From Microsoft to Moss: How a Seattle Artist Found Her Calling

Seattle artist Jungim "JJ" Rose creates one-of-a-kind nature-inspired art that brings the beauty of the Pacific Northwest into homes and workplaces. Her journey to becoming a full-time moss artist is every bit as remarkable as the artwork itself.

The turning point came with the pandemic, when Rose and her husband rescued an injured hummingbird they found on a Mercer Island sidewalk. They named the tiny bird Lil Bit. Although the hummingbird survived only a week, caring for it inspired Rose to imagine a tiny natural habitat - an idea that ultimately transformed her life and artistic career. The result? A body of nature-inspired art that is transforming homes and living spaces throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Born in South Korea, where she studied ceramic art, Rose later moved to the United States and built a successful career as a UX designer, working for Microsoft, Expedia and Seattle-area startups. But during the pandemic, she began rethinking her future and wondering how she could combine her lifelong love of art with her desire to create something meaningful.

Inspired by the habitat she had planned for Lil Bit, Rose began to create terrariums filled with moss, rocks and miniature landscapes. Customers began asking her to create similar terrariums to honor loved ones and beloved pets.  Eventually, she realized her art could reach beyond the glass jar, and those tiny worlds she created turned into the large-scale preserved moss art installations she creates today.

Today, Rose creates museum-quality preserved moss artwork for homes, businesses and public spaces throughout the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by the region's forests and natural landscapes, her work has been featured on HGTV's Unsellable Houses, and in 2023 she was invited by Chihuly Garden and Glass to teach a moss art workshop during its Spring Bloom event.

Rose’s business is named Lil Bit Garden in honor of the tiny hummingbird that inspired her to return to art. Every moss installation she creates carries forward the same goal: bringing a sense of nature, peace, and quiet into the lives of others. 

In a region known for its evergreen forests, ferns and moss-covered landscapes, Rose has found a way to bring a little of the Pacific Northwest indoors.

You can see more about her art at her website, https://www.lilbit.garden/.