About Me

I wonder as I wander through this indie artist life...

“In retrospect, I can see in my own life what I could not see at the time—how the job I lost [left behind] helped me find work I needed to do, how the 'road closed' sign turned me toward terrain I needed to travel, how losses that felt irredeemable forced me to discern meanings I needed to know. On the surface, it seemed that life was lessening, but silently and lavishly the seeds of new life were always being sown.”
~“Let Your Life Speak", Parker Palmer

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I have both a bachelor's of fine arts in graphic design and a master's of education in teaching (?!). I spent my first five years or so out of college as a graphic designer and freelancer. Then, seeking a "job" that would heal the (artist's) ache I was feeling inside, I turned to teaching--a noble, people-helping profession if ever there was one. of course, misery ensued until I began to listen to my angst.

That said, I have spent most of my adult life figuring out that I really do want to be an artist. My vocational journey has been a difficult one at times, mainly because for so many years I wrestled with feeling like a failure in the corporate world of graphic design. For so long I believed that leaving that world behind meant I was not really an artist and in fact, a lesser person. It has taken me years to understand and accept that my soul was not created to flourish in "corporate" anything!

Motherhood and lots of "inner work" seeking God's voice have helped the healing process along, though there is still so far for me to go.

That's me, mostly. I am petrified and exhilarated to have opened my Hazelnut Cottage Design store on Etsy. It is a yearning fulfilled that I cannot fully express. Making art my life's work, and being a part of a community of fellow indie artists has been my dream before I even knew I had a dream, so thank you, thank you for even being the least little bit interested!

My current artmaking obsessions include learning about jewelry making, papier mache, painting, collage, photography and encaustic. Past loves are wheel throwing, soapmaking and papermaking. I also love to write. I have pretty much tired myself out trying to stick to one medium, and am now seeing what will happen if I just go with my intense and (apparently) unstoppable need to delve into many different artforms. So far, so good.

In my free time (yeah, uh-huh) you can surely find me at the beach, having deep conversations with those I love about things that matter. In a perfect world, I shall one day live in an ocean front cottage with my husband of 16 years, two sons and a one slightly used, pee obsessed cat.

Hoping That What Moves Me Stirs Something in You Too,
Jan Avellana,
Hazelnut Cottage