Interview: Lisa of Lil Fish Studios

  All images this post belong to Lisa Jordan and are used by permission.

I am very pleased to start off my new series of Maker Interviews by talking to Lisa Jordan of Lil Fish Studios. I first discovered Lisa's craft work several years ago when she was making the most beautiful bouquets from antique buttons. Now she makes a multitude of nature-inspired pieces, primarily using felt and wood. Lisa has a lovely blog, an Etsy shop and a Flickrstream.    

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Elizabeth: Virtually all of your pieces remind me of some aspect of life in the forest. Can you tell us about where you live and how it inspires your craft work? 

Lisa: I live in rural Minnesota, smack dab in the middle of the woods. A step out my door puts me amongst the moss and mushrooms, trees alive and in decay, and the patterns, textures, and colors that only mother nature could dream up. I get excited about the tiny worlds I get to see, sporophytes in moss, gills on mushrooms, and want to share that with others. It's my hope that my work shows an appreciation for nature and encourages others to be interested in nature too.

 Elizabeth: You make a lot of hybrid crafts that combine traditionally feminine skills (like sewing) with techniques involving the use of power tools. What influenced you to take up wood working and what advice do you have for some of the rest of us (like me, for instance) who are still working to overcome our fears of loud, buzzy equipment with sharp rotating blades?

Lisa: I grew up with a dad who gave me free run of the tools in his workshop and I've been running saws and sanders since I was a kid. He would give me a basic how-to and then set me loose to figure things out. I would tinker around with the bits of wood in the scrap bin, nailing one thing to the other, cutting things up... I gained a certain amount of confidence from that. I appreciate that if I want to make a wood pendant or build a frame, I have the skills to do it myself. My advice for someone who is working to overcome their fears of the machinery would be to keep a little bit of it. Don't be afraid to try, but be respectful of the machine and pay attention. When my focus strays is when I nip my finger with the saw. Every time.

Elizabeth: I love your latest series of tiny vessel necklaces. What inspired them?

Lisa: I have 4 young kids who are always picking me the tiniest of flowers when we go out to the woods. Violets and hepatica are dwarfed by my smallest vase and are usually wilted by the time we return from our walks. I thought it would be wonderful to have a place to carry these sweet little offerings while we walked. I figured a little wearable vase would allow me to keep my hands free while bringing our flowers back home and would make my kids feel pretty proud too.

Elizabeth: Your most recent vessel necklaces were made from cutting up an acacia wood giraffe sculpture (your childrens’ reactions and your solution to their distress made me smile).  Do you often cut things up to reuse the wood? Do you find yourself assessing objects for their recyclability? What do you have your eye on next?  

Lisa: When I start a new project, crafty or otherwise, I always try to think of what I could use that I already have on hand. I've plucked wood from the firewood pile, brought home cedar shakes being thrown out from home renovations, and cut up a few teak bowls, but Mr. Giraffe was the first figurine for me. (I'm so glad I did though, the wood was gorgeous!) I'm always thinking "ooh, what could I make with that?" and bringing home "treasure" to be remade. Since my experience with Mr. Giraffe was so positive I'll be watching the thrift stores for more knick knacks and I'm excited about the types of wood that are out there, disguised as giraffes, for me to try.

 

Elizabeth: What are some of the creative things you enjoy doing with your children?

Lisa: My kids love to needle-felt with me, paint, and make nests for the birds out of grass. (they're big helpers) They also decorate cookies like champs.

Elizabeth: You already work in quite a variety of mediums, but what craft or art skill have you not mastered yet that you would like to try?

Lisa: I would like to try crochet. I'd love to sit down and crochet myself a little basket out of jute someday.

Elizabeth: What is your idea of a perfect day?

Lisa: A perfect day for me would involve sunshine, a good cup of coffee, a walk in the woods or at the beach, sewing on the back porch, watching the kids catch frogs, gathering food from our garden for dinner and dining outside, and all of us sitting around the campfire watching the stars. A nap might be nice too.

Thank you, Lisa!