Momentos and Magic

A wall of "Momentos"...











What a rare and wonderful treat…here is Stacey Bear and her first glimpse of Jane Dagmi's feature on her work in the March 2008 issue of "Country Living" magazine.

While Stacey reads, let me tell you a little bit more about her...

Her creations reach far down in me, pulling memories forth from faded days, creating new fantasies and begging a nod to nostalgia. Her work -- her "Momentos" have a depth of soul that fascinates me as much as Stacey Bear does herself. She is luminous, with that dark side that is so compelling to ever ebullient me. Her work is as wonderfully full of feeling as she... sensitive, with longing and a lust for adventure and the treasured button in a jar-full of castoffs.

She sings in her work with painterly details and delicate brushwork that begs a closer look. Stacey's talent is exceptional, with a divine edge of unfettered imagination. Her work is story deftly told to the listener in a visual and tactile harmony. A great gal pal confessed to me that we both need to build additional walls in our homes to fit in more of Stacey's creations... I couldn't agree more. I love her and all that she makes. Some of the pieces I have sold for her haunt me still...

My favorite corner in Stacey's dining room...

Here we are in front of the stone house that has been in her husband Doug's family since the 1840s. Built in 1812, it has three foot thick walls that hold captive memories and the gorgeous patina of time. The steps to her studio rise past the family portraits and old photos, themselves worn down to concave depressions. So many footfalls up and down over the years....so much time spent in those rooms gathering tales. Old walls may ache for new plaster, but never mind, they are festooned with bright colors from Stacey's palette and pockets of her fancies are strewn about. This house is canvas to her beloved collections of old toy monkeys, shells, antique dolls, wee doggies, and her minds eye for color and texture. There's the dollhouse in the dining room, the tavern bar in the den, the fabulous spool tower in the living room, the bowl of felted fruit, the fabulous wallpaper, and more...

It was summer 2006 when I made my first road trip to York, PA and Stacey's home….a heatwave...Rory, me and Rosanne headed west to hang in the Bear's backyard, hunting for shade and slugging icy cold cokes under the trees where an old chandelier hung from a party we'd missed. We walked the dirt roads that lead off their backyard into a never ending horizon of soybeans, splashed in the pool and slept in old twin beds with cool linen sheets. The morning was heaven. Those wide wooden floor boards underfoot, the coffee...I could have stayed the summer.

Here's Stacey with friend, Ro...

In 2007 we made the road trip again, this time leaving behind the little guy and taking along gal pal Lisa...

click this link to read about our antiquing adventures and see more images of Stacey's home and work.

http://earthangelstoys.blogspot.com/2007/07/momentos-of-our-trip.html

And please visit Jane Dagmi's Blog...I am ever grateful to Stacey for bringing Jane and I together...you can see behind the scenes with Jane at the Stacey Bear shoot...
www.countryliving.com/staceybear

Stacey just "wowed" the crowds with her fanciful paintings and shadowboxes as a featured artist of "the heART of winter" folk art show...

Stay tuned for more images of her work and the event.

...and Stacey, we need to plan our annual summer road trip...

CONGRATS TO YOU STACEY!

Your talent deserves acknowledgement; your art, celebration!

With much appreciation and fondness...

xxoo Jen

Earth Angels