28/04/26

Mother's Day Muse — Ophelia Mikkelson Jones

a warm afternoon with the artist and her son...

mother and child in the kitchen cooking together

Happiest when perched close to the ocean, painter and photographer Ophelia Mikkelson Jones lives in a little green cottage near Mangawhai Beach, with her husband Ryder Jones and their son Emanuel.

Ophelia's work has been part of Tessuti for several years, taking the forms of hand-painted still lifes, a photographic book about flowers, recipe writing & cooking on shoots, lush imagery, styling, and more. It is therefore a great pleasure to have Ophelia be our Mother's Day Muse this year. We have witnessed her evolution as a maker and her blossoming as a mother, watching how these two worlds have combined into a life unique to Ophelia and her family.

Ophelia's sparky banter, roaring laugh and supreme gentleness are prevalent in her son Emanuel. For example, as soon as we arrive, Emanuel proudly shows us around his room: "My cotton turtle, this magnetic garage, see the bird spotting book, and here's a Duplo tower taller than me!" But his most prized possession is his treasure boxes, filled mostly with rocks, revealing their family values and the encouragement to see everyday objects as magical.

Inside the cottage, sun pours across their dining table, set with fresh dahlias, shells, and a half opened book, and we are served fresh tulsi leaf tea steaming from green cups. The day before, Emanuel had received a small white bantam chicken egg from a neighbouring farm and had saved it for his lunch. He helped crack it into a bowl, enjoyed whisking his little fingers through the mixture, and together with Ophelia, they made fresh egg sushi rolls.

close up of small boy wearing a sea life t shirt and pearl bracelet

mother ties apron onto to child in their kitchen

Ophelia's home is quiet and charming, warmed by collectibles that value the handcrafted, such as artwork from friends and nature's curiosities: shells, wasp nests, collected seed pods, volcanic stones. The kitchen is laden with fresh produce: carrots, quince, grapefruit. The view outside is of native bush and self-grown banana trees, and hand-built flower beds holding on to the last of summer's bounty…

small boy's hand holding a fresh egg yolk

child breaks egg into a green bowl in the kitchen

close up of mother's hand on son's back and apron

mother hold boy over sink to wash his hands

whisked egg goes into the pan with son helping too

mother makes sushi roll with son looking on

sushi roll is being rolled with bamboo sheet

small hand reaches for fresh sushi roll on a sweet painted plate

son reached for chips on a plate at dining table with vase of flowers

mother and son sit at dining table overlooking their garden

mother picks purple sage flowers from the garden with her son

close up of flowers picked for the vase on their table

Thank you Ophelia, Ryder, and Emanuel, for having us at your home!
Happy Mother's Day to everyone in our community.

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