Jill Bliss is a multi-talented individual with a diverse range of skills and interests. She is an artist, naturalist, educator, farmer, caretaker, and deckhand. Her home is on a small island in the Salish Sea located in the Pacific Northwest.
In 2012, she made the decision to sell her house and most of her belongings to relocate to an island and connect with nature after a busy career as a designer in New York and San Francisco. Utilizing a variety of vibrant wild fungi, she transforms them into stunning arrangements and photographs them for her project called Nature Medleys. Check out some of our favorite pieces below. You can follow the artist on Instagram and find much of her work available for purchase in her online shop.
Bliss has invested all of her life savings into purchasing a modest half-acre of cleared land on a small island that has 30 full-time households, where she plans to spend the rest of her days living in tune with nature. She enjoys satisfying her nomadic lifestyle by inhabiting various off-grid cabins on small islands, preferably with wild animals and semi-feral people as neighbors, mentors, and muses. During these months, she hibernates, reflects, observes discreet moments in nature, creates art, sleeps, reads, cooks, chops wood, stocks wood stove fires, hikes, and kayaks in the rain.
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The narrative is centered on an unexpected visitor who transformed a man’s existence. Alex never imagined that he would become fond of felines, until a homeless tabby unexpectedly arrived at his doorstep and made direct eye contact with him.
As per the man’s recollection, he would often catch sight of a cat peering in through his window while he was having his lunch or engaged in some other activity. Initially, he assumed that the feline wanted to come inside and join him. So, he would approach the door but as soon as the cat noticed him, it would scurry away.
Despite his fear of humans, the ginger cat frequented Alex’s doorstep daily. Initially, Alex believed the cat belonged to one of his neighbors, but he soon realized that the feline was malnourished and in need of assistance. In an effort to help his new furry friend, Alex began setting out a bowl of food each day for him to enjoy.
Although the cat gratefully accepted the food, he continued to exhibit fear whenever Alex appeared on the other side of the glass door. This behavior left Alex feeling disheartened and unsure of how to approach the situation.
He expressed that he used to dream of caressing the stray cat. Over time, the feline started appearing more and more frequently. The cat began to get accustomed to Alex’s presence as well. In no time, the distrustful cat began eating comfortably while being observed by Alex through the glass. It even gained some weight and appeared to have regained its health.
