Melanie Carlstein

I am a self-taught mixed media artist. I grew up in South Africa until my husband and I moved to America with our children in the 1990’s and have lived here in Florida for the past 26 years. After becoming an empty nester and moving to Longboat Key, I became interested in 3D assemblage and sculpture art. I found myself going to estate and garage sales and salvage yards in the hopes of finding interesting items.

I began to learn all about air dry paper clay for sculpting and how to incorporate found objects into my work. I use many different materials like wood, wire, foam, acrylics, cardboard, paper clay, resin, metal, canvas and more. I enjoy breathing new life into discarded objects and turning them into unique, one-of-a-kind artworks. Most of my work has a whimsical slant. It’s a rewarding and fun journey, and I continue to learn with every new piece I create.