We recently connected with Lilwen Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lilwen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

At the moment, my most meaningful project is that of “Rose and Marrow”.

A beastly adornment that was crafted to conjure images of how wild the earth can be. How beauty and value can be found within the macabre and decayed. How wildflowers can bloom alongside forgotten bones. Hence the name. She’s a massive statement piece necklace. A copper circlet adorned with a forest-foraged skull. I remember painstakingly laying out and sealing the wild roses and ferns along the weathered surface of the bones. Adding bursts of blush pink and spindly green. The smell of the sealant. When I look at this piece, all I can think about is the sheer amount of time it took me to secure those delicate shards of Quartz. How many crystals broke in my palms. Hours spent wrapping the whole piece in copper. Weaving metal till my hands smelled of nothing but pennies. This necklace holds many creative firsts for me. My first statement piece of such a monstrous size, my first time intertwining pressed plants with bones. But I treasure it most because it was the first creation that ever made it into an exhibition. The show helped me catch a glimpse of what life could be like. It helped me realize that I could actually do this, that I could spend the rest of my days being an artist. Now, three years later, I’m preparing to host my first solo exhibition with the very same gallery that accepted this treasured piece. I’ve made it farther than I ever thought I could and my work continues to grow and improve with every new creation I make. I view “Rose and Marrow” as the touchstone for all of my pieces. Making it the most meaningful creation in my whole collection.

Lilwen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For as long as I can remember, my artistry has been tied to my love of nature. It’s my muse. I love the act of foraging and collecting little pieces of the earth to put into my work. Bright berries, a sparkly stone. weathered bones, flowers, the vibrant colors of a dead butterfly. I’m forever seeking earthly trinkets that catch my eye. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. Every time I step outside my door, I will inevitably fill my pockets with the beautiful little things I find along my path. This desire to collect bits of the wild is what drives me as an artist. I feel like a magpie in some ways. A creature solely interested in the gifts it spies. I’m certain thats where my art stems from. It’s a deep, pulling force within me. An animalistic, primal sort of place that carries this need to appreciate the earth and all it has to offer. My work is created to show others how to see and appreciate these treasured gifts. This idea is the beating heart found within my artistry.

I predominantly work in the mediums of metal-smithing, sculpting, found object artistry, and photography. I often create my jewelry and metalwork to look as though it was unearthed. For my photography to feel as though you’ve been transported to the forests, rivers, and prairies I depict. In its purest from, my work is crafted to inspire your innate interest in nature. To let you carry those aforementioned little vestiges of earth with you. Stones, bits of driftwood, and gleaming shells gathered from along river banks and lakesides. Sun-bleached bones, pressed plants, flowers, insects, nuts, and seeds from the forests and prairies I call home. I’m forever inspired by the idea of combining my handmade creations with the naturally occurring beauty found in the world around us. And I aim to have everyone who purchases my work, carry some of that earth with them.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m constantly striving to create work that shifts someone’s perspective on what is deemed “beautiful” within art and nature. This is the ethos behind my artistry. I try to convey this message in every piece of jewelry or metalwork I create. Especially in relation to my work involving bones. I wish to cast aside the stigma and to show others how to spot the same value I see hidden within the “refuse” of nature.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist, is the ability to see the potential for art wherever I go. I’ll often catch myself drawing inspiration from random finds throughout my day. The vibrance of a bird, the pigment of fresh flowers, the clouds overhead, the way the sun catches the leaves. If I look carefully and closely, I can pick up inspiration wherever I go. Having such a honed eye gives my world a brighter tint. Everything seems to hold more beauty when I’m able to catch glimpses of this hidden art around me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thetwistedoakstudio
• Facebook: @TheTwistedOakStudio
• Twitter: @thetwistedoakstudio

Image Credits
Photos by Lilwen Jones