Paula Jensen
Artistic Goals:
Exploration of self expression through fine artistic metal work. Sculptural and/or
functional. Sharing a perspective or ideas through the visual arts. To Create works of
art that are suitable to projects, fulfilling the artistic needs of clients. Ability to work
with clients from the conception to completion of projects.
Qualifications: Fine art paintings using oil, acrylic, water color, colored pencil, pen
and ink, egg tempera. 1982-present day. (two dimensional work has taken a back
seat to the metalwork) Owner/operator Earth Eagle Forge, artist metal-
smith/blacksmith 2001 to present day. Design by sketching and execution of those
designs in metal using blacksmithing forge techniques, gas or coal forge, welding,
plasma cutting, grinding, oxy/acetylene torch, repousse/chasing metal, (creating
pictorial images in sheet metals), power hammer and hand held hammers with anvil,
cold forming sheet metal.
Education:
Staples High School, Staples Minnesota 1982. Bemidji State University, Bemidji
Minnesota, Fine Art studies (1986-1990 No degree). Guild of Metal-smiths
conferences Hastings Minnesota, educational yearly event (3 days of
demonstrations), I have attended since 1998. Northern Minnesota Metal-smiths
conferences, yearly 3 day demonstrations. Self taught metalwork into art objects,
ongoing for life.
Exhibit History: Solo, MacRostie Gallery, Grand Rapids Minnesota. June 1995.
Bemidji Art Center Members Show, 2005, 2007. Northern Minnesota Metalsmith's
spring conference, 2002-2009. “Fall Has it All” Northern Lights Casino Walker
Minnesota, 2005-2010. “A Woman’s Perspective on Mind, Body, Spirit” Multimedia
art exhibition, Hjemkomst Center Moorhead Minnesota, January -March, 2007.
Bloomington Art Center “Art in the Home” February 2008. Canton Museum of Art
“Something From Nothing” November 2009-March 2010. Juried American Craft
Council St. Paul MN Show, April 16-18 2010. Bemidji Art in the Park July 2010.
Annual Juried Art Exhibition MacRostie Gallery, August 2010 Grand Rapids
Minnesota. Park Rapids Minnesota 2 day Art Cruise, September 2010, Bemidji
Minnesota 3 day Art Crawl, October 2010. Womans Art Registry of Minnesota
(WARM) "Temporality" exhibit; Grain Belt Bottling House Minneapolis Minnesota,
March 4th-31st, 2011
Press: Herald Review, Grand Rapids Minnesota May 1995. A.B.A.N.A.’s Anvil Ring,
fall addition 2003. Anvil Ring fall addition volume 35, number 1, 2006. Lake Country
Journal, Augus/September issue 2008. Tidewater Blacksmith Guild, May 2009.
Television Interview: Lakeland T.V. PBS “Common Ground” second episode, January
2010. Bemidji Pioneer October 22, "Artist Forges Her Raw Talent",KUMD 103.3
Duluth MN Radio Gallery interview March 16 2011, Pilot-Independent Walker MN
March 16, 2011. Interview, Lakeland Public Television newscast, April 8 2011.
Awards: Honorable Mention, 2010 Bemidji Art in the Park, Bemidji Minnesota.
Honorable Mention, 2010 Annual Juried Art Exhibition MacRostie Gallery.
Mentorship Program: Region 2 Arts, Bemidji Minnesota. Mentored a high school
child 2010-2011, Selection committee for Region 2 Arts 2011 Mentorship Program.
Galleries, Past and Present:
Gallery North Bemidji Minnesota 1992-1995. (President 1994) Smokey Hills
studio/gallery, Park Rapids Minnesota. Summer 1994.
Siverstson’s Gallery, Grand Marais Minnesota, Something Original Grand Rapids
Minnesota, Artisan Mall, Walker Minnesota.
Professional Memberships:
Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (A.B.A.N.A.) American Craft Council
New York office and Minnesota office. Guild of Metalsmith's St. Paul Minnesota.
Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington Minnesota. Society of Minnesota Sculptors.
Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota.
Public Installation: Forged handrail and exterior handicap handrail installed at the
Malvik Lutheran Church, Laporte Minnesota 2002. “The Rock”, painting egg tempera
on paper. Installed Northland Technical College, Thief River Falls Minnesota, 2004.
Forged handrail installed at the Aardahl Lutheran Church, Bemidji Minnesota 2005.
