jennifer x Christie Jones Collaboration: The Art of Healing
Photography by Ian Jones & Christie Jones
Interview by Jen Cooper
“The cure for anything is salt water — sweat, tears, or the sea.”
You’ve no doubt seen the quote about salt water curing anything that troubles you. I recently read a beautiful memoir where the author wrote about getting a version of it tattooed on her wrist.
The quote is powerful, not because it’s everywhere, but because there’s truth in it.
A good cry, moving our body, or staring at an endless horizon brings us back to our truest selves.
With that in mind I’m thrilled to announce our first artist collab! We teamed up with artist Christie Jones of Swell Anchor Studio to create an original abstract piece of art inspired by the healing nature of our world. And now, you can carry this art with you everywhere you go!
Christie’s work is inspired by coasts, conservation, and healing our relationship with ourselves and our world. I think it embodies the best of jennifer. I asked Christie to share more about her process, her drive to tell healing stories through her art, and the magic of how this mark came to be.
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Tell me about how you came to create art?
I can’t remember a time where I didn’t want to create art. The more I find myself immersed in paint making and creating art the more I remember how I’ve always felt this drive even since I was a child. Over time and with practice I’ve chosen to play with color. I’m mostly self-taught which allows me to focus on a specialized art practice so I can curate my skills based on what I want to learn about. Tapping into that childlike curiosity with my tools and experience, I find that the intensity to communicate through art continues to build. The more I create, the more I discover new things I want to bring to life.
Why did you decide to incorporate natural materials into your practice?
Experiencing the wildfires in California (summer of 2020) while living in smoke-filled skies and not being able to breathe properly due to living with asthma (at the start of COVID-19) put my health and art practice under careful consideration. Moving back to NY, I knew I wanted to do things differently. In the past I had studios out of my home, I moved from NY to CA and back within two years. During that time I was researching paint making, and decided at the end of 2020 I would try it out. My paints are handmade from powdery pigments. Although a slower process, this gives me the reassurance of what is in each material without compromising on quality and maintaining consistency throughout my media. I believe the joy I have while making paint translates into my artwork and provides space for myself and others to reflect. Plus my studio now smells like clove oil and honey vs harsh toxic chemicals, making it safe for me to co-work in the same room as Ian who also works full time from home.
“My art practice is one of the most important tools that I have to communicate, reflect, and grow while documenting my own healing.”
I know you’re passionate about telling healing stories. Why? And how does that influence your art practice?
I’m a highly sensitive person living with anxiety disorders. My art practice is one of the most important tools that I have to communicate, reflect, and grow while documenting my own healing. Year over year my artwork shifts and expands, allowing creative space for me to process some of my own trauma. In my experience, healing is a cycle and I see my personal journey reflected back to me through my artwork. The fact that it provides me with a calm, safe place to express myself while sparking that same introspection in others is one of the things I love most about weaving my journey into my art.
What can you tell me about the art you created for jennifer magazine?
Before I made the painting I researched and meditated on what a mustardy yellow color would communicate. I loved finding that this hue was perfect for individuals who loved a bright color but wanted to showcase color in a more sophisticated way. (via https://colorpsychologymeaning.com/color-mustard/)
Simultaneously I was visually studying peony flowers, as they represent a rich history of healing in many cultures. From their roots and seeds to their overall beauty, I wondered what type of abstract imagery would emerge while I meditated merging the color with this concept.
The end result is a beautiful abstract mark, which I call an Impression. It is captured during the end of a paint making session where I handmix the powdery pigments with a binder that activates the color into a paint. I love the movement and shape.
I love that the mark is now on a tote that I can carry with me everywhere! And I have. I also love that it embodies some of my favorite things: research (I am a true Gemini), flowers, boldness, and hope. What do love about the tote?
I love the size and shape of it. It’s really unique and I believe it’s a conversation starter.
“Before I made the painting I researched and meditated on what a mustardy yellow color would communicate. I loved finding that this hue was perfect for individuals who loved a bright color but wanted to showcase color in a more sophisticated way”
It’s definitely a lovely conversation starter. No doubt about that. I’ve used mine to carry so many things—books, my journal, groceries. But my favorite has been a picnic. What do you carry in yours?
Usually my ipad, journal, epipen (allergic to bees), and whatever book I’m currently reading. However, it also fits my sketchbooks and paint materials when I want to paint outside, and I packed my mural painting materials in it when I had to paint on location. I also took it to the beach, and it does not disappoint, it perfectly fits the essentials!
Many thanks to Christie for this beautiful mark! You can find more of her art and process on her site Swell Anchor Studio.
In the meantime, head to our shop, grab a bag and make your own mark everywhere you go. Here’s to telling more healing stories now and in the years to come.