - the Teddy Bear Artist Invitational. This show, in addition to being “a fabulous show”, according to Cindy, raises funds for endangered species programs, which made a perfect fit with her goals. She was awarded the Ambassador Award in part for her commitment to keeping this convention active. Malchoff continues to evolve in her craft. “I never really 'plan' on what comes next....it just kind of happens. I am still hoping to get an owl off the drawing table and into production, but the birds almost always have other ideas that lead me astray. I have a passion for this industry and sometimes over extend myself, but I love what I do!”Contact Information:cindy@myappletree.com www.myappletree.com, (518) 562-4076