We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jacoby Hinton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jacoby, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
I never quite sleep right not in my own bed. But, living in Seattle and having in-laws that live in the Midwest means you can’t avoid it at times. I was up late with nothing but to do but doom scroll on my phone when I went down a rabbit hole for Epoxy river tables. I was briefly introduced to epoxy resin in college during one of my sculpture classes, so I had some base knowledge of how it worked. I was fascinated by the way it interacted with wood. An idea started to form, one where I could control the flow of the resin and manipulate it into a cohesive figure. I started researching if other people were doing it, and at the time (circa start of 2019); nothing came up. I grabbed my sketchbook and started plotting. Back then I was only a painter, so I had no knowledge of any of the techniques I was thinking about using. I knew I wanted to incorporate wood burning into my work to draw the figures, so I grabbed the cheapest soldering iron I could find and some scrap plywood and began testing it out. It actually came fairly naturally once I figured out the right tips and temperature to work with. I knew nothing about woodworking, so my first few pieces I hand carved my reliefs with a chisel and hammer, I still have a scar on my left thumb to remind me of my first piece. I knew enough about epoxy from the internet to know the basics. My first ballerina piece, “My Girl,” was incredibly successful and turned out exactly how I dreamt it up. I remember showing the final piece to my wife and her reaction was “wow, that’s not at all what I thought when you described it to me.” I couldn’t put the idea fully into words or show enough context to get my idea through. I simply had to make it. That drive to create is something that reminds me everyday that I couldn’t stop this even if I wanted to. Since that first piece I have learned so much about woodworking, wood burning, epoxy resin, and am lucky enough to be apprenticing at Ballard Millworks here in Seattle to bring my artistic vision to another level with functional furniture art.
Jacoby, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I would describe myself as a creative or creator. I’ve been a published illustrator, award winning painter, an epoxy innovator, and most recently a high end furniture maker. Early on in my artistic career I tried to box myself into one style, one subject, or even one medium; all unknowingly limiting myself. I believe every creative idea has merit and deserves to be attempted. Some work out, and some don’t. That’s life, and that’s art. My secret is that I am always learning either way.
Right now, I am really excited to be on the ground level of Base Camp 2 Studios, which is set to be the largest Seattle artist collective. So many talented artists have space in this glorious historic building in the heart of downtown Seattle. I’m honored to be amongst them. We officially open up to the public December 13th, so my time as of late has been spent building the space to be a perfect artistic haven for myself.
When I am not in my studio, I am working out of Ballard Millworks, where I make tables. Generally, our clients are looking for live edge tables, and I am grateful to be able to apprentice under the owner to sharpen my woodworking basics. I came into the shop with a lot of artistic experience working with wood, so adding my own creative flare (such as wood burning a drawing or design, or even adding a sculptural element) to each table has been a joy.
What’s important to me is that I continue to take ideas and bring them into reality, whether that lies in a painting, a drawing, a sculpture, or a table.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, it has to be seeing a piece in its permanent home. For works that I have to ship, I make sure I get a picture of it from my client in it’s final place. I LOVE that part of the job. It’s could be a painting hung in a bathroom, an illustration printed on a trading card, or a table with all its chairs in place. I don’t care how big or how small, or even how silly; I just want to see my idea come to life find it’s place in the world.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
One lesson I wish I had learned early on was how important community is as a creative. We often can work in complete isolation and have no desire to break that studio routine. But every art show you go to, every gallery opening, and every open studio is a brick in the foundation of your career. So many opportunities only come from knowing what’s going on in your community, and knowing the people both behind the scenes and attending the events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.jacobyhintonart.com
- Instagram: @jacobyhintonart
