Mother Stories
Artist Jen Garrido And Her Adorable Mini-Me, Jemma Bee
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Maria Del Rio
Jul 30, 2014
All moms wear lots of hats. But Jen Garrido might wear a few more than the rest of us. The fine artist and S.F. resident not only creates stunning acrylic-and-watercolor masterpieces, she also produces quirky-cool printed tea towels, napkins, clutches, and other accessories under the name Jenny Pennywood, more affordable works of art on paper under the name Jennifer Jenny Jen Jen, and is on the verge of launching a children’s wear line, See Sun, with her friend and fellow printmaker Lena Corwin. Oh, and there might be a womenwear line in the works, too. Of course, another role she’s wholly dedicated to is raising her incredibly spirited 3 1/2 year old, Jemma Bee. Here, the many monikered mom invites us into her Bernal Heights home (and her studio a short drive away) to talk about balancing it all.
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- "Secondhand, mix of patterns, textures, colors, and lots of chachkies." Jemma Bee and Jen in their living room. Jen wears a top by Black Crane and vintage Wranglers. Jemma wears Old Navy jeggings and a batik shirt from General Store.
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- "We found it on Craigslist. The woman we bought it from lived in a beautiful mid-century home about an hour out of the city. It had been covered in plastic for 50 years in her living room and went virtually un-sat on. It was made custom for her—her name is on the tag on the inside of the couch. We had to have new foam put in it, but other than that, it is the perfect couch for having a kid, since it hides everything and still looks good. The pillows were found over the years at flea markets and estate sales. One of them was found at an antique store in Ashville, North Carolina."
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- "The one in the living room came from a friend who brought it back from Morocco, the others were all purchased at estate sales or flea markets."
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- "My current favorite is the new, huge plant and vintage Gainey planter that we recently got at an estate sale."
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- "My philosophy is that a home is always changing and is never complete. We chose things that aren’t very precious and live with them for a while and then switch them out with something else we find later. We do flea markets, thrift stores, Craigslist, garage sales, etc. We love treasure hunting."
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- "I love the living room because of the couch and the plant (Monstera Deliciosa). It's the most sparsely furnished room in our house, which I like. But I think my favorite room is Jemma’s room. I like how the carpet feels inviting to sit on." Jemma, belting out "Let It Go," wears Old Navy jeggings and a Jenny Pennywood dress. Jen wears a vintage dress and No.6 clogs.
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- The rug, the shoes, the Mr. Potato Head...we want it all!
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- Jenny Pennywood pillows fill Jemma's bed. The navy blue convertible crib was scored on Walmart.com.
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- "It is a mix of art that I’ve made from different times in my career, friends' work, and pieces we found at the flea market."
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- "The good is I feel much more clarity than before. Not sure what the bad is...maybe that there are so many things to be responsible for and that has its challenges."
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- "I nursed Jemma until she was 2 years old. I felt like I wanted both her and I to be okay with being done so I, in a way, let her lead. I never thought I would be like that. I thought I would have 'harder edges' around things, especially nursing. It also surprises me how much I’m into co-sleeping. It feels natural to me and all the snuggling is so sweet. She sleeps well, we all sleep well, and it is a win-win, except there is an occasional pee in the bed or karate chop to the neck…but we survive and laugh about it later...sort of."
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- A close-up of Jemma's treasures.
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- "How much pure joy I am able to feel."
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- "Crazy drivers, freak accidents, or illnesses, that kind of thing."
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- "My favorite thing in Jemma’s room is the rug and the little animal heads on the wall that hold her necklaces. She says her costumes."
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- "Choose the people you want to listen to and ignore all of the other chatter regarding parenting, try not to compare yourself to others, be easy on yourself, and be sure to give lots of kisses, hugs, and tell your kids you love them lots of times a day."
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- "We had a list of names and Jemma was on the top of the list. It just felt right."
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- Such a beauty.
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- "I would describe our room as small! It is a little jungly because of the plant that hangs over the bed, which is a favorite thing in our bedroom. I also love the curtains and curtain rod. My Grandma had the plant on her porch and it was looking pretty sad. When she passed away, we rescued it. That was about 8 years ago. The curtains I painted and my husband made the curtain rods."
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- "We used to live in a 700 square-foot cottage on the same block as we live now. We lived there for 7 years. When Jemma was 1, we got the opportunity to rent the house we are living in now. It has 3 bedrooms, with a garage and a backyard. My husband thinks it is a mansion (it is probably 1000 square feet). We’ve been here 2.5 years. We feel grateful and lucky because we love our neighborhood and if we hadn’t been given this opportunity, we would have had to leave San Francisco."
