Scrumdiddlyumptious

Everything seems to converge at the same time... i.e. CCE's Event next weekend, LA Plush You the weekend after that... and the Scrumptious Delight Opening at Schmancy this Friday August 13th! Yep, Friday the 13th from 6-9pm-get your cool shoes on and check out the amazing Plush by artist Becky of Scrumptious Delight... Here's a little "taste" of her upcoming solo show, and some great Q&A.

Schmancy: When did you start making plush, and what inspired you?
Scrumptious: I guess the start was when I was about eight and I made miniature mice and bears from felt. I was and still am a real animal nut and always loved plush toys

Schmancy: What's your favorite "real" food?
Scrumptious: Hmmmm, favourite real food?? No big surprise, I have quite the sweet tooth and I am a big fan of marshmallows but I'm not sure if a marshmallow really counts as real food...
I eat sushi every week and really enjoy a good salad, like the green salad with pear and sheeps cheese topped with a mango lime dressing that I ate the other day...mmmmm!
I recently discovered that I am gluten intolerant and I have to admit that I really miss scones.

Schmancy: What plush food do people like the most of your scrumptious delights?
Scrumptious: I'm pretty sure that the cotton candies are the most popular item I make, followed maybe by the marshmallows.


Schmancy: Have you been anywhere recently? If so, was it fun?
Scrumptious: The last day trip that we took as a family is a must do for anyone visiting vancouver. We cycled around the sea wall at Stanley Park. We rented a trail-a-bike (like a bicycle with no front wheel that attaches to the adult bike) for my 7 year old which she loves. We stopped for icecream when we got to English Bay.
I've been working a lot recently but tomorrow I will take the day off to take the kids to Vancouver Aquarium, also a must do in Vancouver and also at Stanley Park. The marine mammals there are rescued animals who for whatever reason cannot be released back into the wild.

Schmancy: What other events do you have coming up this year that you want to share?
Scrumptious: Other events...hmmm I should really get on and organise for the holiday season...
I just finished making a life-sized plush bicycle for the Bicycle Arts Festival in Vancouver this weekend and I will be sending pieces for both Plush You LA and Plush You in Seattle. The Plushteam have a collective show at Hot Pop in Milwaukee in January...the theme is Candyland...right up my street!
As for holiday season shows, I'm not too sure yet...I would like to do some local stuff and maybe Urban Craft Uprising....

Interview with LeDoux!

With the holiday weekend it was shocking to realize that we will have Jesse LeDoux at Schmancy THIS FRIDAY!! So stop by and check out his fabulous show "Perfect Forecast," but for now here is an interview with Jesse!

Schmancy: How much do you get to travel for work?
Jesse: For a while I was traveling quite a lot. So much, in fact, that I got elite frequent flier status. However, I've stuck pretty close to home lately, which has been a nice change. Typically, the grass is always greener, though with traveling, I've found myself content with wherever I currently am. If I'm at home, I'm happy being home. And if I'm away, I'm pretty excited to be away.

Schmancy: So true! So where is your favorite place?
Jesse: As for favorite places, I really miss Japan a lot. I think about its various charms frequently. I'd really love to be someplace warm right now. Anyplace warm right now. Even the NW, if it would ever heat up. TURN IT UP, Mother Nature! I've got some swimming to do!

Schmancy: Swimming is a bit chilly in Seattle, but yes let's hope this change in weather will stay in the 70's! Hmm...so where is your secret hideout in the city?
Jesse: Oh c'mon! It wouldn't be much of a secret if I told you, would it? To be honest, I prefer exploring new places instead of frequenting favorite places. I want to know other people's secret hideouts.

Schmancy: Ah darn it I tried to trick ya! Oh well...What's your favorite kind of sweet/candy?
Jesse: I-C-E C-R-E-A-M. Fruity flavors in the summer, chocolately/carmelly ones in the winter. Unless boozy flavors are an option. Those trump all. I had a bourbon chocolate ice cream cone last year that had me wishing I had skipped dinner.

