Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Tinney.
Karen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I went to school for product design at Parsons School of Design and was working as a home decor designer for approximately five years before I started to make the work that I do today. I was always really interested in working with fibers. I learned most of the techniques that I use today when I was a teenager and began to combine them with ceramics many years later after taking a ceramics class which re-introduced me to the medium. For me, the two materials seemed to go so naturally together and it was a combination that I rarely saw in the home market.
After working to develop my business for two years while still maintaining my full-time job as a designer, I decided to leave my corporate position and transition into business for myself. I’ve been working full time for myself for three years now, and it’s still one of the best and most liberating decisions that I’ve made.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have been very fortunate that it’s been a relatively smooth road so far. There are of course, the financial stresses and challenges of running your own business as a single person operation, but the growth of my business has been very organic. I think particularly in the art and design world if you are producing consistently unique, quality work and continue to put yourself out there to the right people, it will eventually resonate with someone.
My biggest piece of advice is to not let the challenges and stressful parts of operating a business get in the way of the part you love doing. I try to find ways to enjoy the challenges – you have to love the whole package of running a business, not just the fun parts.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I make decorative objects (vessels and vases) and wall sculptures using a combination of ceramics and fibers. I am most known for this pairing of materials which is rarely seen together because of the challenges involved in combining the two.
All of my ceramics are built by hand (I do not use a wheel or moulds to create the shapes), and then I apply the fiber to each piece. I specialize in a technique for the fiber work called coiling (it is commonly used in basketry), in which a thin thread is wrapped around a thicker core and stitched at regular intervals to create a three-dimensional shape. This technique can be seen on my vessels and some of my large wall pieces. I make each piece by hand start to finish in my Long Beach studio in addition to single-handedly running all aspects of the business.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I think training yourself to negotiate for what you want is an important one, whether that means a fair price for your work, terms in a contract, or placement in a store or gallery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.karentinney.com
- Instagram: @karengtinney
Image Credit:
Karen Gayle Tinney
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