Fabricated fire escape installed exterior of The Cabin Coffee House, Bemidji
Minnesota 2008.
Employment Related: Welder, Wilkening Fireplace, Walker Minnesota 1998-2001.
Temp Welder, Even Aire Solway Minnesota, 1994. Welded pipe for Even Aire from
home shop prier to employment.
None related metalwork employment has been Bemidji school district food service
1994-1996. Gas station attendant 1990-1992. Bemidji Fleet stock person 1998 (left
for better pay at Wilkening). Raising three children/stay at home mom in between any
employment.
Additional Information:
Experience of any kind influence ones ability to be creative and to adapt.
I have been a wife and mother for over 20 years. This being said, how does one
accurately depict that in a resume? Domestic life is important to mention in that it has
been such a large part of my existence and bares mentioning in the development of
my personal character as well as the art that come from these two hands.
Life long partner and husband: Larry Jensen
Artistic Goals:
Exploration of self expression through fine artistic metal work. Sculptural and/or
functional. Sharing a perspective or ideas through the visual arts. To Create works of
art that are suitable to projects, fulfilling the artistic needs of clients. Ability to work
with clients from the conception to completion of projects.
Qualifications: Fine art paintings using oil, acrylic, water color, colored pencil, pen
and ink, egg tempera. 1982-present day. (two dimensional work has taken a back
seat to the metalwork) Owner/operator Earth Eagle Forge, artist metal-
smith/blacksmith 2001 to present day. Design by sketching and execution of those
designs in metal using blacksmithing forge techniques, gas or coal forge, welding,
plasma cutting, grinding, oxy/acetylene torch, repousse/chasing metal, (creating
pictorial images in sheet metals), power hammer and hand held hammers with anvil,
cold forming sheet metal.
Education:
Staples High School, Staples Minnesota 1982. Bemidji State University, Bemidji
Minnesota, Fine Art studies (1986-1990 No degree). Guild of Metal-smiths
conferences Hastings Minnesota, educational yearly event (3 days of
demonstrations), I have attended since 1998. Northern Minnesota Metal-smiths
conferences, yearly 3 day demonstrations. Self taught metalwork into art objects,
ongoing for life.
Exhibit History: Solo, MacRostie Gallery, Grand Rapids Minnesota. June 1995.
Bemidji Art Center Members Show, 2005, 2007. Northern Minnesota Metalsmith's
spring conference, 2002-2009. “Fall Has it All” Northern Lights Casino Walker
Minnesota, 2005-2010. “A Woman’s Perspective on Mind, Body, Spirit” Multimedia
art exhibition, Hjemkomst Center Moorhead Minnesota, January -March, 2007.
Bloomington Art Center “Art in the Home” February 2008. Canton Museum of Art
“Something From Nothing” November 2009-March 2010. Juried American Craft
Council St. Paul MN Show, April 16-18 2010. Bemidji Art in the Park July 2010.
Annual Juried Art Exhibition MacRostie Gallery, August 2010 Grand Rapids
Minnesota. Park Rapids Minnesota 2 day Art Cruise, September 2010, Bemidji
Minnesota 3 day Art Crawl, October 2010. Womans Art Registry of Minnesota
(WARM) "Temporality" exhibit; Grain Belt Bottling House Minneapolis Minnesota,
March 4th-31st, 2011
Press: Herald Review, Grand Rapids Minnesota May 1995. A.B.A.N.A.’s Anvil Ring,
fall addition 2003. Anvil Ring fall addition volume 35, number 1, 2006. Lake Country
Journal, Augus/September issue 2008. Tidewater Blacksmith Guild, May 2009.
Television Interview: Lakeland T.V. PBS “Common Ground” second episode, January
2010. Bemidji Pioneer October 22, "Artist Forges Her Raw Talent",KUMD 103.3
Duluth MN Radio Gallery interview March 16 2011, Pilot-Independent Walker MN
March 16, 2011. Interview, Lakeland Public Television newscast, April 8 2011.
Awards: Honorable Mention, 2010 Bemidji Art in the Park, Bemidji Minnesota.
Honorable Mention, 2010 Annual Juried Art Exhibition MacRostie Gallery.
Mentorship Program: Region 2 Arts, Bemidji Minnesota. Mentored a high school
child 2010-2011, Selection committee for Region 2 Arts 2011 Mentorship Program.
