Bearmeister aka Frankster

My husband once accused me of being "easily distracted" to which I replied, "I'm not easily distracted, I'm easily fascinated." Which is true. I am fascinated by practically everything. Especially if it has to do with animals, art or well, chocolate.

I'm Easily Fascinated.

These are the tags, names and nicknames I've had hung on me LATELY. There's just too many jobs over the years to list them all I've ever had. These are also only the ones people call me to my face too. (Not in any particular order, color or size.)

Frankenator... Frankster...
Feral Cat Advocate...
Animal Lover... Lensmaster....
Bearmeister...
Sculptor...wife... Blogmeister...
Cat Woman...
Polar-rama-mama...Daughter...
Sister.......Marketer...
Environmentalist...Friend....
Web Developer...Entrepreneur...
Baby Boomer
Calvin & Hobbes Fanatic
SquidActivist

I discovered my love for bears when I was creating a polar bear sculpture for a friend.

I began searching for pictures and reading about polar bears. As I sculpted the polar bear, I continued to read about bears. I was fascinated by these magnificent animals.

After I sculpted the polar bear I found that I couldn't stop creating them. They seem to evolve on their own out of the clay in my hands. The sculpture in the photo I call Stone Bear is the 2nd bear I sculpted and the 1st that I used Horsehair Raku as a finish. Yes, real horsehair. And, no, no horses were hurt -- a local stable saves me the hair when they groom the horses.

I then found Knut, the little German polar bear, and fell madly in love with the little guy. I started my blog about polar bears but it was really finding him that started me wanting to share these magnificent creatures. Knut was my muse and now that he is gone, I miss him dearly. I created a tribute lens to him when I learned of his death. You can see it by clicking, Goodbye Knut. I still research, read about, write about, or sculpt bears daily -- all bears are fascinating to me. I just can't get enough of them. I also wear a hand-sculpted bear necklace every day to remind me of them and to help spread the word.

Of course, it really is a bear fetish. In Zuni Mythology, the bear fetish is the "Guardian of the West" and is believed invaluable for a person who is faced with change and transition.

I love change and new experiences, so I'm always in transition. Maybe the Zuni people had something there. :-)

Shortly after discovering bears, I created my business Sculptures by Frankie to sell my sculptures.

I decided to donate 10% of my sculpture sales to help save bears. I now donate to 3 organizations saving bears and I am an Online Ambassador for ALL species of bears and for 3 organizations who work to save them: National Wildlife Federation, Polar Bears International, and Wildlife S.O.S. (See modules below on what they do and how they help polar bears and the environment.)

The sculpture shown here is called "ICE BEAR" and it was the 2nd bear I ever sculpted. The photo was taken when before I added the horse hair. It's shiny because it was burnished.

As of today (7/8/08) I've created 20 bear or bear-related lenses and there's just no stopping me. Between bears and cats, I have a ton of ideas for lenses that need to be created. LOL

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.....
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

For the inspiring true story of the Dancing Bear Rescue (told with photos and videos) and meet the Co-founder and Director aka BEAR MAN, click HERE.

A group of lenses about bears devoted to help change the plight all of the 8 bear species through awareness and fund raising.

The lenses show the wonderful nature of bears and many will, at the same time, shine a spotlight on the dangers bears face including: trophy hunters, gall bladder and bile farming, pollution, bear baiting, global warming, and habitat destruction.

You'll also find fun lenses on great polar bear movies, books, teddy bears, even cartoon and toy bears. Click Save Our Bears (SOB) to go to the headquarters page.

When I discovered the problems facing polar bears, I looked for an organization that I could work with to help save them. I found the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Their mission is to protect wildlife for our children's future, connect people with nature and to confront global warming.

I am proud to be a member of NWF and to support them in their efforts to save Polar Bears and other animals from extinction.

The NWF is helping to lead a nationwide grassroots effort to protect the Arctic Refuge. For more information on this click NWF-Arctic Refuge. Or, for membership information, click NWF Membership.

I am so happy to have found Polar Bears International (PBI), a non-profit "dedicated to understanding and communicating all points of view on issues affecting polar bears throughout the world and conservation through research and education."

A few of their programs include: The Conference Classroom, where field scientist teach live classes from the tundra via Web casts; a Leadership Camp for high school students from around the world who travel to Churchill, Manitoba to study; a Polar Bear Camp at Gordon Point near Churchill; and several guest lecturer series. PBI also has the most comprehensive website on polar bears anywhere.

For more information or to join or donate to this wonderful organization, click Polar Bears International.

