Design Team

Jen Cushman is a natural storyteller. A journalist of 20 years, she's a collector of phrases and photographs. Jen fell in love with fine art when she spent a summer in Paris studying French during her junior year of college. It took nearly a decade, however, for her passions to coalesce. After a few years specializing in the visual arts as a writer/editor for various magazines, she realized there was a place in her heart that longed to create. After taking classes in every medium imaginable, she found her niche in altered art.

Jen is drawn to the imperfect, the quirky, the funky, the artsy and the authentic; be it people or art or objects. She's a self-taught mixed media artist, jewelry and paper arts instructor and independent writer. She's also the New Media Manager for Objects and Elements and Design Team Coordinator.

Deryn Mentock has been passionate about art, especially jewelry design, for as long as she can remember.  Her designs mingle unique, worn and well-loved finds, religious pieces and faceted, semi-precious stones as well as one-of-a-kind handmade elements, combined in unexpected ways. She prefers the look and feel of vintage, unusual and found objects and delights in blending these treasures into her work.  Each composition is infused with color, texture and an intuitive message of faith.

She enjoys teaching nationally and her artwork has been featured in several books including Mixed Emulsions by Angela Cartwright and, most recently, Exhibition 36 by Susan Tuttle.  You can also find her work in many articles and publications, including Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Belle Armoire, Art Doll Quarterly, Stampington's Gallery, Correspondence Art and Stampington's book Artist Trading Cards.  You can contact her at mocknet@sbcglobal.net and see more of her work at her blog and her online store.

Kristen Robinson's artistic journey is much like dancing through the pages of a history book. With a love of all things from the past, and the stories locked within them, she is drawn to many different forms of art from jewelry and textiles to painting and collage. Discarded objects, old journals and found items become part of each artistic story she creates.

Kristen is a Director's Circle Artist for Somerset Studio and a Bonne Vivante for Somerset Life Magazine; the creative opportunities that reveal themselves to her are endless. As a nationally known instructor and artist she is truly finding great joy in sharing her journey with others. Be sure to follow Kristen's blog.

  Barbe Saint John is a mixed media artist living in San Francisco with her husband, herd of spoiled cats and Chihuahua.  She has been creating all of her life and has a passion/obsession for jewelry from all eras. Barbe is particularly drawn to working with vintage, worn, found, broken, rusted and re-purposed materials. She loves to take the tiny snippets of history and weave them into a new story.

Her work has been featured in numerous articles and publications including Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn (Quarry), Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap (NorthLight), Interactive Art Workshop: Mixed Media in Motion (NorthLight), Make it Mine Magazine, Collage Cats and the upcoming Summer issue of Belle Armoire. Be sure to read Barbe's blog.

Jane Salley has had a life-long love affair with art and fashion. Some of her earliest memories include playing dress up, making jewelry and even tattooed herself with felt-tip pens long before tattoos were in style. The main focus of her bold and whimsical style these days is jewelry. She shares her creative life with her husband Richard Salley and her art dog DaeTzi. Be sure to take a look at Jane's blog.

Comments

[Jen Crossley]

wow what a amazing design team WOW
Jen

[vicki cook]

Looks like GREAT FUN! I will follow your blog for updates and have already begun to spread the good word! best of luck with your "launch!"

- vicki xo

[julee]

what a creative set you all have created...i can't wait to see what you have in store for your readers. i'm very pleased to make this discovery today...

xoxo
jul

[Christine Damm]

Well, as if I needed a reason to buy stuff at O&E! But what a team for inspiration! I think this is a fantastic idea and I can't wait for the Reader Challenges. I find that entering these things are the most stimulation you can find for yourself as an artist. And you get to share it with lots of other "kindred spirits". Bravo, Susan and best of luck with this.

[lauren]

i cant wait to see what y'all do. have great fun!!

[Carmi]

I AM SO GLAD THAT bARB POSTED THIS INFORMATION! I am linking to this blog right now!
Carmi

[sharon]

What a fantastic group!