Ogopogo carries Olympic torch over the lake for the Schmancy plush contest!

More pix here on amybeanjenkins flickr page

Cesar looking surprised (and rather comfy)

Cesar is a double winged tape snake and a good friend. Came to visit today. See more shots at
amybeanjenkins flickr page

Edge Stitch and Pre-Wash

Don't you just love it when you do that thing that your future self will mightily thank you for?

Cozy Robots on sale at the Homestead in SF on Dec 15

Cozy Robot dolls and ornaments also attending COMBOTS
on Dec 19 & 20!

Bar Tiki Bar Ranch at Rhythmix Cultural Works- Dec 11

"The Bar Tiki Bar Ranch is a remote and mysterious Fantasy Land where Gods, Goddesses, Aliens, Pirates, Cannibals and Cowboys meet, mingle and melt down over tall fruity drinks and exotic snacks.


If you listen very carefully, you may be able to hear some lonesome waves crashing on distant shores and the eerie sounds of space savages drumming..."


COME ON DOWN TO THE ART SALE OF THE SEASON!
Friday Dec 11- 6-9pm.

Wonderful group show at Rhythmix Cultural Works "K" Gallery
in Alameda, CA.

Here are some much better shots of the show. I sold 2 pcs already!

Tiki Show

Cardboard Art installed today at
Rhythmix

Tiki 4 Street Gang

New show opening on Dec 11 at Rhythmix in Alameda. Be there for the whole Estuary Art Attack!!

Short List

People ALWAYS ask what inspires me.

Aliens * Pirates * Cannibals * Cowboys * Robots * Luchas
* Patchwork * Shoes * Machines * Mummies * Holidays * Op Art *
Myths * Folktales * Fetish * Pin-ups * Rustic * Monsters * Oceans
* Circus * Dismal * Birds * Bugs * Butter * Computers * Plants *
Eyeballs * Food * Architecture * Crafty * Couture * Camping * Punk
* Sci-Fi * Gypsies * Psychedelia * Cartoons * Cooking * Make up *

HAIR! horology

fact vs fiction

Tiki God of Cardboard Fun

Some new cardboard art coming at ya! This time, with Arduinos. Posted on Twitpic.

Almost Finished!

Custom leather seat cover for the Electrobite:

and an action video!

New Cozy Studio

Almost done moving and unpacking. Finding my ass with both hands.

New Website Soon

Busy moving and learning XHTML and CSS. New website soon...uh, sorta soon. Check back in a few whiles!

RoboGames!

I had a great time this past weekend at RoboGames! I met a lot of cool people, sold some dolls, got lots of props, and saw the future of competitive robotics!! Thanks, everyone! I'll have a new and improved website, and more stuff in my etsy store soon. Check back for specials and even more stuff from the vaults. xox

Skunk Apes: Triad of Hiding Techniques

Skunk Apes spotted in toycyte store!!

Expertly balancing the hiding with availability....go now before they get away!!

toycyte store

custoMONDAY at toycyte.com !!

You have until May 24th to enter!

custom Skunk Ape

Here's a helpful link, if you are new to cryptids

amybean sighting!!

I had a blast hanging out with Jeremy and Jason at toycyte.com !!

Valentine

A cozy valentine for my Sweetie.

custoMONDAYS at toycyte.com

YAY! I've been booked to do a custoMONDAYS giveaway on May 11 here at toycyte. TOO exciting yeah

Cozy Robots Advertised in Make Magazine Classifieds!

As advertised in Make Magazine!! (See Classifieds/Goods in the most recent Lost Knowledge issue)

I'll be making somewhere around 100 Cozy Robots and/or Lucha Robots in their latest, cutest, coziest format. Don't be shy- tell me how many you would like for yourself, or for gifts. The government thinks children under 12 will have a problem, so these are, sadly, not for them.

But you- You deserve a trendy, cushy plush toy! So, let me know!

$30 per doll retail, $20 wholesale for orders of 10 or more.
I get to choose all the colors and styles this time, and I will be posting pictures as they roll, hot off the cozy making machines...

National Bankruptcy Day

Yep, it's gonna be a problem. Help out by writing and calling. Lots of people like me will probably lose the ability to sell their work.

Torch Cutting

When I lived at Ford St. Studios art ghetto in Oakland in the mid to late '90's, there was an endless parade of Obtainium to process.

This is me getting ready to cut up an abandoned trailer frame that we had found in the hood and dragged home. You can see some shattered magnet pieces spelling out Big Fun on the wall behind me.

You do know that if you click on any of the pictures, it will show in larger size, don't you? Cool.

Robot Lung

This is a photo of a Robot Lung that I built from scratch for a scene in the movie Bicentennial Man, which I worked on in the spring of 1999. It was to be hung on the wall in the office of some CEO and be a part of a collection of prior art robotics organs. It's made of cardboard tube, model kit parts, various bent glass and polyethylene tubes, and the ubiquitous chroming we used on just about everything. It took about 3 weeks to build, and I'm not sure if it was actually used in the shoot. It's about 12" tall. Bending those glass tubes was a royal bitch, and the movie script was awful.