Schmancy: yum. I just had sour cream icecream, it was interesting and making me want some of your bourbon chocolate...Onto more important things like, when you were young what did you want to "do" with your life?
Jesse: I recently found a "Time Capsule" questionnaire that I did when I was 10 years old. It said I wanted to be a cartoonist. I suppose I'm not too far off.

Schmancy: WOW! that's pretty rad - I actually wanted to be a cartoonist for Disney (this was before all the CGI though...) Do you have any secret talents (the amazing artwork isn't secret!)
Jesse: More secrets, eh? I have an uncanny ability of putting my foot in my mouth. Put me in any social situation. Within a half hour, I'll have insulted someone, embarrassed myself, or inadvertently made an ill fated joke that falls flat and could be construed as dirty. And frequently, I can do it in the first 10 seconds. If social awkwardness were a career, my assistant's assistant would be doing this interview as I golf from my helicopter hovering above my penthouse.

Schmancy: I'd like to see that! What's your favorite thing to do during the Seattle summer?
Jesse: I really enjoy swimming. Not lap swimming, but SWIMMING swimming. Cannonballs, Donald Ducks, and backflopping while attempting 1-and-a-halfs. That's summer fun.

Schmancy: back to that swimming eh? Might need to take a tropical vacation! Do you have any events/exciting news to tell all the schmancy fans?
Jesse: I have this show at Schmancy that you may have heard about. In August, Patent Pending (which is my poster company I share with Jeff Kleinsmith) is having a big 11 year retrospective show at the Design Commission in Pioneer Square. I was going to have work in a show at the MADRE Contemporary Art Museum in Italy this Autumn, but due to shifting politics in Italy, their funding got cut (which is a HUGE bummer!). I'm also part of a large (and currently top secret) group show in L.A. in October that will be pretty crazy. There are some other things on the horizon, but it's too early to squeal about that. Sign up for my mailing list or follow me on Twitter and you can be the first to hear the squeals.

You can sign up on Jesse's mailing list here: Sign Up! But make sure to check out his new work at Schmancy this Friday July 9 from 6-9pm

Plush Pickles

Everyone admired and wanted the jar of pickles in last year's Plush You show. Now you can get your own pickle!

Latest Plush Exclusive

Now online and in the store!

Interview with Tim Miller

the artist for June is Tim Miller!
Check out his work this Friday June 11 from 6-9pm, and of course meet the artist!

Schmancy: Please explain a bit what your show at schmancy is focused on:
Tim Miller: The show focuses on the bright side of sorrow.

Schmancy: What would your last meal be if you were on death row?
Tim Miller: Something that comes with a steak knife.

Schmancy: What/Who inspires you?
Tim Miller: Waves, animation, race cars, office supply stores.

Schmancy: What's your typical rainy day activity?
Tim Miller: I tend to sit on the couch, draw in my sketchbook, drink tea and think too much.

Schmancy: Do you have any big news for 2010?
Tim Miller: I don't know if I have any big news, but I'm working on reconnecting with the Seattle animation community and working on working on [sic] some more animation.

April Artist -- Laura Berger Interview

For the month of April Schmancy is showing artist Laura Berger! She won’t be able to make the opening show, but we’ll still be around from 6-8pm this Friday April 9 at Schmancy! Here is a fun interview with the artist:

Schmancy (s): Your artwork is really creative and cheerful; does it reflect your personality?

