My Work Now Available at Rare Device in San Francisco + An Interview on the Rare Device Blog!

Excited to share that Rare Device in San Francisco is now carrying my work!  If you don’t know about this shop, you should - I’ve followed its story since it started up way back in the day in Brooklyn, then moved to SF. Rena Tom founded it, then Lisa Congdon became a co-owner, and now it’s under the care and leadership of Giselle Gyalzen with Creative Manager  Rachel Robertson and a whole bunch of other amazing folks. 

From the Rare Device website: “The storefront is filled with lovely, approachably designed items for your home, yourself, and your family. Every object in the store has its own story, and has been chosen because it is either handmade, well-designed, useful, beautiful or all of the above. The aesthetic is modern and whimsical while remaining warm and inviting.” All extremely true: I love this spot in the world, so this is a bit of a dreams-do-come-true moment for me :)

In addition to carrying several of my prints (if you’re in San Francisco, go see ‘em!) they were also kind enough to publish an interview with me on their blog, which you can read right here. (Thanks again for the awesome Qs Kayla Conyer!) 

Recent News + A Giveaway!

A lot has happened with my work in the past few months, and I’ve not been very good about keeping up here! Highlight reel:

• I’m in a group show called Transform, put on by Siren Nation. The opening reception is Thursday November 1 (details here) - if you’re in Portland, come on out and say hello!

• Kinetic Lines 17 was chosen to hang in designer, blogger & tv personality Emily Henderson's "Portland Project" showcase home, which was extremely cool!

• I’m a member of the Chairish Artist Collective, and was proud to be featured in Chairish curators’ "Essential Trends of 2018" collection!

• My work was featured by Saatchi Art in a collection!

• Artfully Walls showcased my work in a number of different featured collections - always very fun to see curated gallery walls and how my work fits in!

So lots of cool stuff going on. To celebrate (and also let’s be honest, the scene in this country at the moment is deeply disturbing and I’d love to create a little light in the way I can.)

Head on over to my Instagram page and throw your hat in the ring. Good luck!

Color Space 27 Featured by SFMOMA Curators!

Each Friday, the team at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) features a few pieces made by working artists on their Instagram & Tumblr accounts. I'm thrilled to share that Color Space 27: Pink, Red & Yellow was the cover image for their weekly feature a couple of weeks back! (Right there next to Magritte....squeeee!!!). 

So honored and thrilled - and inspired to keep following my aesthetic and keep doing the work. And if you're a working artist, throw your hat in the ring to be featured! It's an amazing opportunity to show your work. 

Q&A With Jennifer Neil, Ersa Fibers

This is the first of what will hopefully be many posts featuring Q&As with beautiful people doing beautiful things.  I hope these will serve to remind all of us to take our ideas and ambitions seriously. Here's my tiny pep talk: The world needs the unique things only you can bring to it - get to work!

---

Jennifer Neil’s work first hit my radar when I stopped in at a coffee shop in SE Portland and was immediately dazzled by the textile art on display. The colors, shapes and quilted textures paired with hand-fabricated brass hardware stopped me in my tracks. That led me to her Instagram and her website, and then to asking her if she’d be willing to do an interview. She generously agreed!

Learn more about Jennifer and her work below, and visit her website Ersa Fibers and her Etsy shop to take a look at available pieces, see her current inspirations and more!

---

Is there a story behind your business name, Ersa Fibers?

My full name is Jennifer Neil and when I first started my textile journey I envisioned myself operating more as a shop that would create lines of pillows and blankets that I would sell on Etsy.

At the time, I decided that I didn’t want to use my real name because it’s such a common name and I wanted a more interesting shop name so I came up with Ersa Fibers. The name Ersa is derived from greek mythology; she’s the goddess of dew, and to me it symbolized the start of a fresh journey. Although, now that I operate as more of an independent artist I’ve considered changing my website and Instagram handle to my real name.

Do you remember when you really began thinking of yourself as an artist?

