Patriot Bears help Wounded Warriors - The RIGHT side of the Arts

There has been much talk on TexasGOPVote in recent months about The Arts, the NEA and how arts should be funded. Having grown up in the art gallery business and actually having run an art gallery in Rockport, Texas for several years, I thought I should weigh in with my favorite method of funding for the arts - CAPITALISM!

This article will begin a series of stories I will write about Conservative Artists who represent us well in the many aspects of the arts industry and who are most certainly worthy of our patronage and financial support.

Which brings me to a Conservative lady I met on Facebook recently, Mrs. Brenda Pollock-Smith of La De Da' Artisan Bears. She is a full time, multi-disciplined artist who describes herself as a Constitution respecting Conservative. Brenda began designing her one-of-a-kind bears in 1994 for her daughter.  After going back to school as her daughter grew up, Brenda's passion for the bears blossomed and her bear business was born.

"I create the bears with the finest materials; mohair, premium glass eyes, clay, textile pigments, dye and various quality fabrics and material. I sculpt eye lids, wet eye accents and noses out of clay and other mediums. All of my bears start with pure white mohair. I custom blend my colors with a high quality textile color before dyeing. No two turn out alike due to heat elements, length of dye time, measurement variations, etc. Another signature element in the La De Da' line is in addition to stuffing the bellies with polyfill and copper shot, I add the highest quality lavender buds, imported from Provence, France to enhance the 'hug' experience with a gentle, therapeutic natural scent. Squeezing the buds helps release the scent, so you get a little bit of relaxation with every hug. My hands and heart are in all aspects of the creation process of each bear from pattern design, sewing to painting and shading to sculpting." Brenda said.

In addition to the craftsmanship of her bears, Brenda also creates works of fine art which can be seen on another of her websites. As a lover of roses, Brenda also serves the California Coastal Rose Society as a web designer, yet another of her artistic expressions.

What caught my attention was not only the artisan craftsmanship of her work, but the charity efforts she is supporting with her art. Arts supporting charity through voluntary philanthropy instead of taxpayer funds supporting art. That is a great plan for her personal success and that of her selected charites.  The two bears shown above, Lady Liberty and Patti Patriot (shown left) are helping to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Patriot Project. In the past, Brenda has also made bears to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness with her Breast Cancer Recovery Bears.

Brenda has brought her artistic craft to service.  You can help support her art by purchasing her bears in her bear botique and at the same time help her give philantropic charity to very deserving causes.