[Molly Franken](https://www.cohart.com/mollyfranken) is a self taught artist and certified master naturalist. Her work is abstract in nature but you will find hints of literal and definitive expression and form that invite the viewer into a new and beautiful depiction of a world that already very much exists. Her full time art practice is interwoven with her growing work in ecology, conservation and environmental advocacy. She currently splits her time between California and her home state of Florida. 

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##### Can you walk us through your creative process? Which materials and techniques have become integral to your work? 

My work began as a result of physical hardship making it an active exploration of a shifting perspective. My process is a response to what the medium itself is doing, so throughout my work there is an interdependence present, much [like] how both we and the natural world survive. My work is more instinctual than skilled, and more embodied than planned. Timing and intuition are required to create my work in its final form. I primarily use watercolor, ink and acrylic to create the sense of movement and depth that my pieces contain. Without my chosen medium’s natural flow and state, I would not be able to enact within my own and receive the same results. It is an energetic and tangible call-and-response. 

##### What emotions or responses do you hope viewers experience when engaging with your art? 

Art is subjective and for that reason I don’t believe the injection of my own wants, in terms of response, is in the best interest of the work itself. I think the most an artist can hope for is to provoke thought and create impact. How it lands with an individual is not mine to own or determine. Of course, as an artist and human being, you hope that your work will be felt but what those feelings are is ultimately the confluence of a viewer’s own life lens paired with the work you’ve created. Maybe it will hit, maybe it won’t.

##### How do you approach starting a new piece of artwork? Is there a particular routine or mindset that helps you begin? 

I mainly work in series, which means I may have a concept or idea of thematics when I go into a piece but outside of that, I do not have a preconceived notion. I don’t sketch. I don’t plan. I don’t know what a piece will be before I begin. I let the piece inform me. In many cases, a series is born from pieces informing me one after the other and I can begin to see a body of work coming forth. I honor that. I hold space for it. I allow the process to guide me. I have found that vice gripping an idea actually detracts from my end work. So, I have learned to hold things loosely. 

I, of course, have small routines that are part of my practice. Prepping my substrates. Beginning palette choices. Music. Always music. 

##### How do you handle moments of doubt or insecurity about your work? 

Painting is an incredibly new and surprising element that appeared later in my life. It feels equal parts shocking and inevitable somehow. I certainly have moments of imposter syndrome where I fear that my work won’t be viewed as serious enough yet. I think, more than anything, that speaks to my own self critique and the knowledge that I want to continue to hone my skills, not just in the creation of the work itself but in the motivation behind my work. What am I trying to say? How can I do that most impactfully? I suppose I handle it by simply getting back to work. Refocusing my intention. Understanding that there is something to be said or done that is bigger than me. Holding a standard for myself but not succumbing to perfectionism. 

##### Do you envision your artistic journey evolving in the coming years? 

My work is increasingly becoming tied to work in ecology, conservation and environmental advocacy. The intersection of art and science. I presently am working with researchers, biologists and conservationists, capturing information and data. Immersion in the natural world is vital to my art practice. We are in the throes of a changing planet, and it feels important to me to capture this, to have my work speak to this. Climate change. Habitat Loss. Diminishing biodiversity. Sea level rise. I hope that my art will continue to deepen awareness in this regard. How exactly it will manifest in the future, I do not know yet. Right now, it feels like my job is to continue following this thread and trust that it will reveal itself along the way via interpretation and expression.

##### What lets you know a piece is complete? Is it an instinct, a feeling, or something else?

I think most artists would say that they know a piece has come to the end of its journey through instinct. There can be a sense of completion, a gut feeling that you can do no more, or that if you did something more that it may tip the scales against the piece instead of in its favor. I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t ever ruined a piece by continuing to work on it. This happens more than most artists admit. Many pieces end up getting nixed or placed in a dark corner to come back to somewhere down the line for potential salvaging. It would be false to give the impression that every piece goes in the best and most meaningful direction. More often than not, they don’t!

##### Does being part of an artistic community impact your work or connection to the art world? 

Because I have come to this particular creative expression later in life, I don’t have deep ties to the fine art world. I have many creatives in my life but, specifically, fine artists, not so much. It means I don’t have many other artists to bounce off ideas or experiences with, although I will say that social media has been a boon in this area. Most of the fine art friends I’ve accumulated have been through that avenue. Otherwise, I’m close with entirely different types of artists and creatives completely outside of the fine art world. I also think times are changing. Technology is providing accessibility that otherwise was not present. While conventional avenues like galleries, fairs and exhibitions are still present and culturally informative, they are not imperative to having your work seen and felt. I do believe we are in the middle of a paradigm shift in that regard. The question becomes how much of the ‘old art world’ must you participate in to gain credibility, if at all. 

##### Have any social expectations or family influences shaped or challenged your identity as an artist? 

My answer is geared more towards being a person in today’s world opposed to being an artist. I’ve had some serious and ongoing health issues in the past 15 years and this affects every area of my life, including how I show up in the world, as well as in my art practice. I am usually working within some type of constraints and I have learned that those parameters force me to be creative and adaptable in constantly shifting ways. The ability to recalibrate without self judgment is key. I have had to decondition myself from productivity culture. I allow myself to follow my natural rhythms now more than ever. Some seasons are input, some seasons are output. I don’t force myself into output if that isn’t what my physical body or spirit is up for. Allowing myself the grace to honor those rhythms is harder than it sounds. You’re often going against the grain of expectation.

##### What’s the most unconventional material or technique you’ve experimented with in your art? 

I wouldn’t consider this unconventional but water is one of my most used mediums. It’s a key component in all my work. For anyone who knows me, this is unsurprising. I am a water baby, an ocean lover through and through. Put me in a body of water and my nervous system immediately calms. It makes sense that it is the foundation for every single one of my pieces. The unconventional component may come more in the use of large format paper with said water elements. 

##### If you could change one aspect of the art world to better support artists, what would it be, and why? 

Accessibility is the key factor here. Accessibility for both artists and collectors. As an artist, where can my art be seen and find its core demographic? Where can it be felt and heard? As a collector, how can there be a lower barrier of entry in purchasing art that speaks to me? Education around art would be helpful. Speak to people in layman’s terms. It doesn’t need to be this unreachable, upper echelon, out of reach experience. So many people feel a bit fearful of art. Where to purchase a piece? Does art even matter? How to place a piece in their home? How to coordinate pieces with existing decor and if that’s even necessary? Make art collecting relatable. Make the experience of finding art accessible. 

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Molly Franken embraces imperfection and adaptability through art that evolves through instinct, medium interaction, and a focus on ecology.

Spotlight: Molly Franken on Blending Art with Environmental Insight and Action

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