The first time I designed and created a piece with primary colors was when I realized I had a talent. It was the first time that I created something that I liked. It was the first time in my life that I was actually inspired by myself, which is a truly wonderful feeling. It was such an empowering moment.

After that, it was as if I had tapped into a well of creative energy that I never knew was there and after years of fumbling around with painting, ceramics, and weaving I felt like I had finally found my medium and my voice.

"...it was as if I had tapped into a well of creative energy that I never knew was there...I felt like I had finally found my medium and my voice."

What is your relationship with color? How do you think about the choices you’re making in your work?

I don’t choose my colors they seem to choose me. I can tell when I’m on to a new palette when all of a sudden it’s the only colors I can see and I know when I’m done with a palette when I no longer feel excited when I look at it.

The first palette I fell in love with was primary colors. Which was unexpected and inexplicable because in many ways I find primary colors to be grating and almost irritating and in my personal life I gravitate towards softer colors. I think I liked the challenge of creating palatable pieces of work with colors that aren’t always easy to digest.

After the primary phase I took a very necessary break from bold colors and started digging into a neutral palette. This also wasn’t a conscious choice, at first I really battled with my sudden gravitation towards neutral colors. I felt like I was presenting a dulled down version of my work; a less interesting version of my work but over time I embraced the series and felt soothed by it.

Pieces from Jennifer Neil's portfolio on her website.

I’m currently on my third series of work and much to my dismay I’ve been pulled into a rainbow palette. I think after doing neutrals for so many months I’ve been starved for color so the transition was probably inevitable but I’m still trying to come to terms with so many colors. I haven’t quite gotten a good grasp on it yet but I’m having fun re-finding my voice in this new chaotic chapter.  

What do you do when you’re just not feelin’ it - whether it’s getting stuck on a particular piece you’re working on, or just in general?

I have two things that I do when I’m in a creative drought. Usually, I do what I call an “easy win” which is when you design something that’s easy to finish but the end result looks really great. Just the act of finishing a small project always reminds me of how good it feels to complete a piece and usually gives me the energy to tackle whatever it is that I’m avoiding.

And if I’m really stuck, I try to find my happy place by doing an improv piece or I “treat myself” by learning something new like trying to sew a shirt or a swimsuit; just anything that will make me feel a sense of accomplishment. That’s really the driving factor for me; feeling like I’ve accomplished something.

If you had a chance to magically become super-proficient in another artistic medium overnight, what would you choose?

Probably metal or wood. I’ve always wanted to design jewelry or furniture and I wish I was the type of person who could have a side hobby but I’m unable to “dabble” in things. If I were to take a woodworking or metal smithing class I would completely abandon sewing and jump head first into that new hobby.

You mention on your website that you want to elevate the art of quilting - that it’s been overlooked because “it has mostly been used by women out of their homes.” Can you say more about that?

What I mean by “elevate” is that I want people to start seeing the medium of quilting on the same level as painting and sculpture. Right now, quilting is seen as a craft or a woman’s hobby while being a painter or sculptor is considered prestigious. The medium of quilting hasn’t been taken seriously because throughout history women have not been taken seriously. I believe that if women had been treated as equals we would see textiles (i.e. quilting, weaving, embroidery, etc) right next to paintings, in museums across the world.

Hannah Hill, who’s an embroider, made a piece of work about textiles not being taken seriously that really sums up my feelings on the matter: here it is.

"The medium of quilting hasn’t been taken seriously because...women have not been taken seriously. I believe that if women had been treated as equals we would see textiles right next to paintings in museums across the world."

Tell us about one of the visual artists that’s meant meant the most to you, and why?

There’s a contemporary artist that I found on Instagram named Gina Gimenez and she has a piece that inspired my first primary quilt design so I contribute my artistic birth to her. She has a lot of abstract geometric designs that really speak to me.

What’s something you wish everyone understood about your work that’s sometimes hard to convey?

