These two Dancing Bear Weathervanes were such a fun project. The original commission was for the two of them*, male and female. It is such fun working with our customers on their visions. Here is what this couple had to contribute:

Hi LizAnne, it was so pleasant and informative talking with you! I thought you might get a kick out of some of the background for our dancing bears idea. My husband named our property Dancing Falls because we met at a dance and there is a beautiful lively waterfall in the center of our forest.

…and, full disclosure, this forest mentioned has BEARS! The region publishes bearwise guides for safety and encounters. You can see one here.

These all copper weather vanes were to be mounted on two cupolas. Design wise-our clients had to decide whether they wanted their bears to be facing each other in the wind or chasing each other. They decided on facing, because it seemed more dance like, and that is why the female is standing and facing the fletching, away from the point of the arrow.

The bears have brown glass eyes and are fabricated in swell bodied style. Surprisingly they are also ‘mirror image’ which means they look identical from whichever side you view them. (Our designers have a lot of tricks for creating mirror image.) The location for this original order has high winds, so optional Security Devices were requested. That is the little ‘ears’ below the arrow, tightly securing the sculpture piece to the vertical rod.

Our master artisans all have made themselves special hammers for creating different fur textures. These bears appear properly furry, and will remain so as the years pass, the copper weathers, and eventually, begins to patina (a process that is dependent on location, humidity, temperature and the salts in the air).

Inscribed on the tube of the arrow is their home’s name, Dancing Falls. There are ‘Lucky Pennies’ from significant years in their lives sealed inside the bears in addition to a traditional penny from the year the sculpture piece was sealed.

We’re hoping to receive pictures of these two Ursus Americanus happily dancing in their forever home. It makes our day when customers, in their busy lives, take the time to shoot a few pictures and send them on.

*This vision required the two weather vanes to complete, and, adding a little honey to the deal, it qualified for our 10% discount on multiple or future orders. All of our return customers receive a 10% discount on their orders, but when your first order is for more than one weathervane a 10% discount is applied when the order is completed.