Artists ~ Karen Malcolm

Business name: MalcolmStudioShop
Location: Online and at local art shows
Etsy shop: MalcolmStudioShop.etsy.com
Website: fineartamerica.com/profiles/karen-malcolm.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Malcolm-found-object-art-art-jewelry-creatively-restored-boxes/105493784956
Google Plus: plus.google.com/106734015674247163927/posts
Pinterest: pinterest.com/malcolmstudio/


1. Tell us about your work:

I’m a mixed media artist. I create 3d constructions, 2d collages and works on canvas using found objects and other recycled and natural materials. I grew up in Rhode Island and am very influenced by my seaside New England roots and have a slightly irreverent fascination with all things old. That means that I’m not afraid to alter an old object to help me tell a story. I also like to have fun and find humor in the everyday. I hope that my work reflects this. It’s great when people see my work, get it, and smile!

My New England practicality means that I also up-cycle, recycle and creatively restore worn, discarded and vintage boxes into functional art. I sand, repair, hand paint, collage and embellish old recipe, jewelry and keepsake boxes with found objects like letterpress block letters, pie tins, advertising rulers and other found objects.

2. How did you come to be a professional artist/crafter?

It’s kind of funny, but the truth is that I started selling my artwork and transitioning to working as a full-time artist because I’d run out of space in my home to store my completed work! I needed to clear some of it out so that I could create more. So, it was really out of necessity that I started to promote my work through local shows and online.

3. Where do you draw your inspiration?

For me, as a found object artist, living surrounded by Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is fantastic. The bay and ocean provide me with an endless supply of sand, driftwood, sea glass, shells and other beach finds to incorporate into my assemblage, constructions and paintings. I also often include imagery of coastal birds in my art. I sail too and this is a big part of my work.

I'm inspired by history, storytelling and whimsy. I grew up around art and antiques. My father was a "picker" -- he searched out antiques and sold them for a living. I search out old objects and incorporate them into new works of art by reflecting on the people that owned and used them.

4. What’s your favorite item to make?

This is a tough question, but probably my favorite items to make are small 3d ‘bottle whimsies.’ Sailors have made bottle whimsies for centuries – it’s part of the same tradition as ships in a bottle. When I create these, I feel very connected to tradition and history – but I don’t have to be “traditional” in how I create them. For instance, I like to incorporate mobiles into my bottle art – inspired by those of the artist Alexander Calder.

5. What’s your best seller?

My best seller is definitely my creatively restored recipe boxes. I get lots of commissions for custom boxes. People want something to pass down, and recipes are a wonderful way to record family history. Having a one of a kind recipe box is special.

6. How long have you been in Rhode Island?

Born and raised here. It’s a great place. There’s so much art and music, great food and the Bay is gorgeous.

7. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?

I {heart} Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, messing around in boats, and beach combing. Of course, I {heart} all my friends and family who live here.

8. Please include anything else you’d like to add:

The only thing I would add is that I believe in managing my impact on our environment, and so using existing materials to create just makes sense to me. That's another reason why I use found objects and other recycled and natural materials in my work.