This was the hardest question to answer because my work is purely aesthetic, there’s no hidden meaning behind the pieces, so it’s only real intention is to provide joy and inspiration. I find real joy in seeing my visions come to life and when people see my pieces I hope it makes them feel inspired and happy.

"I find real joy in seeing my visions come to life and when people see my pieces I hope it makes them feel inspired and happy."

Who or what can make you laugh really, really hard?

My friends and family. I grew up in a household with a really wild sense of humor. It’s how we communicated with each other so my sense of humor is all over the place from Eric Andre Show to The Office. I also go through phases with Youtube videos where one video will make me laugh for months on end. Right now my favorite video is a Tim and Eric video called Quilting with Will it just kills me.

What art is hanging up in your house?

Sadly, not much. I currently only have 3 spaces where I can hang up work and right now they’re occupied by strange goodwill finds. Although, I’m dying to redecorate my apartment so hopefully I’ll get some new pieces (that are actually meaningful) very soon.

What does success look like for you as an artist? How are you defining it for yourself at this moment in time?

The funny thing about success is it’s never truly attainable. You achieve one version of success and then the goal post just moves. Right now, I’m pretty happy where I’m at; I’m regularly being contacted for shows, I’m selling pieces on a consistent basis, and I managed to get a job in the textile industry (I’m a sewer at a small leather bag company). So right now, I’m living in my own version of success.

But moving forward, I’d like to start seperating my work. Right now, Ersa Fibers is kind of straddling the craft world and art world. Eventually I’d like to create another account strictly for craft projects and keep the Ersa Fibers Account for my artwork and change the handle to my full name. I’d also like to release a line of full size quilt patterns and video tutorials with the hopes that I will eventually start getting some freelance projects.

Long answer short, my current version of success is producing higher end pieces under my own name and freelancing.  

---

Thanks again to Jenn for taking the time to share her thoughts here. I'm so excited to watch her work evolve!

My Work Highlighted On Chairish Trends Feature!

Last year I was incredibly excited and honored to get a note out of the blue inviting me to be part of the Chairish Artist Collective, a wonderful group of artists making amazing pictures. 

Since then, Chairish has integrated art and artists more and more into their site, in addition to the fantabulous kaleidoscope of vintage furniture and home accessories. You can seriously go down the rabbit hole over there. And I have. #noregrets

Anyhoo, in the last couple of weeks my work's been featured in a few curator-led collections  including one on Essential Trends for Spring, which features Pink & Acid Yellow [Color Space Series], Red & Orange Squares in Squares and Color Structure 2. Color Structure 4 image also got a shout-out as one of the 99 Things We Love for Spring collection. Feels good to feel the love :)

Head over and check out all the cool stuff on Chairish. (Hot tip: One of the features of the site I really love is the ability to filter results by city so you can shop local: I offer free local pickup if you're in or near Portland!)

Adventures in Printing...

I'm the midst of trying out a few new ways of printing my images to see which ones I like. The latest experiment is printing on a bamboo block by Plywerk - it's feeling pretty good.

The substrate is sustainable bamboo (love that) floated in a custom cut frame. It's ready to hang, or just set on a shelf, mantel, desk, etc. The outside edges of the frame measure just over 6"; the image inside is 5" x 5” and everything is archival. 

Ready to hang - woo hoo! 

If you’re interested in snapping this up (it’s the only one that exists at the moment!) shoot me a note! It's $85 with free shipping anywhere in the US (or we can arrange pickup if you’re in the Portland area).

And feel free to shoot me a note if you’d like a different picture of mine in this format - with or without the frame - happy to arrange! 

Oh and extra shoutout to Chet and Dot for the wooly flowers - I picked these up at the da Vinci Arts Fair this year, and they literally make everything better.

A Q & A To Kick Things Off

Hello hello, and welcome to this little corner of the web where I'll be.....well, I don't know what I'll be doing up in here, exactly, but I'm going to give myself some space and time to figure it out. 

