Marine Bear

Name of Model: Creations for Charity 2010 - Marine Toys for Tots Teddy Bear

Created by: au_riverhorse(Albert) - official site

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/au_riverhorse/tags/toysfortots/

Details: Did you know that the mascot for Toys For Tots is a bear wearing a US marine uniform? Their website layout shows this little guy. Here he is in LEGO form, with no expense spared. Those tan cheese slopes from the Tower Bridge kit round out the face nicely, while elements in gold colors (or is that custom chroming on those round 1x1 plates?) make the buttons and buckle stand out. A few large barrels make surprisingly convincing paws. The little guy even has properly cupped ears! As of this writing, Creations for Charity is still going strong and this model is still available for purchase.

Animal Sculptures at the Burlington Mall

Various Models

Created by master builders employed by The LEGO Group

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcpiercy/sets/72157604126313985/

Details: Photographer johnpiercy found this beautiful display of animal sculptures at the Burlington Mall in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. I have no idea how long they'll be on display, but apparently they are there now and were brought in for a "fun zone" event that ends today. It looks like there is/was a guess-the-amount-of-parts contest as well, but I have no idea if/when we'll see any of that information surface online. The koala bears in particular are excellent, and a great example of just how much can be done with newer colors like tan and stone. The leopard mosaic is another highlight, and I love the way that round 2x2 tiles were used to make paws on the young tiger. EDIT: Apparently some of these sculptures have been making their way around since 2006.

Big Bear Sculpture

Name of Model: Big Bear

Created by: Nathan Sawaya

Found at: http://www.brickartist.com/large-sculptures/big-bear.html

Details: This large bear sculpture might look a little silly in yellow, but I think the cartoony look suits him fine. The color decision may have been made to keep costs down - brown bricks are still much harder to find (and thus more expensive) than yellow bricks are.