Jen Mitchell

Photo: Trendy Duncan
She Drinks the Wild Air
I grew up on a small island in Northwest USA, and now create art in the beautiful town of Denmark, Western Australia. I am deeply inspired by the contrasting landscapes of my two homes - one ancient and arid, and the other young and verdant.
Whether working in pure silver to create one-of-a kind pieces of wearable art, or working in oils and acrylics on canvas, I love the way in which the rich texture and light of these different media remind us to see the beauty in everyday life.
My current fine silver jewelry project is called She Drinks the Wild Air, and is inspired byRalph Waldo Emerson’s timeless advice to “live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air”. This project seeks to explore and celebrate the drive toward wilderness and wanderlust in our modern society, and examines feminine identity in wild spaces.
The Operculum Series is cast from real operculum of Turban Shells (Lunella torquata) that I have found between Walpole and Albany, and celebrates the strength and beauty of the South Coast of Western Australia.
Education
2008-2009
MSc of Human Rights, London School of Economics
2003-2006
BA (Honours), International Development Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Exhibitions
Solo
2019
Unravelling, Vancouver Arts Centre (Albany, WA)
2018
4 AM, Butter Factory Studios (Denmark, WA)
2017
2016
2016
Big Fig, Art in the Atrium (Denmark, WA)
She Drinks the Wild Air, Ellis House (Perth, WA)
Wanderlust, Art in the Atrium (Denmark, WA)
Group
2019
Touchstones, Denmark Artshouse (Denmark, WA)
2019
Life Lines, Butter Factory Studios (Denmark, WA)
2019
Just Add Water, Blush Gallery (Albany, WA)
2018
Castles in the Air (Albany, WA)
2018
Butter Factory (Denmark, WA)
2017
A brush with Canvas, Great Southern Art and Craft Trail, Riverfront Gallery (Denmark, WA)
2016
Consuming Eden, The Cannery (Esperance, WA)