Textile artist Annie Hutchinson is born in Wales and she graduated from Cheltenham Art College in 1989. She experimented in different media as a part of her study of Fine Art Sculpture, but she sticks mostly with textiles because of its ‘limitless supplyof pattern, texture and colour’. She like the possibility of creating and developing the ideas while she is working on her art pieces, and that is something that thread and textiles allow her. Annie says, “Life in the 21st century can be a bit hectic: everyone is in such a rush, wanting things done yesterday… when I’m hand stitching or needle felting it allows me to jump off the merry go round.”

Annie Hutchinson creates an unique world of animal dolls. These animals are unusual, they seems to have their own life, their own past and the future. They are cute and somehow scary in the same time, like the ghosts from the past. The humour is also involved and you cannot watch them without the smile.

Mildred

‘Time for Tea’ is a monkey doll. Quite realistic chimp face in contrast with cute clothing – lovely apron, knitted vest and folk-style embroidered skirt. ‘Bluebell and Poppy’ rabbit doll looks almost like spoiled little girl that is bored with her new toy. There are rabbits, dogs, foxes, chicken, cats & dogs, owls, squirrels and many other animals, all dressed well and stylish, some have cute little acessories (nutella jar, a pie, little bird or a rag doll).

Bluebell and Poppy

“I’ve used my cats and rabbits as models but images of more exotic creatures I get from books and photographs.Google imageshas become a great tool for the job”.

Bottom

Annie uses many traditional skills in the making of her dolls – needle felting, hand and machine stitching, incorporating appliqué and embroidery, simple lino-cut printing techniques and painting.

Penelope Making A Pig of Herself

Her dolls are magical, like they are coming from the pages of “Alice in Wonderland” or “The Wind in the Willows”. She was inspired with those books, but also with the folk art of George Smart’s collaged figures of villagers, the old taxidermy of Walter Potter’s menagerie and the drawings of Arthur Rackham.

Mother Goose

Annie Hutchinson is taking a part in the Stroud International textile Festival Select Trail on 9 – 10 & 17 – 18 May 2015.