Karen Brown
- Old People Rock
- Aug 9
- 1 min read
Making. Learning. Alloying?
Karen Brown has been making art for more than 50 years, and has never considered it work. Originally from Rochester, New York, Karen began with a small art studio in her home. Over the years, jewelry became her specialty. She designs and handcrafts one-of-a-kind pieces in 14K and 18K gold, working with unusual gemstones including colored diamonds, tanzanites, opals, sapphires, and rubies. She continues to create custom jewelry, make repairs and appraisals, and sells her work at craft shows.
But there's a fascinating old-school side to Karen's jewelry making: she alloys her own gold.
Rather than simply buying commercially prepared gold, Karen creates the alloy herself, combining the metals to produce the gold she will ultimately work into her jewelry. It's a hands-on part of traditional goldsmithing that is rarely seen by the people who wear the finished pieces.
Then, about ten years ago, Karen discovered something completely different. She took a glass-fusing class and immediately fell in love with it. Today, Karen teaches glass fusion. Her students make everything from pendants and dishes to wall hangings and picture frames. Many have never worked with glass before. Some have never even thought of themselves as artists.
That's part of what Karen enjoys most.
Think you know everything about Karen? She also owned/lived in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. For Karen, the creative process has never really been about jewelry making or glass fusion. It's about staying curious, making something with your hands, and helping other people discover that they can be artists too.