CHERISHED TEDDIES ARTIST TO SHOW SKILLS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS TODAY

With a handful of brushes -- sometimes as many as eight at one time -- Cherished Teddies Design Studio artist Yen Shufen will demonstrate her technique today.

Shufen will paint figurines and answer questions from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Zickfield's Gift Box, 27 N. Main.

The Cherished Teddies collection, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, has become a leading teddy bear collectible and is sold in more than 25 countries.

In recognition of the anniversary, a group of artisans from the design studio in Taiwan are touring the United States with stops at selected retailers.

Sarah Doran of Enesco Corp., the company that makes the figurines, said Zickfield's earned the visit by the artist. "Zickfield's won this opportunity because they have sold so many pieces and so many club memberships," Doran said.

Cherished Teddies figurines started with a series of drawings by artist Priscilla Hillman in 1992. The first group of 2-inch, cold-cast resin bears numbered 16. Today there are more than 1,300 figurines and accessories.

Each has a name or inspirational title, which adds to the teddy bears' collectibility, Doran said.

While in Cape Girardeau, Shufen will paint "Alex," a little-boy teddy-bear figurine with toys scattered around him.

"Mothers can relate to that little boy," Doran said, "especially if their son is named Alex."