Today we’d like to introduce you to Malorie Martin.
Hi Malorie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have enjoyed creating and making art since I was little. I used to use paper, glue, and plastic wrap to make photo frames, layering the paper until it was dense enough to resemble wood (though it was not an accurate replica). When I entered middle school, however, I chose to copy my brother and go into band. Though it was fun and magical to play in my school’s band and marching band, it also meant I didn’t pick up art again until college because my school only allowed one arts credit.
In my first year of college, I had a dream about watercolor painting, and the next day I went out and bought a set of watercolors and paper. The paintings I made were bad. I had no idea how to draw, how to paint, how to use paint to create what I envisioned in my mind. However, there were a number of people in my life who encouraged me to keep practicing to keep creating. This is definitely a reoccurring theme throughout my art career; me wanting to quit, and those I love seeing something in me that was worth encouraging onward.
I experimented with a number of mediums from there, learning how to crochet, then embroider, then sew. I liked these, but never really stuck with any of these mediums for long.
In my second year of college, I met my tiny university’s main art professor at some student event. We were drawing with ink, and she encouraged me to take one of her painting classes after I mentioned liking to watercolor. The next semester, I took her watercolor class and I learned so much and was emboldened to keep learning. So, I signed up for two more of her classes, drawing and art history.
My first formal introduction to printmaking was in that drawing class (I had tried it in Art Club but without proper instruction, I had failed and lost interest). We had a one-week unit, making one block on Speedball Speedy Carve. I instantly fell in love. I think it was in large part due to my quick improvement in drawing skills due to the class. I was so pleased with how the print turned out I wanted to make more. Seeing this, my professor provided me with more linoleum to use. My boyfriend bought me my own carving tool and brayer. Again, others saw some potential in me and that was enough for me to keep going. I never looked back. I continued making new prints during the last year of my schooling. I sold one at a school art fair, and I remember how proud I was of myself. I listed my prints on Etsy with horrible photos and even managed to sell a few there.
And then the pandemic hit. I graduated, and my plans of finishing my master’s abroad were dashed. My freedom from moving out of state was gone, and I was stuck back in my childhood bedroom, my friends and ambitions 12 hours away in Maine. I was lonely, I was depressed, I didn’t know what in the world I was thinking in getting an English degree. But I was still making art. I was still making prints, and at some point, I decided that it was sink or swim: I had to take being an artist seriously or put it aside to figure out my life and career. The thought of giving up on being an artist, a dream that was so new but also already such a part of who I was, was so gut-wrenching, I couldn’t do it. So, with the grace of my parents giving me a free place to live and a small space to create, I forged on.
At the same time, I was accepted as a vendor at a local coffee shop in spring of 2021. I made $500 my first month selling prints, and I was floored. I remember crying, not believing people actually thought my art was worth buying. I was an amazing confidence boost at the beginning of my career, and though I left the coffee shop for some other reasons, I am so thankful for that initial push. From there, I began doing local art markets. I took better photos for my Etsy. I experimented with printing on textiles. I was growing a lot in a short period of time.
My next big step involved returning to Maine for an art retreat. There, I met some amazing older artists who gave me some amazing advice. I upgraded my ink, my carving tools, and other materials. I applied for my first-ever gallery show. And I learned about a new type of printmaking; cyanotype.
From that point, it all felt like a whirlwind. Almost as soon as I got back, I started to become more active in the local arts community, I was approved for my show, and I had a piece in a group show, my work hung in a gallery for the first time. I started doing larger markets, experimenting and improvising in leaps and bounds.
At the beginning of 2022, another big change occurred. My dad makes most of his living in property management, and he had an empty commercial unit. I was shameless, begging him to let me have it to make into an art studio. My dad, who loves me and wants nothing more than to see me achieve my dreams, did just that. I know this was a moment of immense privilege in my journey, and I don’t deny that for one moment. I was getting an opportunity because my father had money, property, and resources. (However, sitting in my studio now as I type this, I don’t regret asking this of him one bit. It has become an amazing workspace that allows me to create bigger and better pieces and to also foster community). The place, however, was a dump and would take months to renovate. But with this new development, I quit my part-time secretary gig and delved deeper into becoming a working artist. I was hired to teach art part-time, I hosted my first workshop, and I had my first solo show, “Gardens Near and Far.”
By summer 2022 the studio was coming along, I had hosted another workshop, I had lined up another solo show at Fellows Riverside Gardens, and I was ready to head back to Maine for another year of the art retreat. I was doing more and more markets, going to all of the local art events. And most importantly, I was making friends. Moving home after the pandemic had left me feeling so lonely. But by the summer of 2022, I had managed to meet so many new people and hit it off with a group of local female artists. It was important for me and my creativity to have peers to talk to about the trials and tribulations of being an artist. I am forever grateful to the friends I made while hanging out at local markets, galleries, and music shows.
In the fall of 2022, the studio (which I dubbed Fifth Street Studio) was finished, and I just needed to finish decorating. I was still steadily improving in my craft, and I was starting to finally believe I could really make it as a working artist.
In the spring of 2023, I had my second show open, “Nature: Real and Imagined.” I started doing more wholesale and commission orders. And now in the summer, I am still at it! I recently released two super fun collections on my website, and I was able to collaborate with a local band I love. I still worry that this career won’t be sustainable, but it’s something I want so bad I’m not willing to give up just yet. I want to keep growing and keep learning.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say my biggest obstacle is myself. I have dealt with depression and anxiety for over half of my life, and it can make even the simplest tasks seem impossible. Some days I can’t get out of bed; some days I can’t stop my thoughts from spiraling. It’s something I fight against even today. In some ways, it has gotten better over the years with therapy and medication. But my mental health struggles never going away, always lingering, have made everything harder than it ever should been.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a printmaker, and I primary work in block prints, with some cycantyping in my more fine art pieces. I am very inspired by nature, and the majority of my work consists of depictions of plants, animals, and bugs. I live by Mill Creek Park, which is one of the largest metropolitan parks in the country. It is huge source of inspiration, and just getting to have access to such beautiful scenery is constantly inspiring me. I also love working with bright colors, and my art styles tends to be more fun and whimsical. With dealing with depression for so long, my one goal with my work has always been to inspire joy. I am so lucky to be able to say that I’ve had a number of people say that my art makes them happy just to look at, and so I’m meeting the mark!
I would also say that I am known a bit for my textile printing. Most people to handprint textiles use screen printing or other techniques, while I stick with block printing. I’m not sure why I haven’t made the transition to easier production; other than I just find block printing to be super fun and versatile.
For my more fine artwork, my latest show is something I’m super proud of. The concept for the show was “Nature: Real and Imagined.” Basically, I would take different plants and cyanotype them, and then create a block print of the same print and print it over the cyanotype. I’m very interested in the differences between the art and the muse, so to speak. What stood out about a plant to me enough to emphasize it in the print, and how does that contrast with the form of the actual plant.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I would say go to every local art event you can! Going viral is, of course, all of our dreams, but you will make the most sales and connections right in the town you live in. Chances are your town has a gallery, a local market, a coffee shop, or (if you’re not an artist) a place where people with the same ambitions as you hang out. Go there, make friends!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artsbymalorie.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsbymalorie/
Image Credits
Courtney Dimoff
Hannah Telesz
