Quinlan Doll and Teddy Bear Convention 2014

I just returned from the Quinlan show this past week and I am still in the process of getting the studio back together and ready for the next round of work.  This was the first time I traveled so far from my northwest home base for a show.  I had heard such wonderful things about Quinlan from other artists that I could not resist seeing it for myself.  I also took an extra day to tour Philadelphia.  Like the true sculpture junkie I am I had to document every statue and relief in sight and I will share just a few here as well as some of my favorite work from the show itself.

 I am definitely a fan of ornate buildings.  The more carving, gingerbread, sculptures and details you can pile on the better.  I looked across the street from this gorgeous building and see the sleek glass modern cubes and they simply do not compare in my eyes.  This building took 30 years to complete - not something you see in the modern age. Sigh

 

Coming from the land of the Craftsman home, these neighborhoods were particularly charming.

 

I had to visit some of the historical sites as well (you must set a good example for the children after all) so here you have the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin (above) and the Hall of Independence viewed from the Liberty Bell building (below).  Since Franklin's famous quote is "A penny saved is a penny earned" it is customary to toss pennies on his grave.  Interesting, since he is encouraging people to SAVE pennies.

Back at the show, over 125 doll and bear artists presented their work.  The bear artists took me on a bit of a trip down memory land since I sold artist bears in a shop I worked in when I fist moved to Seattle 21 years ago.  I overheard several conversation where bear artists became fans of dolls and doll artists discovered bears.  There were countless inspiring pieces in both categories so it was hard to pick only two to share here.  While these are by far not the only great artists I could have chosen from I also had to select from the best of the photos I had taken.

I had seen Nina Tugarina's work (above) in photos before but it is truly stunning in person.  I also met the very sweet Natalie Ruiz who won an award for this piece (below) which I believe is called "Tangled".

Without a doubt, the best reason to attend Quinlan is the sheer amount of quality work you can see in one day.  Personally, I would return for the company of fellow artists who were all very open and friendly and included this sole traveler in their circles, as well as for the generous and gracious hosts of the show, Susan and Terry Quinlan.