Jess Hutch.

villagers

2008-05-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

Hi there!

Those of you in Seattle or its environs, please join me this Friday evening (May 9) from 6-9pm for the opening of my show at Schmancy!

My show is called "villagers", and features 21 new characters that represent the inhabitants of a fictional premodern village. I love these guys, come out to see them and I'll introduce you.

The kind folks at Schmancy are going to offer the pieces from this show for pre-sale, starting today. When I get a link I'll post it here. Also, I plan to upload images of the dudes to flickr at some point today - keep an eye out!

So, how have you all been?

thank you

2008-01-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

After some deliberation during the holidays, I've decided to stop blogging, at least in the usual sense. I'll still be using this url as a kind of "update" about stuff I'm involved with (shows, shops, whatnot), but I probably won't be posting more than every few months or so.

It's been a really interesting three years. When I started this blog in February of 2005 I had no idea what to expect... I wanted to participate in Loobylu's Month of Softies (ah... memories), and wanted to have some outlet for my seemingly obscure toy-making obsession... and things just rolled from there. I eventually got some outside interest in my knitted toys; created a pattern booklet due to popular demand; then realized that offering patterns wasn't what I wanted or needed creatively or personally; got involved with several really great art shows at fantastic galleries that support toy art and the art/craft overlap; and most importantly, got in contact with so many wonderful, amazing, absolutely spectacular fellow artists from all over the world. It's been marvelous. It has helped me grow as a craftsperson and artist and has helped me develop more confidence in my abilities. Before this blog, I never showed any of my creative work to anyone.

Lately I've found myself wanting to make stuff just to make it, not necessarily to show to anyone, and not to seek response. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting feedback - I just feel the need to be a bit more private when it comes to my creative work, at least while I work out what it is I'm trying to accomplish with all of this. At the risk of sounding pretentious, I think I'm going through a creative transition of some kind and want to figure out what it's all about. I'm really enjoying myself and I'm enjoying keeping a lot of it in my head for the time being. Then at some point it'll burst out of me and I'm sure I'll want to show it to the world... after I clean up the mess, of course. Heh.

That said... over the next few months I'll be gearing up for my very first solo show, at Schmancy in Seattle. Kristen Rask, who owns the store and curates its shows, is the gal behind Plush You!. The opening will be on May 9, 2008, and if you live in the area, please stop by to say hi. I'll be showing some toys, I'm sure, and what else... we'll have to see! I'm so excited to explore new options.

I will still be posting images to flickr from time to time, whenever I feel like I want to share stuff, and again, I'll do an "update" post here now and again to tell you about anything I might be involved with of a public nature. And I'll also have my etsy shop going. Thank you so much for your continued interest in my work. It has meant the WORLD to me.

Love,
Jess

happy holidaze

2007-12-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hi there. Sorry for the break, I just got really busy there for a bit. And the busy-ness continues, so I'm going to extend my bloggy break until after Christmas. Then perhaps I'll finally post the photos I took of the shrinky-dink ornaments we made this year...

Hope you're enjoying the winter holidays!

robots for sale

2007-12-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right, I'm putting some robots up for sale on etsy tomorrow. In fact, they're famous robots - they were on the cover of the first issue of Craft magazine. I've held onto them for a while (in dust-free storage, of course), but I figured I needed to share the joy.

Please swing by my etsy store around noon tomorrow (California time) to snag one. They may actually go up a little later, just refresh until you see them.

I will also have a couple other knitted toys, these ones are brand new. Although, if you don't see them, it means that I'm running behind in getting them posted, so check back a bit later in the day. I've got a sloooow connection so sometimes things take a while.

So, um... how are you guys? Having a good holiday season so far?

open

2007-11-27T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hey all. The shop's open now, there are still some toys left, and lovely prints!

I have prints of Nan and Gom, Big!Toy!, and the sisters. $16/each. Absolutely fantastic quality. The shop can be found here (jesshutch.etsy.com).

Next Sunday, forget not, I'll have some knitted toys and an additional screen printed toy.

I wish I had something else to talk about but I've literally only been thinking about the shop for the past few weeks. I'm having a lot of fun getting it all together.

OH! I went to the tinyshop show opening at double punch in SF last Saturday night, met Antoi for the first time, and snagged some fab items. Including, my friends, my very first Blythe-related toy. It's a kubrick of Blythe in her Medieval Mood outfit and oh, it's so great. I have her on my desk at work next to a squishy robot stress toy. She's like the ultimate Celtic tribal princess. So RAD.

