Molly Mansfield: A Gathering Place
Molly Mansfield is a self taught oil painter based in Austin, Texas. Driven by her love of color and pattern, she has evolved a style characterized by her unique brushwork and patterned still lives. Her work highlights the intricacies of femininity, memory, and tradition, while exploring the histories that have created trivializations around color, pattern, and craft.
How did your creative journey begin?
Like any child, I drew and painted and loved making things. My parents didn’t know much about art, but they are both very creative and gave me lots of opportunities. My mom would always have me doing some craft, sewing, beading, paper mache, etc. They owned a garden center and my dad would give me these big pots and tell me to plant them however I liked. Designing with plants was a regular practice for me growing up. I have this memory as a very young child, maybe 4 or 5. My Aunt who is an artist and lived in a different state than me sent this Christmas present. It was art supplies, a marker set, and it had a note that said something about me being an artist. In that moment I knew that I wanted to be an artist. As I got older, I was always doing creative things, but i never thought that I was better at drawing than my friends. Somehow in highschool I decided that being an artist was the only thing I wanted to do and that if I worked hard and stayed disciplined I could make the things that I wanted to make. Nowadays I often draw the objects in my paintings with my non dominant hand to get back to a more childlike way of drawing.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I'm inspired by life. I heard someone say recently that if you are going to be inspired by life you have to live. I find my role as a mother to be complimentary to my art practice. My husband and I parent a wilderness of boys (4 of them) and they are what brings me out of the studio, out of my head, and into the present. They are always taking me on walks through the woods, showing me mushrooms, telling me stories, expanding my capacity to love, to be curious, and to play. When i practice an artful way of living, of being present and noticing, my cup feels filled and I can pour that into my paintings.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
In 2020 I shifted from painting landscapes to still life. A painter friend of mine, Sari Shryack, suggested the accessibility of still life painting and it felt appropriate to reflect on the domestic while the whole world stayed home. My husband and I also began fostering our boys that year which prompted me to begin thinking more about stories. My story, their stories, and coming together, becoming a bicultural family. Belonging, but also becoming. That's when my work became more centered around the table, a gathering place. Quilts and pattern also have become a significant theme in my work, symbolic of community, caretaking, family, and heritage.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
Studio days are for painting. I homeschool my kids, so when I get to the studio I'm painting. At home I try to do all the thinking, planning, sketching, and mental processing beforehand. When I get there, I'm ready to go. I love reading fiction and I listen to audiobooks while I paint. A favorite from recently is called Girl With a Louding Voice. It was hard to get into at first because of the accent of the reader, but ended up being so good and I totally fell for the reader!
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
A little over a year ago we moved to the country into an off grid yurt. We made the choice primarily because we wanted to raise our kids out here. Living this way has opened up a different way of life for me. One that is simple and quiet. Living in a yurt, the walls are very thin, and you become very connected to what is going on outside. Lately the whippoorwill's song has been waking me up before dawn and it's one of my favorite things. This is a slow and intentional way to live and it feels like art. I'm reminded of Helena Bonham Carter when she said "I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art."
How has social media impacted your work?
To say that social media has not impacted my work would be a lie. A millennial can not escape the impact social media has had on our art and life. At one point, I cared about social media and thought that growing a following would impact my opportunities to show my work and make sales. Now, I view my instagram as a gallery/portfolio or post office box. I'll check it when I'm in the area.
How did you develop your unique style?
Practice, practice, practice. I took a course from Richard Claremont and he had us practicing different brush strokes. He had names for them and he would have us repeat this or that brushstroke over and over again on a sheet of newsprint. He said that with time we would develop our own unique brush strokes. And not long after that class I discovered drumroll please..."the set and squiggle". If you look at my work, you will see that it is the brushstroke that is taking over my paintings.
Website: www.mollymansfield.com
Instagram: @mollymansfieldartist