Visit the Studio with Mollie Douthit

As we gear up for the holiday season and settle into the cold of winter, Mollie Douthit's studio visit could not come at a better time. As the bitter chill creeps in, we are warmed by Mollie's new, ultra cozy home & studio as she invites in to her creative realm of happenstance inspiration and whispered provocations.

Her tasty treats of gooey painted goodness make for the perfect thoughtful holiday gifts, too! So let's all huddle in close to the fire as Mollie tells us all about her 'found still life' paintings and get all the feels.

What is your artwork about? What does it speak to?

My work is what is around me. It speaks to the good old every day. I moved my ‘studio’ into my home in 2017 and that's when the work took off. I found the nesting ground of domesticity the perfect place for my work to thrive.

Much like a painter naturally migrates from setting up a still life to actually painting it, I am finding the randomness and happenstance of life to be a more ideal or fitting ‘still life’ subject –– socks left on the floor, though I didn’t intentionally place them there for the purpose of being painted. Or, if I'm a bit stumped on a painting subject I can go about daily chores. This often leads to me finding something to paint.

This is trepidatious ground, intuition has to be abided by and acted on because often the things that are my subjects are the things that I want to use, eat or (in the case of the socks) clean up.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I make my home a place I want to be. I tend to always be subconsciously ready to paint. In order to be ready to act on that, I have paints, brushes and surfaces ready to go at all times. Sometimes sitting and looking and letting myself rest leads me to a subject and while other times I am drawn to a fresh baked loaf of bread that is steaming. I listen to my intuition, letting it guide me, and often it helps reveal underlying truths about myself I was consciously unaware of.

What materials do you use? And why?

There was a point in my practice when I had to ask myself do you really want to paint, and if so why? Before I could think of an answer, the word ‘Color’ announced itself to me. I committed a year to only making colors that spoke to me, creating a color mixing system to document on color charts combinations so I could easily make them again. I remember getting so excited over what viridian could do. I made it a rule, if it didn't make me giddy with joy it didn't make it onto my palette.

Oil paint as a medium is best for my nervous disposition — a palette can last for days. I have always had an admiration for technicolor and richness in color. Thinking back my favorite films as a child were: Willy Wonka, The Red Balloon, and The Wizard of Oz. Even today, when mixing a color, I might think back to Dorothy in the Emerald City –– can I make a green that would belong there?

Fun fact: I do not use intense thinners because I’m ultra-sensitive and end up feeling woozy around them.

What is your typical routine when you get to the studio? Walk us through a typical studio day.

My days start with a run, this gives me thinking time. The other staple is coffee and then feeding my sourdough starter. From there I take the day as it comes and use my intuition to know where I need to be or what I need to be doing. In living this way I know how critical it is to listen and act on intuitive pings such as: ‘Your palette is dirty, time to make a new one’ or ‘I know there is something in this space that wants to be painted — be patient, be still, and it will reveal itself’ or ‘Emails are a better idea this morning’.

Because I have an inherently incredibly nervous disposition there’s something deeply comforting and necessary in having an intertwined studio and home. Being able to coexist with my work is critical to my process. There isn’t physical distance between my work, life, and home and the paintings often reflect that.

Do you work at a particular size or scale? Why?

Small. It’s always been small. When I was in first grade we sang this song in music class ‘good things come in small packages’ and I remember, even then, getting warm and fuzzy inside thinking of small things in small packages.

I like that my paintings are small and private –– I don’t want to invade people’s visual realms unless they want to engage. Once someone does engage, even more of my personality often comes out with somewhat forward or snarky statements made with color or brushwork.

What are you currently working on? Share with us what is exciting to you about this most recent work.

I just moved to a new home so I am developing the first pieces of work in this space. This is requiring a lot of patience and I am enjoying this as I slowly build a new body of paintings for a show I have upcoming at the Molesworth Gallery in Dublin, summer 2021.

Which artists most inspire you and your work?

Morandi makes me weak in the knees and Gwen John is my heroine. I am just as impacted by writers as I am painters. One in particular is Lydia Davis, a writer most commonly known for her short story work. Her writing allowed me to see that working exclusively on a ‘small scale’ can be taken seriously.

Do you have any current or upcoming exhibits? Please share!

I have a few things on the go! My main focus right now is a solo show at the Molesworth Gallery in Dublin.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this special peek into Mollie's creative environment! Even in a virtual age, we encourage all budding collectors to take the time to connect with the artists you love directly.

We want to remind you of our awesome artist messaging feature directly on the Art in Res site––reach out now and foster that creative energy! Have more questions for Mollie on her art and practice? Follow up with her directly via our messenger. We know she’ll be thrilled to answer any questions you might have. Ask about a specific painting or about her specific process in general––either approach works!