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Jack and Marion Finhold have managed to capture the attention of bear lovers around the world with their collection of charming little mohair personalities.  Using only the finest natural fabrics and fibers, their ability to infuse a teeny, tiny soul into each of the bears and mice they make has resulted in their worldwide recognition and demand. 

* It is impossible to meet Jack Finhold and not detect the subtle fragrance of the late 1960’s era that stil clings to him ever so slightly.  It is hinted in his choice of his words, easygoing attitude, and colorfully patterned shit=rt.  His favorite sport (surfing) and his open admiration of singer/songwriter Bob Dylan further the impression.  Jack, too, is a musician, having mastered several instruments over he years.  References to music punctuate his conversation.

This combination of quiet confidence and unabashed exuberance for life emanates from jack Finhold, both charming his admirers and spilling over into his art.  It immediately explains the winsome, whimsical faces of the love-at-first-sight mice and bears he creates with his wife, Marion.

Marion Finhold, though slightly more introverted than her husband, is no less young at heart.  She freely admits that her favorite part of Nuremburg Toy Fair is the wonderful fireworks display.  With her straight, shoulder-length lair parted in the middle and her face refreshingly free of make-up, she appears much too young for the 30 years of marriage, five children and two grandchildren she shares with Jack.  Though Marion plays no musical instruments, it could be said that in the Finhold Gallery duet, Jack produces the melody while Marion provides the perfect harmony.  Her talent and imagination create the colorful knitted clothing and other accessories that define the personality of each Finhold critter.

Born in Germany, Jack moved to the United States with his parents when he was six.  They lived in the Chicago and Great Lakes areas for 10 years, just long enough for him to obtain his early education and begin a love affair with music that would continue throughout his life.  He’s played some kind of musical instrument ever since he can remember; from accordian and guitar to flute and finger picking guitar.
Jack and Marion met in Germany in the early 1970’s.  Marion was a governess and Jack was playing the guitar.  “I liked the way she walked and moved herself,” recalls Jack, who was 23 at the time.  “And, with her wonderful, always present smile and bright eyes, she won my heart pretty fast.  We actually didn’t have much in common.  Marion likes reading and collecting books.  We have hundreds and hundreds.”  Then, with a smile, “Someday she hopes to have the time to actually read them.”  They were married in 1975.

Jack turned his creative talents to cooking.  “I always loved the decorating and extraordinary cooking, and invented new cooking styles,” he says with enthusiasm.  “I even opened several restaurants, one vegetarian.”  But as the children began to arrive, his desire to spend more time with his family – and a chance encounter with some new friends – set the Finhold family on a very different path.

“We met some folks who were making marionettes,” recalls Jack.  “When I saw the marionettes and how they worked and were able to move, I was immediately interested in them.  Maybe I just needed something new, too.  After working with one of these people for a while, we started our own business with marionettes.  I started working with the clay to be able to make my own molds for the heads, hands, etc.”  Jack found he loved both working with clay and the whole creative process.

“While making marionettes,” Jack continues, “I used to look at comic books a lot for ideas.  From this came our first bear: a teddy faced kind of bear, not the contemporary style we have now.  We attended the New York Toy Fair in 1976 and did fairly well.  Our only bear along in New York was immediately bought by a retailer in SoHo.  It sold right away.  Wow!  From then on, we concentrated more on bears.

“Soon after, we received an offer to attend the Teddy Bear Total.  It’s supposed to be the biggest event on planet earth.  Well, we started designing our patterns in a hurry, and away we went to that show.  Sold five or six bears.  Seeing all the artists there helped us get new ideas.”  Somewhere along the way, quirky little character mice made an appearance in their collection.

In considering the origins of their creative ideas, Jack uses music in his analogy.  “A songwriter,” he says, “can come across a song in only a moment – or, sometimes it takes time too develop. It’s the same thing with us.  Once in a while, there is an idea that comes to us, and we finish something perfectly overnight.  Other times it may take a year to finish an idea.  The names for the bears, etc. are usually found together.  Everyone in the family helps on this.”

Today, the Findhold’s critters are collected the world over for their quality and individuality.  They are wonders of perfect workmanship, from the selection of wool, yarn, and mohair to the meticulous way each thread is glued into place on their noses to keep it from slipping.  But, the true charm in the Finhold pieces is the human emotions they portray.  Each is a reflection of dignity, humility, humor or pathos.  And, if you look closely, you will find that each is endowed with that same subtle flavor of the 60s inherited from its creators.

The future looks bright for the Finholds.  But, Jack is beginning to talk about retiring to his favorite vacation spot, Hawaii.  He is learning to play Hawaiin slack key guitar.  How long can we expect this serendipitous pair to continue bringing us their artful little mirrors of humanity disguised as bears and mice?  Perhaps the best answer may be found in Jack’s music.  In the famous lyrics of Bob Dylan, “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.”


* Excerpts from “Teddy Bear and Friends” September/October, 2005