Featured Artist

I am pleased to be showcasing Jessica Moreau-Berry, owner of http://www.junquerevival.etsy.com/ .

I first met Jes when she interviewed me for "She Dreams of Art" on http://www.sdoa.indiepublic.com/ , a monthly article she writes. I was immediately impressed with her as she has a warm and giving spirit and a truly unique talent of taking a little bit of this and a little bit of that and working magic. Honestly, she creates some fabulous pieces that give the true definition of "'One of a Kind."

I asked her to tell me a little about herself as I believe where we live, where we play, and with whom we share our lives makes a difference in what and how we create. This is her reply:

I live in Maine in a sweet little farmhouse surrounded by fields and woods. Our location is just wonderful, as we are close to the coast, rivers and lakes. I'm only 50 minutes to Portland, so I can grab a little city when I need it. I live with my hubby (AKA Big Daddy), our two cats, and our brand new yellow lab puppy as of this week, Abigail. I do a lot of gardening, kayaking, hiking & entertaining with friends.

I just love this piece. It is actually a drawer pull that Jes cleverly disguised to form this lovely pendant. It is called "Winged Dreams".

I think every artist probably has a favorite piece among their creations and Jes in no exception. I asked her to tell me about her favorite and why:
I always seem to have a favorite piece until it sells. But for now I would say this one, "My Love Must Come on Silken Wings" http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27102656 When I started to make altered-art jewelry back in 2004, I didn't know how to solder and I didn't even know how to drill holes into metal, etc. BUT I had worked with polymer clay years before, and owned an antique business since I was a teen. I wanted to give up most of the antiques, but still kept a lot of smalls to create art with. I began designing found-object pendants with the polymer, and they sold right off. Over the years, I have learned how to place nice with tools, but decided to submit this old project to Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine. It was recently published in the 2009 summer issue. I wanted to inspire budding jewelry artists, and show them that they can put together beautiful pendants with next to nothing for tools, like I had.

Jes says she is inspired by nature and feels fortunate to be living in Maine where she is constantly surrounded by it's beauty. I would imagine that is what may have inspired "A Fairytale's Rose", which is also featured in the Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine that Jes writes for. This gorgeous rose is made from polymer clay, painted, then painted several more times using tinted glazes to give it that sheen and depth. The stunning beads are green satin czech glass.

Another Etsy shop owned by Jes is http://www.vintagejunquerevival.etsy.com/ . I couldn't pass up this lovely vintage pitcher with it's mottled purple luster and English Inn scene in blue transferware. It is the perfect compliment to any home and creates a warm, inviting feeling.

Most of you know by now that I always try to get a photo of where each artist works. This is one view of Jes' workspace. Another one I have seen puts my organizational skills to shame. She has rows and rows of canvas boxes all tagged with contents lined up on shelves. Being the busy woman that she is with her two shops, her blog http://www.junquerevival.blogspot.com/ , and her various articles she writes I would imagine keeping herself well organized is why she gets so much done.

I encourage you to take a peek at Jes' shops because you will not be disappointed. Her background with antiques and her flair for design combined with her vivid imagination give you an artist that is truly unique and very inspiring.