Jen Theisen is a Minnesota based artist and adventurer celebrating the intersection of art, nature and joy! Her, artwork, writing and workshops blend her enthusiasm for the outdoors with her career as an artist to inspire, educate and empower others to rediscover their playful nature and creativity on and off the trail! You can learn more about the artist and her adventures at wanderingpine.com , @wandering.pine and @wandering.pine.art
Where Wandering Pine began…
Wandering Pine is my trail name. It started as a nod to my passion for exploring the outdoors and my nature-y namesake.
It’s like returning to my childhood. ’Pine’ is my family name, so when I decided to write a blog, I wanted to capture some of that playfulness. I wanted to go back to the things I loved when I was a kid.
I was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Minnesota as a teenager. I hated winter for the first 20 years and didn’t spend much time outdoors during that time. Through our children, I learned to love the outdoors again and now I’m outside more than they are! I’m really a Minnesotan now: I LOVE Winter, camp year round, make a mean tater tot hotdish, and Lake Superior is my ocean.
About me…
I am married to my college sweetheart and we have two sons that are growing into amazing adults. When I’m not outside, I paint and play my great great grandpa’s fiddle at church every chance I get!
I’m an optimist and joy is my super power.
Some of the coolest spots I’ve backpacked are Glacier National Park, Isle Royale, Grand Canyon and the Superior Hiking Trail. I completed the 310 mile Superior Hiking Trail in a LASH (Long Amazing Section Hike) in 23 days. I’m also an advocate for micro adventures, and you’ll find me hiking all year long.
I believe in the ripple effect, that small changes can make a big difference, and that we all play a part in taking care of each other and the earth.
As a member of the Granite Gear Groundskeepers team, I’ve hauled hundreds of pounds of trash off our public waterways and lands and it’s made me more aware of my own consumption habits. I’m working on it. Every little bit counts.
Life in community…
I believe life is better in community. In addition to Wandering Pine, I give back by volunteering with Women Who Hike, Scouts, leading group hikes and teaching outdoor skill clinics for various organizations. I have been Wilderness First Aid/CPR Certified since 2012, and have led many group treks including backpacking in Glacier National Park and Isle Royale. Completing the Superior Hiking Trail was my biggest trip yet! I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and outdoor community!
“I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable, beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings”
-Mary Oliver
If you would like to connect or work together on a project.
Contact me here.