My name is Marion Fraile. I am a soft sculpture artist and member of the Thread Artist Guild.
I have been doing arts and crafts in one way or another throughout my life. When I was very young, my grandmother taught me how to crochet and I got "hooked". Shortly thereafter I learned the "art" of knitting as well and kept on using both skills for many of my projects. My first attempts yielded mostly scarves and little blankets for my dolls and bears. Once I mastered the basics I "graduated" to designing and making sweaters for my friends and myself.
Before the birth of my daughters, a busy career unfortunately did not leave much time to follow my creative urges. However, once they came into the world, I again found time to knit and crochet and my adorable girls got to wear my creations as babies and toddlers. I started designing and making their favorite teddy bears and still found more time to explore other creative sides in me, like clay sculpting, woodworking, and stenciling.
For some years now I have also been making traditional teddy bears from mohair. In addition to making mohair bears I have been able to apply my technical and design skills to making crochet bears.
The most rewarding moment is when I get to see how a little bear develops his own character after being put together and given his facial features.
My favorite are baby and toddler bears which can easily be distinguished by their special features such as proportion, color, facial expression, and jointing. You have to hold and to cradle one of these special little bears in your arms and feel them snuggle into your heart!
I do my work as I feel. I "sculpt" with my crochet hook and my experience allows me never to work according a pattern, but rather go by intuition and what my heart tells me. |