4 Foot Lucha Robot

Custom Hunterdon Huskies colors, made for Joe Mod.

New Cozy Robots

All new Cozy Robots have their own blogspot!

And a new post on sewartsyblog and Amys in the Arts blog, too!

All in all, a great week for blog love: a shout out from Jeremy Brautman at toycyte.com

Thanks, everyone!!

My stuff at Well Dec. 5- Jan 10

Mardi Gras Yeti, Performance Artist Yeti, Space Ape, Skunk Ape in Smoking Jacket, 3 Lucha Robots and a myriad of Lucha Robot portraits.

Performance Artist Yeti

With the wilderness as a performance space, this Yeti has been very busy staying hidden from inquiring eyes and media.

12" plush doll with hand knit sweater and beret.

Crowbot

For whatever it's worth: I've gotten off the fence about production work. I don't wanna! Prototypes and one of a kinds only, please, thank you! Now back to our regular program:

On a distant Ag planet, there are robotic scarecrows to mind the vast farming fields. Robot scarecrow created for Traveler RPG. 12" burlap and fiberfill plush action figure with leather features.

The Needle dot Org

The Needle is a collaborative blog showcasing the best original plush art from all over the world. Members are busily submitting daily, so check it out. Yes, I am a member, and the linked list of artists will bring you hours of plush art rabbit hole fun. The links take you to blogs, websites and online stores.

New Posts!

Today's word for the Space Apes is Hooray! My favorite toy blog has posted about the Apes. I definitely need some help with my photos- haven't had time to do much better... shooting at the moment with a Lumix TZ1. Can't seem to ever get the lighting right. I bought a tiny set up with tent and two lamps, but still not bright enough.

Anyhow, thanks Plastic and Plush!

And thanks to the lovely Dyn at head-lint!!
PS- You're welcome, and thank YOU!

Space Apes!!!!! 12" Plush

The Space Apes are a motley bunch of Art Ambassadors.
They carry fresh art in their backpacks, and spread the word throughout the galaxy.
Today's word is: Banana.

Crammed Organisms

the book is out! You should get a copy and/or a limited edition print :) I got 3 pages of page love.

And a New Post on bOINGbOING

Attention ! Attention ! Getting lots of Attention !

Interview on Bazaar Bizarre

"In and out of industrial grade design and fabrication for over 25 years..."







for the upcoming You Bazaar Craft Show on Nov 2. Details on the blog!

los Warhols FAN ART

Los Warhols are a fierce team to be confronted with. They began as rock stars, and then they went to the moon, but soon they wished for something new for the stage. The world of Lucha was a natual choice for this bunch of art-loving, music-making Bohemian troubadours. Very original and rather psychedelic, they bring happiness to fans all over the world.
check it out!

Team sTINKeYE

Team sKULLfACE

New Lucha Robot designs

Coming soon !

You Bazaar

Coming up Nov.2 in San Francisco- hope to have a picture or something soon. Yes, I'll have a booth there!

Custom Toy Lab

We're in the database now.

Blue Demon and el Santo Plush Dolls

Images made from some famous photos of these two famous Luchadors- Resized, posterized and cannibalized, printed on treated fabric, backed with black flannel, and stuffed with enough fun that they will be fist bumping til the cows come home. They were made by special request, and we did the deal thru etsy. They are approx 8" tall.

Todd Wall Gear

Our gear celebrates the most important meal of the day: Breakfast!

We've wined and dined many fine times with our pals Todd and Alex. Looking forward to many more hours in the kitchen together, and out in the world finding the best things to eat and drink.

Alien Barbie

Carefully modded Testors Grey Alien vinyl kit using Bondo and ninja filing and sanding skills. Long lost, and suffers a broken finger. Sadly, this kit is out of production. I bought a bunch at the time cuz they were cheap and easy to assemble. I used them to teach figure model kit building and modding to some kids at Camp Big Fun! in 1998. We were reading the book Forever Barbie at the time, and the plan hatched in my summer camp brain...

Groomin Ghoulies(tm) Tiki Goth package -front

c. 1999 from the defunkt yet funky Big Fun! Amusement Devices shop that existed in East Oakland for so many years. In between paid gigs for movie and/or toy companies and a weird array of word of mouth clients, I worked on "my own ideas".

One toy idea, which I found recently wrapped in a life sized shrunken head, hence somewhat mangled and parts broken, still bears the meaning and message: Hair Groomin' toys are fun!

Below is the first set of samples that I made from small vinyl doll heads which I modified with Bondo and paint and scraps around the studio. The idea is that messing up your doll's hair is just as valid as groomin' nicely, and maybe more so, if you are trying to stick it to the Man.

This figure was made from oil clay sculpt, plaster mold, a casting of soft foam, then painted with acrylics, and some fake hair set in, with a flat styrene bone in it. The box is foam core and hot glue with bondo and paint texture, and the windows are just clear acrylic sheets with acrylic paint.

PS- the heads are all approx 2" tall, and missing/broken parts may have been photo-fixed for presentation purposes.