Here's a photo (she's on the far left).

That's all. More soon.

shoppe news

2007-11-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the dudes I'll be selling beginning tomorrow at noon PST. There will be seven painted toys, each of them a doozy.

In addition, I will have some number of screen printed toys.

I promised knitted toys, and I will deliver, but due to a severe cold I wasn't able to finish them up for tomorrow's shop opening. They will go on sale NEXT Sunday, December 2, at noon PST. They will be worth the wait.

I also have some lovely, lovely prints of some of my favorite toy photos. Please click on the photo above to go to my flickr set, which features some photos of the prints. I tried to capture how thick and soft the paper is - they were printed by iolabs, and they did a great job. I had the photos printed on etching paper, which has a lovely soft feel and a gorgeous texture. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

So, tomorrow at noon, please go to http://jesshutch.etsy.com and check out my wares. I'm excited to finally have items available for folks who like my stuff.

shoppe

2007-11-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

So I decided to do something new this year. For kicks. Starting Sundae, November 25, 2007, at 12pm PST, I'm going to be selling actual items. There will be high-quality prints of some of my photos, some painted toys, some knitted toys, and some screen printed toys.

Think of it as the Jess Hutchison Holiday Retail Experience. Toy art gifts for all your favorite people, in celebration of your favorite winter holidays.

More information (along with photos of the offered items) as the day gets closer.

The photo above is of some of the toys I'll be selling, still in their newborn gesso phase.

tinyshop

2007-10-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

{click for a larger image}

Oh, I am sick. I have a cold that is driving me crazy... I get up to do something and get all confused and weak and have to lie back down.

Anyway, through the illness I managed to finish these guys for the tinyshop show at double punch gallery in SF. Antoinette Celes, the show's curator, asked artists to create small pieces for the show - she says that "as the world moves bigger, faster and stronger, we occasionally seek comfort in little things. tinyshop celebrates the preciousness of 'mini' --- the shortest distance between 2 points, the space of minutiae, and creative endeavors on a small scale."

These guys are about 6 inches tall. The one in the front is supporting or tending a small spirit, which is acting as their guide.

The show opens on November 21st, but I believe there will be an opening party the weekend after that. More info later. I'll be there!

Oh, and happy Halloween everyone! May this blessed holiday bring you more treats than tricks, unless of course tricks are more your thing.

3 sisters

2007-10-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Lately I find myself thinking about incorporating a story or narrative into my toy-thing arrangements. I'm not a writer, especially not of fiction, so I can't see myself doing a whole story with toy characters*... but I like creating little images like this one that appear to be just one part of a longer fairytale. These three figures just seem like they're doing something slightly strange in order to fulfill some task or another, don't you think?

*Although that might be fun.

new york

2007-10-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I got back from New York City a few days ago. I spent a summer there about ten years ago as an intern at the Cloisters museum, but I hadn't been back since. It was more fantastic than I had remembered - the city feels alive, somehow. In fact, when I left, it felt like leaving a person rather than a city. How's that for anthropomorphizing?

I saw and did so many things - it was one of those weeks that felt like a decade and a minute at the same time - so I'll just share little observations:

* My favorite places in NY for a moment of calm: Trinity Church cemetery; Fort Tryon Park near the Cloisters; an air-conditioned subway car. Bliss.

* The subway in NY is one of the best things ever. They took me where I wanted to go when my feet weren't up to the task. Which was surprisingly infrequent, Jeff and I walked for miles and miles and miles. That's mostly what we did.

* Humidity makes hot weather less bearable. There, I said it.

* A frosty beer makes hot weather more bearable.

* I saw Amy Sedaris on the street one day, after thinking before I left that she would be the one celebrity I would want to see in NY. I saw a small, cute woman walking toward me wearing really cool black-framed glasses. I thought "ooh, that's a good look." As she got closer I recognized her - I must have had the weirdest look on my face - she looked at me with this sort of amused expression. She is a total STAR, and I'm so glad I got to see her.

* Coney Island is sort of sad and lovely... a mere shadow of its former glory. It is apparently under threat of massive redevelopment. Please, rich real estate people, keep some of the weirdness.

* Shared bathrooms are fine, as long as the other people on your floor have their stuff together. It's a social contract, folks, we're all in it together.

* Looking at art inspires me to make art.

* I like tall buildings.

