Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Anne Molasky’s latest series, “Goddess,” combines her loves of nature, light, and portraiture in its depiction of women. In Renewal, Molasky introduces the viewer to her daughter Lily (Molasky has a second daughter, Bella). Lily’s dark hair is fashioned into a loose braid with a simple crown of leaves. Shadows dance across her face, and small white flowers twine up her left arm. “It’s representative of the fact that we can conquer anything,” explains the artist, who says she created the series to “elevate, respect, and honor women.” From a distance, the subject appears to be rendered with a soft touch, but on closer inspection, the variety of paint applications is evident—from thin washes to bold brushstrokes and detailed palette knife work.
As a young girl, the St. Louis native searched for images everywhere, in puffy white clouds and in the condensation forming on window glass. Inspired by her grandmother, who was also an artist, Molasky created make-believe worlds using rocks, sticks, and dandelions where she let her imagination go. “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t consider myself an artist,” she says.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Molasky began private art lessons when she was 15. At 20, she earned her first commission. She studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and received her MFA from Washington University. Specializing in portraits and landscapes, Molasky continues to be inspired by nature. In her work, she is drawn to capturing a subject’s personality and the way light falls on them. “I believe that being an artist is more about the way one observes and reflects on the world than what they produce,” she says.
How do you choose your subjects? What I paint is really not as much about the subject as it is about the light on the subject. I’ve always been drawn to the human form and to nature, but it is the lighting, the shadows, and the change in colors that gets me excited. I love being out in nature and painting the landscape plein air. I also love painting portraits, but I want to do it in a way that represents the person. I interview people to find out what they’re like and what they like to do so I can incorporate that to create a narrative about the person.
Tell us about your process. Even though my paintings represent reality, I approach my work in an abstract way. I begin with a thin wash of oil paint. While the paint is wet, I use a cloth to wipe it off and move it around to form the lightest parts of my image. This allows me to see the image abstractly and assess it objectively. Painting is a process that keeps me in the now. It’s meditative. I work from a combination of sources, directly from life, studies from life, photos that I take, or a combination of all of those. I like to work in the daylight, so I wake up early. Sometimes I’m so obsessed with what I’m doing that I’ll work until night. I took my easel outside a few days last week, and the colors were so vivid. I’ve got to move somewhere where I can be outside all the time. I often paint smaller versions outdoors to capture the colors so I can paint the larger landscapes back home.
Where do you find inspiration? Inspiration is everywhere. Life inspires me. I’m inspired by artists. If I had to make a list, I wouldn’t know where to start. Things like texture, atmosphere, transitions, integrations, layers, words also inspire me. It goes on and on.
How has the pandemic changed your work or your approach? Honestly, while being an artist is isolating enough, it was great to have nothing to do except work on my paintings. I had a few commissions, but for the most part, my art business has been interrupted. I was juried into great art fairs and several plein-air competitions that were canceled, and a couple large commissions that I had lined up for the spring backed out. People like meeting artists and seeing art in person, and art openings are so fun and a great place to network. I really miss that.
What are your goals, moving forward? My goal for the near future is to focus on my personal work, my “Goddess” series, and for it to create awareness of my work. I want to help propel the women’s movement and support women of all races and cultures by painting what makes people unique.
