This interview has been updated with new questions and answers, but is based off an original interview with Jen done in 2010 when she was a part of the Jewelry making duo Affixments.

When did Presents of Mind start carrying your prints?

I wanna say the store started taking my prints about a year ago, maybe around this time. Seasons (owner of Presents of Mind) and I had made a pact to get together and do an original piece once a week. That lead to coming up with quite a few pieces by the end of summer. Basically, I printed up the pieces and then presented them to the store for sale.

Is that where the whale in the nest came from?

Yes and no. A friend of mine Amelia who used to work at POM is a musician, and she had mentioned once that she wanted to do an album cover that featured the art of a whale in a bird’s nest. Even though the album never came to be I never stopped thinking about the image. The piece is called “Protection”. I guess it  speaks to the desire to try to fix our environment, and what an enormous task that is. And just the thought of being able to nestle something as large as a whale in a bird’s nest reflects the hope for that or the wish for that fix.

Protection

We just started carrying some new bezeled necklaces with your imagery. Can you tell us a little about that evolution of print to jewelry?

Richard Fox, who also works at POM and has some of his jewelry in the store, approached me with the idea of taking my original fine art pieces and then putting them into pendant form. It was fun to see these pieces tiny and in full detail. It was also fun to not be the person making the jewelry.

Why’s that?

Because I was a resin caster before, and me and my business partner put lots of imagery into casting and it took years off my life. I’m not kidding.

Can You talk a little about working with resin? About the difficulties and what is fun?

Resin is very temperature sensitive. We learned that the hard way. The cool part is that you can cast in any shape, can use any kind of imagery, from fine art to photography, to found images to natural organic objects. Skies the limit. It takes about two to three days to cast a piece from beginning to end. We’ve had to learn about organics. It’s been like a science project to learn about organics. It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s hardcore.

You recently started doing murals- what got you started onto that type of work?

I was doing a mural for Seasons’ and Richie’s (her husband) new bar the Gemini Lounge. My buddy Mark L’Allier who is a mutual friend of ours recommended me to a bike repair cart owner, Lee Hanson who has opened a cart up on 82nd avenue in Cartlandia. I’ve always painted big but now I am able to paint really big and I’m having a blast.

So is this where your whale and the bike image came from? 

That was more fantastical whimsical. I don’t even know the word. Lee Hanson wanted me to do a faux bike repair store front and I was immediately uninspired because I enjoy doing naturalistic and even surrealistic subject matter. The faux front was too architectural and exact. I wanted to create something more imaginative and capture the spirit of Portland.

How is a whale Portland?

I don’t think it is so much “Portland”. I think that this image asks you why? And it is so big and adorable and unusual but there is still that connecting feel of Portland with Mt. Hood, and the cityscape, and the bike, and it is so surprising, and I think that is very much Portland. We’re hoping it causes a bit of a ruckus- and it already has.

What do you think about the buying local and the crafty movement?

I think it is fascinating that when you purchase locally that you are putting eighty percent directly back into your community. It really keeps the art growing. I love the fact that Portland is the design directive of the country. Many city standards across the country come out of here. It is fascinating to be a part of a place that may be setting trends across the nation, maybe the world. I know that is a bold statement, but when we go to trade shows a large percentage of the booths are from Portland.

What’s the percentage?

I would be afraid to quote that, but it is huge. Sometimes we go to check out a vendor booth and we are surprised to find they are from Portland. Portland is such a supportive community. Everything is a reaction to every one’s reactions to other’s work.

You went to Magic as a buyer, how was that experience?

Magic, yes. It was my fourth time to Magic. When I go, it makes me come home feeling innovative, and gutsy as a designer. It is an insiders look into what people are into.

Do you have a hard time balancing between your art work and working at the store?

Sometimes. I think Presents of Mind feeds my social side, and I love it, and it has been fun to watch my work go out the door, but ultimately I would one day like to be a full time artist. The balance is there, Presents of Mind accommodates me, and is very supportive, and I also have my finger on the pulse of what people are in the mood for. I work three days a week at Presents of Mind, and four days are studio time, which is very providential.

Who is your favorite artist, your inspiration?

Debra Beers, who is a local art instructor, I believe she is at Lewis and Clark, she does fantastic, authentic and amazing charcoals. And, Dustin Yellin a resin artist out of New York. Right now they are my inspiration.

You have two grown children, well adults now, and they have both become pretty adventurous.

Oh yes, my daughter is a fantastic artist and bartender in Oakland, CA, and my son works as a ranch hand in Victor, Idaho and as ski patrol in Big Sky, Montana, so he skies for work and he skies for fun, he is also a very talented woodworker. When I had my kids I packed them around with me everywhere. I raised them outside. I wasn’t standing still and ultimately they are very travel savvy and independent. No sterilizing bottles in this house.

Tell us a about little Jen.

I was a scrubby little outdoor kid that picked up everything, sticks, stones and oddities. I was drawing before I could walk. It took everything to get me indoors. I haven’t changed much since I was a child, I still talk a lot and I don’t pay much attention and I am shy (she laughs) it’s a great place to hide art.

What is in store for the future for Ms. Jen Smith?

(She giggles) Ultimately, I want to paint and draw full time. Paint, do my murals and basically build a house in the woods where a moving truck comes in every day to pick up all the painting to take to the gallery in the city and they give me a paycheck and I drink a glass of wine. Yeah! I’m not kidding.

What is your philosophy on life?

Live and play extremely hard and basically always, always have something you are passionate about everyday. Pay attention, being grateful and have gratitude.

Jen Smith grew up in Wyoming. Raised in the badlands, and mountain meadows of the Rockies, she was inspired by the drama of the landscape and its inhabitants.