* Jeff and I love discovering the history of cities - while we were there he bought a paperback copy of Low Life by Luc Sante and we spent the rest of the trip pointing out various sites of long-gone buildings and neighborhoods. This is one of the best parts of traveling... visiting these odd little corners that generally aren't marked by a sign... you just have to know that 50, 100, 200+ years ago some very interesting people did something interesting there. Or just lived there and did their quotidian thing. Pointing this stuff out makes me feel very grounded and connected to the place I'm visiting. You just sense the layers of history and memory.

* Or maybe that's just me.

* I had a delicious knish at Yonah Schimmel's on Houston, along with a delicious pickle and a delicious egg cream. Oh, so delicious.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Thanks New York, for showing us a good time.

nan and gom

2007-09-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some fellows for Plush You 3 at Schmancy in Seattle. The show opens October 12 and will be held at three stores this year (Schmancy, Fancy + Pants and Nancy). Three whole stores featuring toy art goodness.

These guys are made from painted & stuffed muslin. I named them Nan and Gom, short for Nanthild and Gomatrud, two of the wives of Dagobert I, a 6th century king of the Franks. Obviously.

faces

2007-09-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

I'm in the midst of guest-having, as well as gift-making and Halloween-costume-getting and -making (I decided to start early this year), neither of which I want to show at the mo'. So here are some faces... and hands... my new favorite thing to do while watching the teevee is to pause the program on a really great face or expression (using tivo) and sketch the face. The face on the bottom is one of these - try it, it's a good time.

Sorry they're so small - click to see larger versions.

house

2007-08-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a little set-up I created over the last few weeks, kind of an extension of the dioramas I've been doing.

I purchased a quarter scale dollhouse kit on eBay - "quarter scale" means a foot in real life is represented as a quarter inch in the dollhouse world (the house is about 6 or 7 inches tall). I modified it to my specs, bought some cheap plastic furniture in the same scale, then created little residents.

After making the Big! Toy! I wanted to make some very small figures, so I could easily arrange them in domestic situations and photograph them. Of course, photographing a very tiny figure in a very tiny room is nearly as difficult in its own way as photographing a 4.5-foot-tall floppy figure. I'm looking forward to making new figures (and houses?) for this project.

I've also been knitting sweaters. I kind of can't stop.

comic con

2007-08-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

No, that's not me dressed as a hobbit. Don't I WISH.

Went to the 2007 San Diego Comic Con last weekend with Jeff and my pals Rain & Chuck. It was big. BIG. I don't really know what else to say about it. So how about some lists?

Highlights: seeing the Hernandez Bros speak about Love & Rockets. Hanging out at the Red Fox Room with my pals and my sister Kate. Meeting internet friends for the first time (Kelly Vivanco, aka verpabunny; Dan Goodsell of Mr. Toast fame; and the poketo folks). Seeing internet friends again (Michael Fleming, aka tweedlebop, and his pal Francis). Finding someone dressed as a hobbit (see above). Big highlight: the inspiration. Seeing so many folks involved in art in different forms (corporate comics, indie toy makers, etc) was hugely inspiring for me. There's room for all of us, I think.

Lowlight: the crowds. It was kind of insane.

But all in all, a fantastic weekend, full of fried foods, friends, and fun. More photos in my flickr set.

zoo

2007-07-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

I went to the zoo a couple weekends ago with Lisa C. and our friend Maris. Click on the photo above to get to my flickr page and more animally goodness.

I anthropomorphize animals in the worst way - I do it all the time. Jeff and I were discussing this the other day, specifically how I'm always putting words in Chuy's mouth, and I said, "yeah, maybe I should stop doing that... it's probably not right or fair to assign human emotions and values to animals." Then I paused and said, as if I were Chuy, "yeah, don't anthopomorphize me!" HA. It was only after the words came out of my mouth that I realized what I'd actually said.

Another project is in the works... I'm really excited about this one. Back after a while to show you the results, I hope!

hallway

2007-07-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Another diorama. This time, I tried to evoke the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night, and then realizing a light is on somewhere in the rest of the house. Depending on the circumstances, it can either be disorienting or comforting.

Thank you so much for all the kind Big Toy comments - more Big Toy photos coming soon - I want to take him out on the town. If I thought taking photos of 12-inch-high toys in public spaces was awkward or embarrassing... hoo boy. I have a feeling Mr. Big will attract some attention.

big! toy!

