Internationally renowned British bear artists will be visiting Koko’s Bear Shop in Ryde for a signing event on Saturday 7th November.  Funds raised at the event will be donated to the local Barely Born Appeal at St Mary’s Hospital.

Christine Pike and Suzi James will be making rare guest appearances to meet and greet the arctophiles of the Isle of Wight, from 11am-3pm, and will each be bringing with them an exclusive collection of bears, made especially for Koko’s, to sell on the day.

Koko’s Bear Shop is a small shop stuffed to the seams with hundreds of grizzly huggable bears!.. Awaiting in Ryde, in the back of a deliciously luxurious Chocolate Shop, is a bear-lovers paradise! With a wide range of teddy bears from small token gifts to serious collectors’ bears from Steiff, Deans, Charlie Bears, Teddy Hermann, World of Miniature Bears, Gund and Russ Berrie, you will surely find someone that jumps out at you.  We also regularly stock artist bears by many well-known designers. 

On the day we will be raffling a one-of-a-kind artist bear by Bearly There Bears, worth £60.  The money raised will be donated to the local Barely Born Appeal at St Mary’s Hospital.  Tickets can be bought in advance or on the day, at Koko’s Bear Shop, for your chance to win “Tinker”.  There will also be reductions on Steiff and many more bargains besides.  Bring along anything you’d like the artists to sign, meet their hugs and claim your free chocolate teddy bear!

Christine Pike lived on the Island until 2007, when she re-located to Norfolk.  Having originally trained as a restorer so that she could repair antique dolls, her interest eventually led her to the wonderful world of contemporary bear making. She quickly gained a reputation for innovation, being one of the first British artists to create bears with sculpted faces.

Typical features of her bears are very large feet with accented claws, heavy pellet-filled bodies and limbs with delicate facial features. In 1996 she created a unique range of bears with open mouths and sculpted teeth, called the RealBears, and these have become her signature. She works from photos to achieve a ! look that is true to nature but is also friendly and mischievous. She has recently discovered the art of making miniatures and added the tiniest member to the RealBear clan, who is only 4” high.

Christine has won many awards over the years and writes a regular column for Teddy Bear Review, called Bear Essentials, which offers tips and advice to novice bear-makers.  Her work changes all the time and she prefers to make one-of-a-kind pieces and very small editions. She also makes modern and vintage-style bears in several sizes. Only the best quality mohairs and English hand-cast glass eyes are used and each bear is made from start to finish entirely by Christine. No two are ever exactly the same due to the high level of sculpting employed. If you enjoy whimsy coupled with strong design values and quality workmanship then these bears are for you!

Award-winning artist Suzi James began designing and creating bears in 1984 and now sells her bears world-wide. She has always loved bears and also has a passion for antique textiles.  She moved to the New Forest a few years ago and enjoys early morning walks through the forest each day. She is constantly moved by the energy of the trees and all the nature surrounding her, inspiring her vision. Feeling the faeries tending to the flower buds and dancing in the heather amongst the trees, their antics empower her creations. When she returns home she sketches them onto paper before designing and creating them. 

Because of the influence of the forest on her designs and that of the spiritual world in all aspects of her life, each little creation i! s connected to the healing properties of the forest in some way; be it the protective energy from the Oak tree or the prosperity associated with blackberries and the various crystals some bears carry. These bears hope to spread nature’s message that Mother Earth can help heal us with her gifts.

Every Thursday Suzi travels from the peace and tranquillity of the forest to the hustle and bustle of London, where she can be found trading from her stall at Covent Garden Apple Market.  Each new collection of her bears is dedicated to a particular animal charity, with a percentage of each sale going towards it. She hopes every little soul that she creates will help our Animal Kingdom in some way – she strives to help protect our animals from the abuse and torture many suffer. Her soul won’t rest until they are free to roam as they should.

Both Christine Pike and Suzi James have also designed for Charlie Bears, in their 2009 and 2007 collections respectively.  Koko’s is a Charlie Bears Best Friends Store and will have the new Autumn Collection in-store just in time for the event.