Artist Interview - Molly Knobloch

We loved hearing at the East Austin Art tour the artist path to creating and selling their art. So is this your full or part-time job? Painting is definitely my part-time job, and I wouldn't really even call it that because I've only just started taking my practice seriously enough to share my work and market myself! I've always consistently created some form of art, but this past year, I really dove into my practice, and the result is something I'm enjoying sharing! My full-time job is working in social media marketing as a graphic designer for GoDaddy Social. I spend my days in Illustrator which is a fun skill to flex and a helpful one when it comes to marketing my own work. Were you creative as a child or when did you first discover this talent? I've always been creative. As a kid, I was a world-class doodler on every work sheet and homework assignment in school. My mom is a self-employed, full-time creative -- a writer, artist, musician, and music teacher -- so making art felt like a natural part of life. I didn't take my first official painting class until college, but as soon as I began, I knew I was hooked. Are you self-taught or did you study art in school or a formal setting? Did anyone ever discourage you from pursuing art as a profession? I went into college thinking I was a business management major. After just a few months of comparing the messy, fun art department to the suits in the business school, I knew I was kidding myself. I made painting my major (and business my minor), and that was that. I never fully considered becoming a full-time artist, but I knew my career would be in the arts. I'm very privileged to have parents who happily supported this path, and still do, and I'm forever grateful for that. When are the most creative? Do you have any rituals you do when you’re painting? Favorite music or silence when you work? Do you have a studio space in or out of your home? For about a year I had a studio space in Bolm Studios in East Austin, but I found it hard to find time to be there consistently, especially once I got a dog. Now, I've converted my garage into my studio, and since we live in Texas, I can paint a lot of the time with garage door wide open, which is incredible. Generally, I spend a weekend day and a few week nights every week in my garage studio, and it's great because it feels like I'm not in my house, but I can pop in and out easily. If the weather's nice, I leash my dog up outside and he hangs out with me. As for a ritual, I'm not sure I have one. I like to sit on the ground with my materials and canvases spread around me so I can make marks as if I'm playing a massive drum set. I use music and TV shows to keep my energy up, which is funny because when I "check in" on a painting the next morning, I'm transported back to whatever was happening in the episode I watched the night before.

Edited (we were curious about what she watched so we asked that as a follow-up question): As far as TV goes, I’m actually an out-and-proud Bravo-head, which is perfect for painting because I can just have it droning on in the background and I don’t have to keep my eyes on the screen. It’s not intellectual, but it’s definitely entertainment! Other than my Real Housewives, I also watch anything crime related: Killing Eve, Law and Order, etc. Some days I mix in podcasts and music, too. Either way, when I come down to see the previous night’s work in the morning, rest assured I hear that plot twist, scene, song, etc. that was going on when I was painting.

What was the 1st piece you sold and what was that like? And where do you hope this takes you/or what are your next steps you want to take with your art? This first piece I sold when I moved to Austin felt like a big step. I had been introduced to a distant family member who lives in Bastrop, and we hit it off over dinner. She's in the arts as well, and she was helping plan a benefit for Planned Parenthood and invited me to be part of the art auction at the event. I fretted and procrastinated about what I was going to contribute -- what if nobody bid on my piece?! In the end, I created and submitted a watercolor painting that I loved, and it went home with a sweet couple. It just felt amazing to be seen as a legitimate artist whose work someone would actually want in their home!

As for now, I've never felt better about the work I'm creating, and I'm really honored that others (anyone!) seem to enjoy it, too. My hope is to create a practice that is financially self-sustaining, and after that, go as far as I can! No matter where this journey takes me, I know I'll always be an artist, which is definitely the most important part.

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We really enjoyed meeting Molly and seeing her beautiful art at the East Austin Art tour this fall and appreciate her taking the time to answer all our questions. She currently has her work displayed at the Epoch Coffee Shop on Far West Blvd. Thank you Molly!!

You can follow Molly on Instagram @mollyknobloch.