My Dad's Bears - The Bear Band

These have been in a box for too long so I decided it was time to put them back out on display. It all started with a pencil sharpener I had when I was about 7 years old which was a plastic bear. My Dad got the idea of making a latex mould of it and then casting it in Plaster of Paris to make multiple bears. This then led him to create different instruments for the bear by applying modelling clay to the original bear to change its appearance then making a new mould of that, then casting it and painting it. Each time it was always the original pencil sharpener bear that was sculpted into different characters. I think he was inspired by the Robinsons Gollies (see photo 4) that you could collect Jam lids for and send away for a Golly to collect from the Robinsons company.

My Dad was much cleverer than I really knew at the time.
He never tried to sell any, I think I was given a few to donate to the school Christmas fair once, but that's about all. He just did it for a hobby. More bears to follow later in the week.

I never did get my pencil sharpener back.