Found-Object Prints

By Karen Bowskill

On the morning of January 18, 2007, a 62,000-ton container ship, the MSC Napoli, encountered a heavy storm in the English Channel, which led to a catastrophic shipping disaster. 15 years later, printmaker Karen Bowskill collects and prints with washed-up car parts from the spill. 

Karen Bowskill is a beachcomber and artist from the coastal village Beer in East Devon, England. She mainly searches for washed up car parts, from the cargo spill that happened in 2007. She loves to beachcomb with her artist friend Anna Brewster on Seaton Beach, which is part of a World Heritage Site.

Karen’s artistic journey began when she first attended art college over 30 years ago, but she only started making her beach-related printed works about three years ago. Karen has always collected old, used, and worn items, and loves giving them new meaning.  She says “My mum used to call me a Womble when I was a kid.” Wombles are fictional furry creatures from a series of English children’s novels who help the environment by collecting and recycling trash in creative ways.

Karen says her revived interest in art started during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. “My family and I went on a wintry walk to a remote beach, littered with washed-up plastic, fishing gear, and the usual drink containers. We collected and carried what we could—and from then on, I knew I had to put my resourcefulness to good use.” One of her favorite finds is a part of an automotive air filter, which makes fascinating textures when printed. She loves to find unusual circular items that she can print with.

Before she had kids, Karen taught life skills to adults with learning difficulties. Afterward, Karen became a full-time stay-at-home mom. She says she’s always had some sort of creative project in the works, whether it was for teachings or making kids toys. “I don’t know what I would do without my love for creating.”

Karen’s art is unique in the beachcombing space—she block prints using found items taken from a single shipwreck. She says it’s a simple process. She rolls a fine layer of non-toxic ink over the surface of one of her beachcombed items and presses it face-down onto a piece of reclaimed cotton fabric. She then blends these printed cottons with other used materials such as leather, rubber inner tubes, and sail fabric to produce one-of-a-kind bags and cushions. Karen says “My bold personality is reflected in my monochrome prints, while the energy and resilience required for repurposing is represented in the circular objects I print with.”

When she’s not collecting or creating, Karen loves to swim in the sea. All year round she goes with a close group of women, and she says it gives her a deeper connection to the coastline and maintains her mental well-being. Karen welcomes visitors to her clifftop studio, where you can see her work and her found objects—and on a clear day you can see all the way down the coast and across to the Isle of Portland.

If you beachcomb in her area, Karen says you’re almost certain to find a rubber blanking plug, which prevents water from entering vehicles. These are some of Karen’s favorite finds, and you can usually find her with one or two in her coat pockets. She says Seaton Beach is the place to be, as it’s located near the mouth of an estuary, benefiting from two flows of water. Along with beachcombing, Karen recommends swimming and taking a tram ride through natural wetlands, which is very popular with both tourists and birdwatchers. Further down the coast you can also visit Lyme Regis, former home to famous 19th-century fossil collector and paleontologist Mary Anning.

Karen says there are many places to stay in her area, but if you’re looking for a low impact and ethical hideaway, that you should check out Homemade Holidays, where you can stay in a yurt, swim in fresh water, enjoy a log-fired hot tub, and eat delicious home grown vegetables and freshly laid eggs.

During autumn you can check out the Sidmouth Sea Fest to enjoy live entertainment, artists, chefs, and all things aquatic.

All photos courtesy of Karen Bowskill.

This article appeared in Beachcombing Volume 36: May/June 2023.