The Love of Creation

art·ist /ˈärdəst/ noun a person who practices any of the various creative arts. The word art derives from the Latin "ars" (stem art-), which, although literally defined means "skill method" or "technique", also conveys a connotation of beauty.

I am the granddaughter of artists. I am the daughter of artists. I am the sister of artists. I am the mother of artists.

I am an artist.

My grandmother was a well known impressionist painter and collagist. My grandfather designed jewelry. My mother is a multi-medium artist: paint, collage, stained glass, mosaic, jewelry, and gourmet cook. My father designed beautiful furniture and was an exquisite photographer. My brothers and sister are all artists.

I was raised to love and respect design. I raised my children to love art and use design in their own ways. Design will always be the center of my life.

Established more than 30 years ago as LJM Designs, I began as a decorative furniture painter. Then, like my maternal grandfather, I expanded into jewelry design. Like my mother, I used design in the kitchen in the form of recipe experimentation and creation. I owned a cookie business for decades, Broody Hill Cookies. Every Holiday Season, I used to bake thousands of cookies for my friends and their children as my holiday gift to them. Today, I continue with LJM Granola. The concept of creating my own flavors and recipes, and then sharing with others, makes me whole. I thrive on it.

Fast forward to 2020 when the global pandemic joined our lives. I needed to find a creative outlet. Being new to the South Shore, I found various shells on the beaches. I wondered how I could use them in my everyday life…dishes, jewelry & ornaments, of course. After many experimentations with handmade papers and collage, I decided to utilize a medium from my not too distant past—Acrylic Pour. I spent weeks perfecting the art of AP on a shell and here we are. In the summer of 2022, an ocean bacteria kept the oyster shells from growing. All I could find were tiny shells. I pivoted yet again and took these wee shells, painted them, and created pendants. And yet again, I find myself designing jewelry. It’s all a wondrous, cyclical journey!

Welcome to LJM Designs Norwell.

Leslie J. Mitchell.