Grinnell artist on the verge of great things

GRINNELL — Jacob Chandler-Hutt has always had an interest in art and painting, but it never became a reality until he suffered an injury in 2018.

“I had a foot injury, and I had to have surgery,” said Chandler-Hutt, who displayed his artwork at the Brooklyn Holiday Traditions Craft Show Dec. 7.

“I couldn’t walk so I started doing landscape artwork with pastel chalks and charcoal.”

One thing led to another, and Chandler-Hutt ventured in acrylic paints.

In the early going, painting was more of a hobby. He gave his paintings away to friends and family.

“I’m not professionally trained,” said Chandler-Hutt. “It’s an amateur undertaking.”

Chandler-Hutt said his family encouraged him to start offering his paintings for sale to the public.

That led him to have his first-ever booth at the Brooklyn Holiday Traditions Craft Show alongside his mother, Robin Carmichael. And his artwork was quite a draw.

Chandler-Hutt gets his inspiration from photos he takes on vacation while traveling or when camping.

Many of his paintings are of cityscapes and outdoor scenes. One of his paintings features a lighted camping tent with a campfire and the aurora borealis overhead. Another one features a city scene with a lighted bridge and cars on the road.

Other paintings show streams lined with colorful trees. Most are done on 11-by-16 canvases, but Chandler-Hutt does offer larger sizes. He sells his prints for $40 to $80.

Down the road, Chandler-Hutt plans to take some art classes to broaden his skills.

“I grew up watching the late Bob Ross,” he said. “I took art classes in high school and have always been drawn to it.”

Chandler-Hutt said he’s attended art auctions and has met two professional artists — Rodel Gonzalez and Stephen Fishwick. Gonzalez is known for his Star Wars paintings. Chandler-Hutt said George Lucas has first rights to any of Gonzalez’s Star Wars paintings.

And Fishwick’s artwork features Disney characters and musicians such as Bob Marley and Elvis and artist Salvador Dalí and actress Marylin Monroe.

“Sometimes you don’t know what talents you have until you run into life,” said Carmichael, who was excited for her son and his future in the artwork world.

If interested in learning more about Chandler-Hutt’s paintings, give him a call at 641-888-6118.