Laura Berger (lb): I hope so! Well, I'm a person, so of course I'm not always cheerful. But I definitely try to maintain a high level of fun & creativity in my life, all around.

s: That’s great to hear! You live in Chicago, what is the best thing about the city?
lb: The best thing about Chicago for me is the amazing & diverse restaurant scene. I really really like going out to eat. I do it too much. I also love being 8 blocks away from lovely Lake Michigan, which is big enough for me to (sort of) pretend it's an ocean. The people here are also really down to earth & friendly for a big city. That was 3 best things, but oh well.

s: Well, we have the Puget Sound which we pretend is our ocean! Schmancy has been selling your prints for the past few months and everyone loves them! Do you plan to have new prints for this show?

lb: Thank you! Yes, I made 4 new digital prints of some new illustrations to go along with the paintings for the show...

s: Awesome! Can’t wait to see them, so, what is your favorite dessert? And why?

lb: My favorite dessert is cheese. I'm being totally serious. I usually don't crave sweets all that much, but I have met very few cheeses that I didn't like.

s: Mmmmm, cheese! Yum! Do you have any favorite spots/places to gain insight and/or inspiration for your artwork?

lb: I think my favorite spots for inspiration are my car and my bed. Did that sound weird? I get a lot of ideas when I'm driving. Driving clears my mind; I really enjoy a good road trip. Many of my ideas also come to me either right before I fall asleep or in my dreams. I also like leaving & get a lot of inspiration from traveling.

s: A bit weird, but I suppose it depends on the bed! I’ve contemplated living in the windy city, but what is the absolute best thing to do on a rainy/snowy Chicago day?

lb: This would probably involve beverages of some variety. Coffee shop sitting with a nice friend or a nice book or a nice window to stare out...or a good beer at the Hopleaf, my favorite Belgian pub...or (more than likely) sitting and painting or drawing all day with a cup of tea. I really like this crazy smoky tea called Lapsang Souchong. It tastes like campfires.

s: That sounds like a good time...and a bit like Seattle! Thanks for talking with Schmancy, and can’t wait for your solo show to open this Friday!!!

Huck Gee is coming!

Hey Joe (Vollan) whadda ya know??

Hey Schmancy Fans!! Joe Vollan will be having a solo show in the store from January 8 - February 11!! Don't forget to stop by during the month to check out his work. *There will NOT be an opening on the 8th, and the store will just be open regular hours (11-6)* But drumroll please!! Huck Gee will be honoring Schmancy with his presence on January 22, 2010 from 6-8pm for a signing session. More to follow!



On with the interview....

S: Joe, will you be making any new year's resolutions?
JV: Today one of my co-workers said that being nicer should be my resolution, so I'm going to give that a shot.

S: How did you come up with the new show, that will be at Schmancy this month?
JV: My wife bought me a bunch of really nice looking frames, so I got wood panels to fit them. so all the paintings are smaller then usual for this show.

S: What is your favorite underwater animal?
JV: I would have to say definitely a squid.

S: You live in Seattle and seem very inspired by the city. Do you have a favorite place to sketch or come up with ideas?
JV: Seattle is a very inspirational and beautiful city, I like to walk around downtown a lot, also gasworks park makes me happy.

S: Any upcoming events or updates we should know about?
JV: My website (joevollan.com) should be up and running, hopefully within a month. Im very excited about that.

S: Thanks for talking with us Joe, and we look forward to seeing your work!

APAK! Interview

I interviewed Aaron and Ayumi of
APAK!! and here's the dynamic duo's answers!! Come see them and their awesome art next Friday September 11 from 6-9 at Schmancy!!


S- The story of how you met is super sweet, (see here what made you move from Michigan to Oregon?

APAK- Actually we lived in Oakland, CA and Saitama, Japan for a few years
before we settled in Portland, Oregon. But when we were in College we went
on a little road trip to Portland so maybe it stuck in our hearts since
then. We’ve been here for almost 5 years now and really love it. Portland
has been good to us in many ways.


S- What are your favorite forest creatures?

APAK- Favorites are hard to pick because all animals are all so precious. But we like quails, rabbits, squirrels, bears, deer, sloths, warthogs, snails, and porcupines to name a few.



S- Do you have any crazy habits or superstitious acts that you do before starting a piece of art together?