2007-06-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here he is!

diorama

2007-06-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just a little experimentation... construction paper + scissors + a shoebox + a camera = good times. {Click on the photo to see a larger version.} I'm such a control freak, I love being able to create environments, light them, choose their colors, the expression on the face of the character, etc. I think I'll be doing more of this in the future.

In some ways, I suppose, it seems like I'm jumping around, doing various little projects, but when I think about it - they're all part of the same thing. Toys, 2D vs. 3D, constructed environments, miniature worlds, etc. Please tell me I'm not just justifying these odd little distractions!

Back after a while with a completed Big Toy, I hope... although I keep saying that, don't I?

breakin 2

2007-06-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent drawing. I'm attempting to do more humanoid figures. Still somewhat animal-y, but more human. We'll see.

I have completed all knitting on the Big! Toy! I can't even believe it. Just have to sew those limbs on and we've got ourselves a ridiculously proportioned hand-knitted toy. I can't wait to use it to freak out the squares.

It's been a very busy month - I got a new job, bought a new car, went to a few weddings... and the craziness isn't quite over folks, so I'm going to take another week to get everything in order. I hope I'll have a certain Large! Plaything! to show you shortly thereafter.

madonna inn

2007-05-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I spent Saturday night in the Madonna Suite at the Madonna Inn. Since my ideal hotel room involves hot pink carpet, rocks, crystal chandeliers, and waterfalls in the bathroom, I was most pleased.

It was our second wedding anniversary. Long-time readers may remember that we stayed in the Caveman Room on our honeymoon. I definitely think the Madonna Suite was the right choice for this trip; it's sort of the Caveman Room, grown up a bit.

Creatively speaking, I'm in a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of mood. I'm trying to finish up the Big Toy (did I mention he was big?) and get started on some new, exciting stuff, too. I think I'm going to take an official break for a few weeks (as opposed to the unofficial break I took for the last two weeks, heh) and get stuff done. I may post on flickr in the meantime. See you in a bit!

true story

2007-05-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

{Click on the comic to go its flickr page, where you can view it larger.}

jewelry

2007-05-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce a collaboration with Danielle Maveal, who creates amazing etched silver jewelry. I bought one of her Dolly Parton necklaces a while back, and she recognized my name and suggested that I create some designs for a special Artist Series. And here are the first two - they're called "Pup in Womb" and "King of Worms". Aren't they lovely?

You can buy them here. Thrilling!

thrifty

2007-05-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, the joy of thrifting. Jeff and I took a trip to the Central Valley this weekend, took in the sights, and spent some time at the local thrift stores. They did not disappoint. Here are some of my purchases.

Jeff and I already have a huge collection of vintage glassware, but I couldn't leave these behind (I got three of 'em).

I picked up some 70s craft books, too. All published by Meredith, of course. This one makes me very happy. Crafts from trash! A splendid notion.

Also in the photo: Chuy, and our new avocado & white chenille bedspread. Both bring me much joy.

Oh, and this sweet German doll. What can I say, I like my dolls on the creepy side.

Sorry about the lag time between posts of late; I've been pretty busy, going here and there and doing this and that. I hope that I'll have some fun stuff to show you next week. Jeff and I went to the Alternative Press Expo the weekend before last, which inspired me to do some comics, perhaps I'll present some of those too. My current creative to-do list is pretty long, I'm attempting to accomplish it all in the next few months. Let's see if I can pull it off!

idle doodle

2007-04-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today while I was deep in thought I doodled a little Jess Hutch-y undersea scene.

Turns out, knitting four 20-inch-long arms and legs for a Big Toy doesn't exactly make for gripping blog writing. I hope I have something fun and/or interesting to show later this week! In the meantime, idle doodles will have to do.

"Idle doodles will have to do" - someone needs to write a Gilbert & Sullivan-style tune with that lyric. Please.

unpainted (arizona)*

2007-04-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Got some stuff on my mind, so I'm not posting much, but I am working on various projects. Including these here skinny legs, attached to another painted sewn toy (like the ghost I did a few weeks ago). I love how it looks, all gessoed up and ready for painting. It's quite stiff at this point, it almost feels like clay or some other hard sculpted medium.

These legs are quite skinny. Like pencil skinny. It took me quite a long time to turn them inside out - and I had to use tweezers, working them out bit by bit. But it's worth it really, I love how they look.

*"Raising Arizona" reference. I can't think of the word "unpainted" without putting "Arizona" after it. I am so damaged by popular culture.