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- "I think that I feel so full. Sometimes I feel full in a bad, overwhelmed way, but mostly in a good 'full.'" Jen wears a dress of her own design, an Eberjey bra, and Birkenstocks. Jemma wears a vintage shirt and shorts from Target.
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- Shady lady.
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- "A hot, sunny day, I have an ice tea, she is being a good listener, we go to the park and play a while, then she goes home, has a good lunch and eats, and then takes a nap with no arguing."
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- "Her sense of humor, that she is always singing and dancing, and that she is always up for participating...she is a 'jump in' kind of person."
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- "Not really. But what I do feel is totally inspired and motivated my women who are ambitious. If they happen to be a mother, that makes it more relatable and in some cases more inspiring."
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- "I didn’t know this answer, so I asked my friends. They came up with 'California tomboy with a boho sensibility.' That makes me cringe a bit, but I’m going with it." Jen, in her kitchen, wears a J.Crew tank top and vintage Wranglers. Jemma wears a Jenny Pennywood dress with matching biker shorts.
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- "Not really. I guess I just want things to be simpler, more comfortable, easy to throw on, and I want to feel good in my clothes. I hate too tight of jeans now and uncomfortable shoes."
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- "Jeans, clogs, t-shirts, cardigans, sweatshirts, and sneakers."
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- "A typical day looks like a t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and sweater or cardigan. Night-out would probably be a peasant-y, loose-fitting shirt, jeans, and clogs."
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- "I’m an avid thrifter and flea market goer and about 90% of my wardrobe comes from that. When I was planning my wedding I decided to have my wedding dress made. I met Glenda who is a seamstress who lives in my neighborhood. I now see her several times a month. I can buy anything and she alters it to fit me perfectly. So, if I find a vintage t-shirt and it is too big or the neck is too tight, I have her fix it."
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- "A new pair of everyday clogs, tons of Micaela Greg knitted items, I'm always hunting for the perfect jeans, a new pair of Nike patterned sneakers, and the perfect t-shirt or tank in every color. Jemma only wants to wear frilly dresses right now, which drives me nuts. But if I had to choose, I’d have her in cute sweatshirts and skirts or jeans and little fringe moccasins."
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- "Before Jemma and before the economy took a dive in 2008, I felt strongly about the ways in which I wanted to see my work. It was all about a gallery and white walls. Because of that, I said no to many things that came my way. I regret some of the decisions I made then. But after I had Jemma, I decided that I would go with the flow more, meaning that I decided to say 'yes' more. I just want to work and make things—painting, drawing, textiles, whatever. I figured out that I’m okay with my work leaning in more of a commercial direction. It seems to be a better fit right now. Also, Jenny Pennywood has taken more of the front seat. When I was just doing fine art, I was so conflicted and when I gave more focus to Jenny Pennywood, I felt more free." Jen and Jemma in her Bayview art studio.
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- "I only had 10 hours of childcare a week from the time she was 7 months old until 2 years old. When I had less childcare, it was hard because I have a drive to work and even though I love Jemma and spending time with her, I still had a drive to make art and work on my career. She now goes to childcare 4 full days a week and it allows me the space to be in my process and that makes me a happier woman and mother."
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- "Everything except the not steady paycheck. I love working for myself."
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- Sandal sisters.
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- "My friend Lena Corwin and I are doing a small collection of kids' clothing called See Sun. We are pretty excited about it. It will be ready in the fall (we hope). See Sun and Jenny Pennywood are both doing West Coast Craft, which will be the first show we have done. Also, I’m always making paintings, plus I’m working on adding some more items to my Jenny Pennywood assortment and I’m embarking on making some simple clothes for adults, too."
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- "I’m not sure what it is. It feels much more celebrated to me. Or it could be that I feel like celebrating it more? Could it be social media showing it in a way that seems appealing, or that social media shows women seeming to be doing it all: mothering, working, being creative beings, taking care of themselves? I like to see it. It feels nice to see it."
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- "Sometimes when someone recommends something, but I’m not really not seeking them out."
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- "The mix of people."
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- "Most likely if we had to leave S.F., we would go to Los Angeles. I love the weather, I grew up there, and we have a lot of family there."
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- "Get an ice tea, going to the flea market or farmers market, having lunch, going out to the beach, visiting friends."
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- The sweetest kind of love.
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Only a couple of barefoot pictures for this mommy. Her pedicure is lovely and her toes look to be in a nice proportional length to each other.