APAK- We try to avoid habits and go with the flow. We like to look around, go for walks, explore new places. We get a lot of inspiration from nature. We like to experiment and try new things each time. Is looking under rocks superstitious?



S- Only if you look under rocks every few minutes or so I think you are safe! Your show at Schmancy is titled “Tiny Adventures” who is the main character(s) and what was your inspiration for this show?

APAK- Some of our characters are our guides the “Happy Hermits”, they are like little traveling gnomes that live humbly and harmoniously that like to explore fantastic places and show us wonderful things.


S-Do you have any upcoming events/projects you want to tell everyone about?

APAK- We just did a shirt, mug, and wallet with the good people at POKETO, Ayumi has a new set of “Friendship” cards out on our Etsy site, We have a solo show in Portland at GrassHut in December that we are excited about doing a special installation for... Hopefully we will be putting out a childrens book soon! And our house is a never ending project.

S- Sounds like Schmancy is luck to have you in here, can't wait to see your latest work 'Tiny Adventures' on September 11, 2009 from 6-9pm.

This month's artist is Ryan Berkley of Berkely Illustrations he will be showing off his famous animals all dressed up! You can check out his blog too! Here is our recent interview with Ryan:

S-What is your show at Schmancy focusing on?
BI-I'm doing a series of Sasquatch portraits called "Creature People".
One thing I have noticed from doing art shows in Seattle is that the people there seem fond of the Sasquatches. My series depicts a certain zany-ish tribe residing somewhere not far from Seattle.

S-That's so true, we are crazy for sasquatch here! For those of us who don’t know, what has inspired you to create animals all dressed up?
BI-I guess it dates back to 3 or 4 years ago when I was into doing old west/turn of the century portraiture. And one day I drew a Koala in a suit. And then another animal. And then tons more.
I'd say my love for all animals and awesome old timey-photos finally came to a head.

S-What is your most favorite animal ever?
BI-Tiger sharks. They're filthy, scary, unpredictable, giant tropical fish with crazy looking teeth that live life by their stomachs- eating birds, turtles, and man-made garbage from the sea floor. They're the goats of the sea. My second favorite animals are the goats of the land.

S-Any new projects or events you want to tell us about?
BI-I currently have a few portraits for sale through Urban Outfitters, I just finished doing some portraits for a RADICAL project with a great design team in Seattle, Creature design (our project: secretsherrysociety), I will be appearing at Crafty Bastards in D.C., hopefully Renegade Chicago, and I will be in Seattle doing the awesome Urban Craft Uprising shows in early August and again in December.
Also, my wife and I are also in top secret talks of a possible book project...

S-Great! we look forward to seeing you at UCU and Schmancy!!

Bwana Spoons & Abe Lincoln Jr. Interviews!!

Bwana Spoons and Abe Lincoln Jr. will be showing new work at Schmancy this Friday, July 10th. Opening Reception is from 6:00 to 9:00. Below are the interviews we did:

S-Hi Bwana! How is your WTF Book Tour going?

BS-Tour is going great. I’m meeting new peeple and seeing some old faces. It was really awesome to be back in Paris again. This froggy really needs to learn some french. Cause I want to go back again. Only a few hick-ups so far. I just got all my stevens in, so this week before I see you guys I need to back track and paint NYC big apple stevens and some euro stevens and schmancy stevens and Grass hut stevens, then paint the balls off of some more after the weekend before I take off for SF, LA, and San Diego.

S- I've heard Rosetta Stone is helpful in learning French...What has been your favorite place on your travels so far?

BS-WTF travels? Paris is the bomb, but I had lots of fun in london and New York too. Each place has its own magic. New York has hands down the most smells and best graffiti. I went to Mishka, snacky, AG Gallery and a rice pudding boutique, and met up with some huge thunder and lightning. In london concrete hermit was nice, I went to a rad fixie shoppe, Lik neon, and ate some shish.

S- Are you really excited to see any specific place?

