✨ A Magical Place✨
Inspiration for the Oquirrh Mountain Fairies book “Jeffy’s Garden”, started with the Fishingham Garden: A personal / private garden of Jeff Fisher & Ed Cunningham, located in the Arbor Lodge neighborhood of North Portland, in Oregon.
Before Jeff became famous for his garden, he was famous in the design industry. See his interview in Area of Design, an art non-profit based in the United States that showcases creatives around the world. I highlight shortened clips of his answers below; words that really stuck out to me, a budding designer taking steps to come out of hiding…
QUESTION: What has kept you in the Graphic Design business for over 25 years?
Passion, plain and simple. I’ve loved art since I was a kid and never looked back. Nearly three decades later, I’m still excited every day to create. My roles in publishing, advertising, and fashion prepared me to thrive as an independent designer.(The article was written many years ago. Jeff was four decades strong in professional design.)
His answer describes the fabulous speaker I met at HOW Design, back in the day when there were creative conferences. He helped us to promote our brand. I met him in 2008 and since then always signed up for “after-events” where he was there, sometimes with Von Glitschka, another creative that inspired me, an illustrator for the rest of us creatives.
Events like Dinner & Design, where a bunch of us from the old HOW forum would gather, talk shop, share goody-bags from our home town, eat, drink, exchange mix-CD’s, and show & tell our latest projects. That was some gooooood times! No other place in the world could you gather like this with people who GET YOU. I knew that I had found my tribe!
I would always look for Jeff and Von’s classes during HOW conference because of their passion for branding. It meant a lot to me, not only to hear them speak, but to chat during the conference. At that time, there was no other place I could get clear direction to promote my brand, deep-dive understanding of how to create stellar files under-the hood, introductions to new tech and how to use it. Plus the swag was out of this world! Posters, paper sample books, lasered dog tags, screen print tees, personalized HOW Con planner, and my favorite, a set of Adobe Acrobat magnets! I still have this stuff! The experience, the people, the swag – helped make me who I am today. I am grateful to HOW and the 4000+ attendees I call friends. Thank you all!
Here’s another interview question from Jeff’s AOD article, and my summary of his answer:
Why does logo design interest you?
“I love distilling a brand’s story into its simplest visual form. Every logo I create blends art, strategy, and play. The best ideas often strike out of nowhere—and those sparks usually lead to the final design.”
~Jeff Fisher
These are the thoughts and words that helped me to look at my own motivations, think, develop, and launch my own brand into the world back in 2010: Parke Creative.
Up until then, I had just one person that mentored me a decade before; an old boss that rose from our ranks, to manager and took us all under her wing. Now I had folks like Jeff Fisher and Von Glitschka, two pillars in the design community, take time during after-events, to listen and help guide my career. I wasn’t the only one. I’m positive that between Von and Jeff, they have touched the lives of THOUSANDS of creatives. The ripple is huge. For me, their influence has touched a second generation: my own daughter! I had the opportunity to bring her to one of the last HOWcons – and she was inspired! She is a creative today, in part, because of your passion. Ya’ll are my design heroes!
I am especially touched by something Jeff said to me recently:
“The time of the HOW Conference, HOWies, and the HOW Forum was certainly special. I’m sorry designers now don’t have the opportunity to connect in the same way.
You were always one of the standouts. Kelly, you put yourself out there with enthusiasm, intelligent questions, and genuine friendship. Your entrepreneurial spirit is amazing!”
Thank you Jeff. I learned from the best!!! <3
A Look Back at HOW Design Conference
Design Work & My favorite book by Jeff Fisher
Design Work & My Favorite Book by Von Glitschka
My last HOW conference was 2017, the second year that I was tapped as a HOW Champion. That too, was a great and different experience.
Oh wait…there was that meetup in 2012 – I flew to Eugene, Oregon to support fellow HOWie, Danita Reynolds when she opened up her new business, Dancing Weasel. How lucky were we to have Jeff visit too!!! We got to hang out all day.
By 2018 I had graduated with the final college degree in my educational pursuits: BA in Digital Media & Interactive Design. My educational journey included other degreed courses in Illustration, Design, Marketing, Technology, and Motion Graphics.
I was ready to invest fully in my brand and turn years of education, HOW, corporate, and freelance experience into my next chapter.