Show Your Love For Polar Bears

Get this design on t-shirts, hats, cards, posters, totes and anything else you can think of and 10% of all sales are donated to National Wildlife. If you want to see more of this design, click More Bears

My favorite cartoonist and good friend is David Booth. He's one great guy. And, like most artists, he's a tad strange. That's what makes him so much fun. I never know what he or his cartoons will say -- nothing is sacred. He loves polar bears and is doing his part to save them.

David created the Global Warming Mascot that you see here. You can get this cartoon on t-shirts and other stuff at B-Cool Stuff.

He and I have a blog of cartoons with commentary on Polar Bears and their friends. Check it out...

Cartoons.PolarBearNews.com

More of David Booth's Art. Get this cartoon on t-shirts, cups, sweatshirts and anything else you could want at Save our Bears Mascot

I was hooked on sculpture from the day I set eyes on Michelangelo's work at 9-yrs old. I dreamed of someday working in clay and creating pieces like his.

I spent the first half of my life building a business career in Silicon Valley (California). At age of 48, I retired from business, moved to the Fort Bragg (California), and began taking art classes at the College of the Redwoods. My initial training in sculpture gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of media: wood, stone, wire, wax, bronze, cement and clay. I found that working with clay was my true vocation, turning vision into reality.

Working with clay satisfies some deep tactile sense in me. I've found I do my best work when I can include both additive and subtractive modes, which isn't possible with many other media. I like being able to push and pull, pinch and twist -- to manipulate the clay into whatever shape I want at any time I want.

My sculptures incorporate a variety of finishing techniques -- raku, saggar, horsehair, stains and waxes, underglazes, and low-fire and high-fire glazes. Most of my work is stylized animal figures, including lions, bears and "fu dogs" (Chinese temple lions). I also create other abstract sculpture.

In addition to on-going art classes and almost obsessive research, I am studying under the tutelage of an accomplished local sculptor.

I donate 10% of all sculpture sales to the National Wildlife Federation to help save Polar Bears from extinction. I also donates 10% of all Internet sales to Big Cat Rescue to help big cats at their sanctuary in Florida.

You can see more of my work at Sculptures by Frankie

I'm in the book, Artists of the Mendocino Coast, Vol. 2. It just got my copy last week (Nov. 2008) and it's gorgeous. I'm so excited and humbled being among the incredible artists in this book!

The artists in the book are having a showing at the Mendocino Art Gallery (the MAC) in Mendocino (that's California) the month of December. I could only put 1 piece in as there are 56 of us. But, I just found out that my piece is shown with several others showcasing the show on the MAC's website.

To see more photos and get info on the show, click Artist Showcase

My sculpture (a polar bear) is in the first picture on the left on the tall display stand. I missed it the first time I looked at the picture, but it's there. :-) It's at a perfect level for people to get up close and personal and to pet him.

This is my most favorite animal sculpture book -- EVER. It hasn't made it into my library yet. It sits next to my recliner where I can pick it up and thumb through it at will. And, believe me, I flip through it often.

The art ranges from artful realism to provocative surrealism (including animal-human hybrids) and from humorous to bazaar. And, it features every animal imaginable. In my humble opinion, it is a must for every artist's library.

For more information, click 500 Animals in Clay

David is in Alaska and I'm in California, so we communicate mostly by email. Once when I sent an email complaining that I had been so busy that I hadn't been able to sculpt, he sent me this drawing. He titled it "Smallest-Violin".

And, you can see the "Nobody Knows" in the corner. Man, I just can't get any respect! LOL

I'm getting older and I am going "Kicking and Screaming". I'll be creating different lenses on the health topics I'm interested in especially how to look younger and how to feel younger. Here's a favorite quote by Bette Davis that expresses how I feel about aging:

"Getting Older Is NOT For Sissies."

I love change and new things. Whether it's learning something new or a new gadget. This, of course, is very helpful working on the Internet.

One of my favorite sayings is...

"The only thing constant is change."

My lenses have been well received on Squidoo: Are You Polar Bear Aware? has been ranked #1; been in the top 100 for over 1 year, received Lens of the Day on 4/20/07and was 2nd Runner Up, Lens of the Year, 2007.

Long Term Care For People You Love has been in the top 100 for for most of the past year and was awarded Lens of the Day on 4/22/08.

Kartick Satyanarayan: Champion of India's Dancing Bears was awarded Lens of the Day 7/14/08 and Honorable Mention in the Superheros contest and made top 100.

You too can make a page like this one and have all or a percentage of the Squidoo Royalties go directly to Wildlife S.O.S. to help save the bears.

The lens can be on anything you want. About your cat, your car, whatever you care about. Believe me, you are an expert in something. If you don't think so, put together a lens about something you are learning -- walk us through the steps -- the where, why, when and how of it.

To make a lens now, click

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