BS-I like driving by myself. Looking forward to a little pitstop in the redwoods, as I have been reading about redwood canopies. SF is like my second home, and Tokyo isn’t too far away now. Excited about everything right now.

S-In Paris did you ride the metro or the buses?

BS-I rode the metro which was super easy and fun, London tubers was even easier and was the cleanest so far eh.

S-Have you been poked in the eye from a pencil fight yet?

BS-No, but the Parisians hadn’t done PF’in before and I thought somebody was going to get something in the eye there.
The Pencil fights have been the most fun so far. Good way to bring peeple together.


S-Glad to hear! Thanks Bwana! Now to our other artist showing this month at Schmancy, Abe Lincoln Jr.

S-What new techniques are you using to create your art?

ALJ-For Handcrafted Vectors, I've decided to show this new process I've been working on. Basically I'm trying to combine various techniques from Street Art, wheatpaste, boards, and tagging to create new collage/decoupage work. I'm really happy with how these new pieces have come out. I have to say that this is my favorite solo show yet. It's really exciting to be exploring again and trying out new things.

One of the things I really like about these works is that I've added an element of organic texture to all the pieces. This is really exciting to me after so many years of mainly working in vector or sharpie.

I have tons of paper laying around the house so I started just painting very loose and rough over what I had using primary colors in acrylic. Then I got in there with Paint Pens trying to lay down smooth character shapes that flowed & kept the details simple. I would I then cut out the character shapes and wheatpasted them to painted boards. I wanted to maintain that rough bubbly look of a hastily pasted up poster in the street in these pieces, and I thought I added more texture to the work as well.

S-It sounds really great, we can't wait to see it. What is inspiring you to change how you are working?

ALJ-Basically I've decided I wanted to experiment with merging the style I've used in my vector work with my hand drawn stuff. Simple shapes and clean design are always inspiring to me. I wanted to create a feeling with these works that evoked colorforms, kids books, and mid century illustration. It wasn't until I'd done a few of these pieces when I realized that they really evoked Eric Carle's work as well.

Also I’ve spent the last couple years really focusing on concept driven projects, be it platform toys, or my new project for design objects - Fugue State Records. Its nice to take a break from pitching ideas to companies and trying to figure out how I'm gonna finance projects and just focus on doing some hand made work that just requires me some supplies and a lot of hard work.

I'm certainly not changing up styles completely but I want to integrate more hand made art in my body of work in the future.

S-That's really cool! Tell us more about the work in your show.

ALJ-One of the things I really like about these new works is that they are often bright and inviting but then you look at them and there's a confrontational element to many of them. The inclusion of private parts on a lot these simple cute characters is really jarring to me, specifically on Remain Awesome. I mean holmes has a boner and his butt is talking... The boner was unintentional but I think its hilarious and totally adds to the work.

The theme of the show seems to have evolved into primitive tribes, old tyme religion, animism, mythology and of course a new series of Char (the bird) pieces all made by hand instead of my traditional vector work.

Doing these Char pieces in this new style has kind of revitalized him to me and I'm planning to do a a new series of Char work in this style for the future.

S-Are there upcoming shows or projects you want to mention?

ALJ-Mainly right now I'm trying to secure backing for a new project I'm working on called Fugue State Records. Its basically a fictional Extreme Music label and I will be laser etching various materials to look like stylized 7" records. I've got a roster of fictional Hardcore and Metal bands that I will be doing releases for in the same way a real record label would. The first release is by the Icelandic Black Metal band Asspanther. There is no music associated with any of the releases as I'm currently using Kickstarter.com to raise the fundage so you can go check out the site and if youre down you can contribute to help bootstrap an awesome new Art Project: fugue state records

I also have another solo show at the Last Exit bar on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn in October.

S- Do you like cats or dogs?

ALJ-This is the second interview in a row where I got this question. Lol. I am a cat person.

S-Thanks Abe! See everyone at Schmancy on Friday July 10!!