Tiki Goth- back

This is the only package that was made, and features a bamboo textured surface, and on the bottom is an access point to make the head inside move around. Below are some close ups of the other characters. I don't actually sketch that much- usually the first draft of an idea or thought or whim is a sculpt.

Pug Nosed Pirate

Missing the rest of the sword in the teeth, this character was based on my friend/yardmate Steve Heck, who was busy making strap-on peg legs out of old piano legs, and bleaching his clothing in the sun.

This was before digital cameras, and I am sad that there are not more photos from this era. I do have some copies of the Melrose Gazette, though, of which exactly one issue was produced. I can send you one if you want the inside scoop of the day.

Scary Teacher

Princess Rebecca opened her own school and always wore fabulous glasses. She was the inspiration for the Scary Teacher, though in reality, she was never mean to her students.

(The eyeglasses were broken and mostly missing, so I drew some parts on with the Gimp.)

Class Bully

The Class Bully is a scary classic. I love the descriptions of Social Elements in Flatland.

Shrunken Head, Scarecrow, Mummy

Portrait of 3 Sisters. That'd be me in the middle.

Skull

What's a collection with out a Skull?

Cyborg

Probably the most prophetic of them all- I can see this one as a Lucha Robot.

Angels/Devils prop for People Hater show

A long wided tale approaches,so grab a fresh bevvie and set your spine to comfort.

Around 1996, I was getting busy with going to Galoob Toys and learning to paint their doll prototypes for TV commercials and magazine shoots. My time for SRL, People Hater and Seemen shows was suddenly curtailed and in place of attending, sometimes I would make something in my studio and send it along. This photo shows a collage of the two sided panels I painted and sent to the SRL/People Hater show in Phoenix, in Jan of 96. I was painting leetle dolls all day, and would come home and rock out in life size.

The four original panels were 2' wide x 8' tall scrap plywood: 2 angels and 2 devils. The wings were painted front/back on a separate panel, cut out and sandwiched in between.

The constructions were mounted on a little roller coaster that was on the show site, and as the cars rolled around the track, sometimes you'd see the angels, and sometimes the devils,and of course the wings would be kinda flapping. I have one blurry photo somewhere.

This photo is actually a picture of the original panels, cut and constructed in scale with working wings, and the photo of the other side (the devil) photoshopped on to it (instead of posting two pix to show the other side).

This is what I love about the world of prototypes: In exchange for being a finished product subject to all kinds of Done-ness issues, I feel free to keep working on the objects at my leisure if and when time permits, and the story develops. The layering of stories, materials and construction techniques keeps me in a constant tizz of trying to remember the correct spelling of people's names.

Gym Buddies- samples

I admit- I caught the Jazzercize bug from my neighbor, Virginia Shepley, and we were great gym buddies for a few years. We made a ton of fun of the whole scene because we were arty hipsters and the others were Alameda housewives, and we did not fit in at all, but that is actually another story. In the meantime, I couldn't help but notice that the standard workout attire was very similar to the color schemes found in super hero action figures that I was working with at the time.

I had purchased a 6" Rogue, made a mold off it and modified that casting, and recast it to include a bunch of gym gear and gym appropriate super hero costumes. I was motivated, in a business sense, to fantasize that I would sell this idea to Jazzercise and they would carry a line of Gym Buddy Dashboard Action Figures in addition to their branded clothing and water bottles.

These are resin casts from a silicone mold, and painted with Cel Vinyl paints.

Packaging Prototype -front

In my "spare time", I decided to make a promotional set of blister packs with a toy inside to show off my soup to nuts shop capabilites. Here's the lowdown:

Brian Normanly, Terry McGovern and I built a thermoformer with a 2' x 2' vacuum table, as described in the Moldmakers Handbook. Oil clay sculpt on wood plank of front half of ice cream cone- pulled a one shot thermoform off it and then made a plaster cast from the mold. This became the thermoform mold that I could then make 4 more of. I cast those little clowns in resin from some plastic figures that I bought and modified into Big Fun! pencil topper toys. I had some help with the graphics from Evelyn Whitburn, who also showed me how to tape things shut nicely.

The packaging was meant to show that I could make one, or a few, or many of anything pertinent to the toy design industry. I may or may not have been exaggerating. There is a way larger story here, but you'll have to ask specific questions to get it going.

Packaging Prototype -back

The back side where I blab about what I can do, plus you can admire the little embedded figures from both sides.

Packaging Detail

I made molds off a bunch of circus figures that I bought, modified the castings and made a second round of molds. Then painted the final details. x 4. (The figures of the ballerina came out with no arms or legs because I didn't fully grasp the venting concept yet, but I made them into pencil toppers too.)

Post on BoingBoing today

Go Robots!

24" Lucha Robot for Mark P

more pix on flickr

first plush commission- a Lucha Robot for Father's Day for the Godfather of Machine Performance Art.

RoboGames Contenders

metallic finish on grayscale Qoob and Flashtor925LG, Flashtor SketchMode, Qoob Scratchboard.

Moving Around and Cleaning Up Day

Like a life sized skootch puzzle, moving everything around the
5' x 12' space while trying to stay in front of the fan cuz it's about 99 degrees in there.