Greetings! My name is June and I am the creator and maker behind MOTH & TWIG. Thank you for stopping by!

BIO

EARLY DAYS/INFLUENCES
I was born in San Francisco and lived all over the Bay Area until the late 1960s when my family relocated to the Philippines. It was there that I became enthralled with the beauty and wonder of the natural world. As a child, I spent many hours exploring the wilds around me. Unbeknownst to me at the time,  my experiences in the Philippines would set the stage for how I would view life as well as art. We spent the next years moving; forever moving. In addition to living abroad, we also lived in various states in the US including Maryland, California, Washington, and Tennessee to name a few. The Puget Sound in Washington state was by far my favorite area to live in the US, thus beginning my love affair with the Pacific Northwest.

THE WINDING PATH TO ART

As an adult, I spent 15 fun and creative years working in the fashion industry in production and design. I attended university part-time and eventually earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and biological anthropology. I’m certain that my time in the Philippines led me to study anthropology with a focus on primatology. Because of my many interests I couldn't see myself doing just one thing for my entire life, so I continued my studies and earned a Masters Degree in Counseling/Marriage Family Therapy and I switched gears to work in the mental health field, primarily with underserved children and families.

My most important focus in life has been being a mother. I have a loving son, Evan, who resides with his wife Kelsey, and their two children on their sprawling farm in Montana.

A love for the arts has also been a primary focus in my life, incorporating various forms including improvisational theater, screen printing, clothing design, jewelry, and mosaic. 

LIFE IN ART

In the summer of 2002 I embarked on a month-long solo trip to Barcelona, Spain where I spent time exploring the city and the architecture of Antoni Gaudi. My love for mosaics blossomed during my time in Barcelona. Upon returning to my home in the SF Bay Area, I promptly enrolled in classes at the Institute of Mosaic Art and ended up studying mosaics for years under the tutelage of many wonderful teachers. 

I moved to Portland in 2015 and I have been actively involved in the arts in the Portland community. I find that I am happiest when I'm working with my hands, manipulating materials into small, wearable works of art. I enjoy the challenge of creating patterns in small spaces. I utilize various materials including smalti, glass, millefiori, mosaic gold, filati, and ceramic tile from Morocco. Fashioning miniature art pieces into jewelry combines my love for jewelry and mosaic arts where I am able to combine traditional mosaic techniques with daily experimentation. Working small scale requires patience, a steady hand, keen eyesight, and an array of interesting tools. 

GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCES

I am inspired by nature and strong graphic patterns. I tend to favor saturated colors and often work in color palettes inspired by some of my favorite regions including the Pacific Northwest, the Southwestern US, the Mediterranean, and the jungles of Central America. I currently reside in Costa Rica part-time and I am inspired by the colors and textures that I see on a daily basis when I’m in Costa rica.

COSTA RICA BUNGALOW

If you are craving an adventure, you can stay at our beautiful little bungalow in the Montezuma area of Costa Rica. You can find details on Airbnb. It’s a lovely little hideaway where jungle meets ocean, monkeys frolic, agouti scamper, and pizote curiously explore. 

- June Martin