Meet Jen Fisher

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Fisher.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jen. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up playing with crayons, not dolls. I was that kid: designing and drawing the yearbook covers and holiday concert brochures. That love of art continued throughout elementary, middle and high school. In fact, I am still in touch with my high school art teacher. When it came time for college, I was unsure of which direction to go. However, the one thing I knew for sure was that I couldn’t ignore my artistic gift. I started college at the University of Massachusetts, graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focusing on interior design and looked forward to a new and exciting career.

I found my first job by searching through the yellow pages and began my interior design career working in architectural firms in New York City. I worked mostly on commercial interior projects and was involved in the development of some amazing spaces nationwide. Throughout my studies and work, perspective drawing, presentations, and renderings were always my favorite part of design. After 15 years of preferring my markers over my tape measure, I knew that something was definitely missing and it was time for change. Finding the perfect segue into the academic world, I became an Academic and Career Advisor at the New York School of Interior Design. I would often meet with older students who were apprehensive about pursuing a career change. I would tell them that creative people should reevaluate their craft every ten years, explaining that there were a lot of things to do and try in a lifetime, so why not attempt to try them all! I then started to follow my own advice.

Combined with a desire to create on a smaller and more tangible scale, my artistic career began to go down a new path. I honed my skills at jewelry design and metalsmithing and developed my own jewelry line that was sold in contemporary museum shops including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, MOCA Miami and the National Building Museum in Washington DC. My designs echoed my past and consisted of treasures made from perforated precious metals and mosaic pendants. Soon after I moved to Florida, continued to design jewelry, and began teaching art enrichment classes to children while raising my family.

While experimenting with new techniques and materials, I began painting using similar principles of proportion, contrast, and color that I learned and practiced as a designer. My paintings began to evolve through layers of color placement and balance allowing me to organize my creative thoughts via an alternate medium. Some compositions stay abstract and others I build on by sketching into urban landscapes. I am grateful I have found a way to incorporate my past skills into my current work. It is the key to why I absolutely love what I do!

Has it been a smooth road?
When there are a million things that you would like to accomplish within a lifetime, it’s never a smooth road. I sometimes find it challenging to stay focused and to decide when it’s time to try something new. Organizing my ideas, making lists and setting goals works well for me. I am never bored; I always have a project to work on and a new one waiting to be started. An idea can take form in many different ways. For me, one idea can go a long way if my eyes and mind are open to find the right path. Experimenting with new materials has also helped me expand on my work and think outside the box.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Currently, I feel I am best known for my architectural paintings, especially my doorstep series which are throwbacks to my years living in New York City. The subjects of my paintings mostly come from personal experiences, as I love to travel with my family and discover new architecture and urban landscapes. I don’t use paint brushes. I sketch with paint pens and paint with old credit cards and key cards. While teaching a lesson at an art camp many years ago, I used this technique with the children and fell in love with the end result of scraping paint with cards. Plus, brushes scare me! Adding sketches to my paintings has enabled me to pull from my past and make my stories come alive. I believe everyone should be able to appreciate art; those who yearn for deep hidden meanings and those who enjoy the beauty of color and composition. It is so rewarding to be able to convey my message of abstract through painting, perspective drawing, and wearable art. For now, I have found the perfect combination of my academic background and my current artistic curiosities. And who knows what will be in store for my future. I guess I will just have to check and see what’s next on my list!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have met so many amazing people through the art community in Palm Beach County. I am honored to be part of this group that is so supportive of each other and very eager to help. I also owe a lot to my family and friends. They listen patiently to all my kooky ideas, with a smile, and are always there to offer words of encouragement.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@jenfisherdesign.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jfishdesign/
• Facebook: facebook.com/jenfisherdesignart/

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