Galleries, Past and Present:
Gallery North Bemidji Minnesota 1992-1995. (President 1994) Smokey Hills
studio/gallery, Park Rapids Minnesota. Summer 1994.
Siverstson’s Gallery, Grand Marais Minnesota, Something Original Grand Rapids
Minnesota, Artisan Mall, Walker Minnesota.
Professional Memberships:
Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (A.B.A.N.A.) American Craft Council
New York office and Minnesota office. Guild of Metalsmith's St. Paul Minnesota.
Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington Minnesota. Society of Minnesota Sculptors.
Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota.
Public Installation: Forged handrail and exterior handicap handrail installed at the
Malvik Lutheran Church, Laporte Minnesota 2002. “The Rock”, painting egg tempera
on paper. Installed Northland Technical College, Thief River Falls Minnesota, 2004.
Forged handrail installed at the Aardahl Lutheran Church, Bemidji Minnesota 2005.
Fabricated fire escape installed exterior of The Cabin Coffee House, Bemidji
Minnesota 2008.
Employment Related: Welder, Wilkening Fireplace, Walker Minnesota 1998-2001.
Temp Welder, Even Aire Solway Minnesota, 1994. Welded pipe for Even Aire from
home shop prier to employment.
None related metalwork employment has been Bemidji school district food service
1994-1996. Gas station attendant 1990-1992. Bemidji Fleet stock person 1998 (left
for better pay at Wilkening). Raising three children/stay at home mom in between any
employment.
Additional Information:
Experience of any kind influence ones ability to be creative and to adapt.
I have been a wife and mother for over 20 years. This being said, how does one
accurately depict that in a resume? Domestic life is important to mention in that it has
been such a large part of my existence and bares mentioning in the development of
my personal character as well as the art that come from these two hands.
Life long partner and husband: Larry Jensen
Artist Statement
I have been creating art most of my life working in the two dimensional. My husband,
Larry, introduced me to metal work and there began the exploration into the three
dimensional. In the past, I have worked as a welder fabricator for a few different
business’. In April of 2001 I became self employed in order to pursue a metal art career
through my business Earth Eagle Forge.
Much of my inspiration come from nature, plants and wildlife is where I find inspiration.
Despite all the concrete and steel on our planet, my hope is to remind others of the
natural world that we all live, through organic art forms.
The majority of my work has been taking and completing functional metal commissions.
My goal is to delve into the sculptural arena from small to large scale work. I believe art is
an important way of communicating ideas and concepts. By creating sculptures, I hope to
encourage questions as to the direction of our lives as individuals and as the people of our
planet. Attempting to say; life is about choices, think about it?
My work help refine my thoughts and feelings into something that is visually recognizable.
Visual art has been liberating for me as a means to express and in turn, hopefully speak
to the individual. Art work should speak to the soul because it comes out of the soul.
I have been creating art most of my life working in the two dimensional. My husband,
Larry, introduced me to metal work and there began the exploration into the three
dimensional. In the past, I have worked as a welder fabricator for a few different
business’. In April of 2001 I became self employed in order to pursue a metal art career
through my business Earth Eagle Forge.
Much of my inspiration come from nature, plants and wildlife is where I find inspiration.
Despite all the concrete and steel on our planet, my hope is to remind others of the
natural world that we all live, through organic art forms.
The majority of my work has been taking and completing functional metal commissions.
My goal is to delve into the sculptural arena from small to large scale work. I believe art is
an important way of communicating ideas and concepts. By creating sculptures, I hope to
encourage questions as to the direction of our lives as individuals and as the people of our
planet. Attempting to say; life is about choices, think about it?
My work help refine my thoughts and feelings into something that is visually recognizable.
Visual art has been liberating for me as a means to express and in turn, hopefully speak
to the individual. Art work should speak to the soul because it comes out of the soul.
Favorite Quote:
"The influence of a vital person vitalizes... The world without spirit is a wasteland. People have
the notion of saving the world by shifting things around, changing the rules, and who's on top,
and so forth. No, no! Any world is a valid world if it's alive. The thing to do is to bring life to it, and
the only way to do that is to find in your own case where the life is and become alive yourself."
~Joseph Campbell
"The influence of a vital person vitalizes... The world without spirit is a wasteland. People have
the notion of saving the world by shifting things around, changing the rules, and who's on top,
and so forth. No, no! Any world is a valid world if it's alive. The thing to do is to bring life to it, and
the only way to do that is to find in your own case where the life is and become alive yourself."
~Joseph Campbell