Then Jeff Retired
By the time I had launched my first book in 2019, Jeff loved sharing glimpses of his garden — bright blooms and cheerful ‘Fishingham Gardengrams’ that always brought joy. I was completely drawn in, not realizing at the time that he was also enduring increasing pain.
When October 2021 hit, eight years into his CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) diagnosis, he had to shut down his Jeff Fisher LogoMotives website and focus his creative efforts on The Fishingham Garden, as a medical therapy.
This “retirement” changed his life drastically.
In time, Jeff’s CRPS limited how much he could tend his beloved garden, yet he kept us informed with openness and courage. It was encouraging to learn that Ketamine infusions provided some relief from his chronic pain.
Though he didn’t post as often, seeing him out in his garden always made me smile.
THAT'S WHEN IT HIT ME!
While I was working on another book, I couldn’t help but be inspired by Jeff’s garden. It was so full of color and life — beautifully designed, incredibly organized, and somehow all fit into this small space that wrapped perfectly around his house. I was in awe.
So, in 2022, while writing “Mineral Beauty”, I thought maybe I’d just go down to the local nursery in Tooele, Utah – for inspiration. I went. I saw. It was a beautiful nursery, and the people there were so gracious. I ended up having a fantastic client photo shoot there for Simple Elegance, a bath and candle company. But it didn’t feel quite right for my fairy inspiration.
At that time, I wasn’t even sure what my next book would be, but I just knew that being in Jeff’s garden would help me figure it out!
2023 ROAD TRIP TO THE OREGON COAST!
Jeff agreed to let me, not only photograph his entire garden, back and front – from the ground up (fairy perspective); he allowed me to create a little Jeffy gardener fairy, which was inspired by a photo of him as a child and as an adult.
THAT WAS MY AHA MOMENT!!!
My next book had a name “Jeffy’s Garden”!!!!!!!!
It was a perfect day for a photo shoot. Ed set up a nice luncheon at the garden table and then we had take-out in the house after the shoot. I’m grateful for their hospitality and friendship.
My youngest daughter, a fire-spinner, took the trip with me (she’s the one singing in that road-trip clip). So I also took the opportunity to get photos of her spinning fire batons on Canon beach!
She also helped me out in the garden, taking videos of bees doing their thing, plus recording an interview with Jeff, which you’ll find just below the photos.
Interview With Jeff Fisher
Go behind the garden gate for an intimate conversation with one of Portland, Oregon’s most celebrated gardeners: Jeff Fisher.
Known for his vibrant color palettes and meticulous design, he opens up about his creative process, inspirations, and the quiet magic (and the not-so-glamorous), that fills his days among the blooms.
With humor, grace, and a twinkle of wonder, Jeff even inquires where the fairies might be hiding.
This is more than an interview of a famous gardener, it’s a look into the life of my former design mentor, a journey through art, nature, and imagination.
Right after that interview with Jeff and a wonderful road trip to the Oregon coast, a whole lot of life happened…
Got back to my day job of 3+ years, only to be let go after they were purchased by another company.
That put a dent into the production of Jeffy’s Garden, so I came up with a junior edition, book #3 in the Oquirrh Mountain Fairies series “Mineral Power”, to have at that year’s Mineral Show.
At that point, being an author was a hobby I did on weekends, with a booth at an annual mineral and rock show.
In 2024 I had a great day job as Marketing Manager for Pillar Machine.
The time came when I was ready to take my book hobby to the next level.
I applied and was selected, out of 5000 applicants, to participate in an entrepreneurial reality show called The Blox.
It was like a 3-month business class, taken in 7 days. These were 12-hour days, packed with learning all day and live-round competitions at night.
I came away with a whole new perspective and an education from successful entrepreneurs.
After just launching Oquirrh Mountain Fairies as a seasonal business, my life and new business had to be put on hold, left my job, and helped my husband because he couldn’t work anymore.
We moved from Utah to Florida and began to live our new life in October 2024.
More life happened as I ran into a few health issues while looking for property and a home to build on it.
Finishing “Jeffy’s Garden” came with its challenges, but perseverance and inspiration carried me through. I’m thrilled to share that my fourth book is complete.
IT’S NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!!! YAY!!!! Order your copy today!
