Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Fillius
Hi Jenny, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Natural born artist. Lucky to have artist parents who encouraged me at every turn. Played with innumerable media with success and at times unsuccessfully
Drawing has always been part of my process. Starting at 4 years old like any other child. Drawing is the foundation for every project whether it was paper mache animals, mosaic birdbaths, wool rugs, paintings… and now tin work.. I have sketch books dating back to 1970. I always try to have one nearby.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest obstacle has been taking challenges personally. For years I seemed to get in my own way. One derogatory comment about my work was heart crushing. Silly me. At one point I was a real estate agent. My broker insisted we go out and door knock for leads. I had so many doors slammed in my face that my skin toughened up around rejection. By the time I was sending out sheets of slides of my paintings and being turned down right and left I was able to take it and keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think the most wonderful thing that can happen to an artist is discovering their perfect medium. Tin was it for me. After a two day work shop I was off and running; tin even filled my dreams for two weeks. Deconstructing and flattening the cookie, cake and candy tins goes pretty quickly with the right tools. Then cutting them up and nailing or pop riveting to wood is really fun. One of the things I love most is the challenge! I try to experiment and try new ways to work with the tin and that sets me apart from most tin artist . I would say I’m known for making happy and humorous art.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Seattle has many venues to show your art in. I think I have shown in every kind of venue, from libraries to cafes, to taverns to an art museum. There’s also a great artist community here. The majority of my friends are artists in one form or other.
Seattle has grown considerably over the last 30 years. Traffic is crazy and rents are sky high for apartments and art studio spaces. Artists who can’t afford the rents get squeezed out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jennyfillius.com
- Instagram: Jenny Fillius
- Facebook: Jenny Fillius
- Youtube: Jenny Fillius
Image Credits
me