I'm going to start with a little Q&A because it's too hard to figure out what tell y'all about myself without it. I cherry picked some questions from the appropriately-titled Forbes article 55 Best Questions To Ask To Break The Ice And Really Get To Know Someone. So here goes - me answering 5 questions for you.

1) What was the worst job you've ever had?

In high school, someone thought it would be a great idea for me to take over from another girl who was cleaning house for a rather frail elderly woman who lived in our neighborhood. I wanted extra cash, and I did not love babysitting, so I was willing to give it a try. The woman was very sweet. However, she had a colostomy bag. (If you don't know what that is, Google with great trepidation. I have never Googled it, so I don't know for sure exactly the deal, but I believe that a fair description would be a bag outside your body that captures poo from inside your body because your colon's not working properly. Yipes.) One day, while I was cleaning her bathroom, I heard her tiny, sweet voice from the kitchen saying, "Uh-oh." I went in to see what had happened. You may have already guessed - and you're right. Her colostomy bag had broken all over the kitchen floor. I did clean it up like a trooper. But I could never go back there again. And sadly, I still vividly remember the truly paralyzing smell. Not good.

2) What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

I remember having absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I was a kid - but then getting an assignment in like third grade to write about what I wanted to do. How I arrived at the idea of writing about a career as a dental hygienist is absolutely beyond me. I did not know any dental hygienists. At all. I think I was supposed to do research about it, and maybe talk to a dental hygienist as part of the assignment? I can't really remember, but suffice it to say, that assignment was both the beginning and the end of my entertaining a career involving looking at the insides of people's mouths. (Although later in high school, strangely, I did end up working in a periodontist's office - again, don't Google it unless you want to see some truly distressing pictures of the effects of gum disease - doing dictation. Occasionally I'd have to look at charts to reference something. One day I opened a chart and an old dead tooth fell out. Ew.)

3) What's your favorite 90’s show?

Tough call, but the one that immediately springs to mind is Northern Exposure. (Mad About You and Twin Peaks are up there.) It had what is still my favorite mix of things in any show: goofy, absurdist humor, wicked smart dialogue, flawed, human characters and then - every once in a while - whips around on you to deliver a moment that's so beautiful and full of meaning, you're not quite sure what hit you. Northern Exposure was on during my high school years, and I had a whole ritual for watching it. I'd get all ready for bed, turn out the lights and get under the covers. (Yes, my parents let me have a tv in my room. #lucky) I'd watch the entire show, muting all the commercials so they didn't sully the experience. Then, at the very second the last credit rolled and the end-credit song ended, I'd quickly shut off the tv, turn over and try to go to sleep as fast as possible to keep the feeling of the show with me as long as possible. #notweird

4) What are you reading currently?

I'm always reading a bunch of different things. At the moment, what's in the teetering tower on my nightstand...huh a lot of stuff. I'll just pick the three at the top of the heap:

Sick in the Head - Judd Apatow's collection of interviews with comedians. Loving it. 

Mindfulness Survival Kit by Thich Nhat Hanh - learning more about meditation and contemplative practices. Good stuff.

The Sound of Music Story by Tom Santopietro. My son found this on the shelf at the library, and, since we've all been mildly obsessed with how good The Sound of Music (the movie) is since we re-watched it on Christmas Day (seriously it is so freaking good), Henry and I thought we'd give it a go. I'm reading it out loud to him. It is an extremely strange book so far, but not boring, so we'll keep going for a while.

5) What’s your hidden talent?

I can whistle and hum at the same time, in harmony. Is that a thing other people can do? I just realized I have no idea. Try it and let me know. Thinking about it, you know, I try to keep my talents on display, for the most part; I'm not sure what good hiding them does? Although the humming and whistling thing...maybe that's best left hidden, just because honestly it doesn't really sound that great. 

Okay, we made it through this Q&A, and  my first post here! That was pretty fun, if a bit one-sided. I'd love to hear from you - maybe with answers to these five questions - or answers to other questions of your choosing, or feel free to ask me other questions of your choosing, etc. etc. Comment away below!

Until next time! 

-JP