She received her Associates of Arts from Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming and her Bachelor of Fine Art in Drawing and Painting from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.

She now lives in Portland, Oregon.

We only offer Protection on our website, but if you see something you like don’t hesitate to call and we can send it to you.

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Polly Linn from Affixment has created a seperate line of jewelry called Silver Tilia using her metal smithing background, and her penchant for science and compounds. Polly has created a cool line of sterling silver chemical structures of your favorite vices from caffeine to wine to your favorite naturally produced chemicals or hormone like adrenaline and estrogene. Give your mom a little testosterone to wear around her neck! It would be funny! No? Okay, chocolate it is.

We love Tasi. A sister team raised by their mother who owns a bead store in Ohio. These two ladies grew up around rare beads and metals, and have combined their talents to bring us, and you beautiful, classic, and sophisticated necklaces and earrings.

Using rare stones and shells Tasi’s peices are unique and individual making them a perfect gift.

We have featured Minoux in many of our posts, like this post on the history of mother’s day.

Minoux’s pieces are delicate and refined with a daring edge. They are a lovely accent to a nice dress for a night out or an added pop to an otherwise casual outfit.

Minoux works with silver and gold pieces, but we also carry many of her stone works. Bright colorful earrings and necklaces that accentuate any skin tone. If your mom is a cross between funky and savvy Minoux is a good way to go.

Frenworks is not a local line, but we support independent artist from all over, and she hails from North Carolina. When we first started carrying this line Faryn was living in our Northern sister city Seattle, where you can find her resin work in the G. Gibson Gallery. She has recently packed up her family and headed to the South. We will miss the proximity.

Fernworks jewelry is like having the museum of natural history at your fingertips and around your neck. She has organic and found pieces carefully layered in resin and nestled in a casing to wear on your finger or hang from your ears. When she is not collecting natural pieces from her surrounding world she is capturing them with her drawings that she also layers under resin.

Affixment is another of our favorite resin artists. Using a similar technique to create a completely unique art piece for your mom. Incorporating both found images and artist Jen Smith’s drawings each pendant is a one of a kind gift.

For more information on Affixment check out this interview with Jen Smith.

Molly M Designs creates laser cut wood pendants and earrings. They are light and cosmopolitan. Molly McGrath the creator and designer, uses her education as an architect to bring us these amazing works of art.

Locket 2 You is a husband and wife team that sacrificed all their creature comforts to do their art and bring us these fun and heartwarming lockets. Look to future posts to read more about this team.

What would we do with out Rubygirl? Seriously, Shannon Conrad is the most proliferate and eclectic jeweler around, and we always have an outfit that is just screaming to be accentuated by a Rubygirl necklace or set of earrings. Check out a future post where you can meet Shannon Conrad designer and creator behind Rubygirl.

Do you remember Shrinky Dinks®? Well some of our jewelers do, and they have brought the Shrinky Dink® magic to our store. Passion Flower by Heidi Cain creates hand drawn, hand painted pieces, and bakes them on shrinkable plastic just like you use to do as a kid.

Another Shrinky Dink® artist is Lady Made. The bright and colorful pendants are also hand drawn, painted, and baked, although truth be told, sometimes her mom helps her.

You may have read our blog interview with Rachel from Plume. Her vintage inspired pieces are adornments for hair and fingers, ears, and as necklaces. They are sweet and pretty with that soft femininity that we all can love.

We have barely scrapped the surface with this post, truly you need to come into the store and see for yourself to understand the amazing collection of jewelry that we carry. If your mom likes jewelry you will find something here that she will love.

If you can not make it into our store before mother’s day be sure to check out our website where you can find the artists featured here and so many more wonderful artist.

Happy Mother’s day and don’t forget we have the best selection of cards in town. Go get your mom a card, better not forget or ooohhh you’re in trouble.

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There are only two days left. Are you biting your nails?

Do not fear, we haven’t run out of gifts. At Presents of Mind we want you to know that you can ask any one of us for help, and we will be more than happy to assist. For your last minute gift guide we have selected some of the sweet and unconventional, just for you.

Who wouldn’t love a pair of heart earrings in a bright sunny yellow? They are like two dangling swirls of sunshine. Of course, they are like sunshine, since the color yellow represents happiness and warmth. It is also the color of friendship.

Second only to the heart, the rose is a popular symbol of devotion. We just love this vintage pink rose by Plume. It’s like the sugared frosting you find on the top of birthday cakes. Although we wouldn’t recommend you eat this one, or the frosting for that matter.

Pink Unicorn? Is there anything that says love more? We think not.

Mode Noir makes these vintage  button flower hair clips that decorate and adorn. Whether you are staying in or dining out this Valentine’s, these ornamental darlings will brighten any hair design.

It felt wrong not to include some  sweet geeky dreamboats.

We know that not everyone is into sweet when it comes to Valentine’s day. Some people like it raw; the real deal human heart. The pumping Adrenaline. This hand made oxidized silver necklace by Polly Linn designs is the chemical structure of Adrenaline.

Chill out in the fridge with us while we peruse some more gifts of the human heart nature.

These resin necklaces from Affixment say love in two different languages.

What makes your heart beat? Is it the love of Portland? Does your heart belong in Portland? Maybe you met the love of your life in one of these pulsing neighborhoods.

Man, that is an awesome belt buckle! We need to get a closer look.

A rhinestone studded buckle with a hot pink heart stabbed by a sword, wreathed in roses, and on fire. Beijo Brazil certainly knows a thing or two about the expression of  love and passion.

Your heart in the hands of an 18th century bee queen? Yeah, ours too. This little Classic Hardware case can carry any secret with a click.

And least you forget…

Something to melt your heart.

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