Interview
Molly Brandenburg
Molly Brandenburg is a humorous illustrator whose fanciful images of cats, dogs, ultra-glamorous Hollywood divas and woebegone office workers are expressed in a variety of mediums, from line drawings to water colors to acrylics.
Her illustrations can be seen on the global interior design site www.Houzz.com, as well as in her original books, ‘The Truth About Cats’ and ‘Everyday Cat Excuses’.
When not painting and drawing, Molly can also be found performing as a comedy lounge singer and hosting podcasts on The Parcast Network on Spotify. Molly is also the author of the World War II memoir, ‘Letters From Bud’, which is based on her father, John Brandenburg's letters written home during the 1944-45 air war in Europe.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started drawing as a child and never stopped. My father started painting when I was little and I spent many happy hours in his art studio, drawing and painting with him, always with an Ella Fitzgerald record playing in the background. In elementary school I was singled out as an artist, and that identity stayed with me.”
What inspires you most?
“I am inspired by various ideas of beauty such as a flower in sunlight, the shimmer of a dog’s fur or a face of stunning symmetry.”
“My work tends to be fanciful, whimsical and ironic. More than anything, it seems to be an observation of life’s absurdity. All of us go through life trying to find love and meaning in a world that can often be cruel and nonsensical.”
Which artists influence you most?
“James Thurber, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso. I was also influenced by two artist friends, The late Joe Ranft of Pixar and wonderful Mike Giaimo of Disney. They both taught me a great deal about line, form and expression, and staying in touch with one’s creativity and powers of observation.”
What is your creative process like?
“I start out with a lot of doodling, to first find the idea I want to work with. From there, I go to ink on paper and then watercolors. Alternatively, I go to canvas with water color pencil and then paint. Sometimes, I just see a picture in my mind and I know that’s what I want to draw.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think because artists are very intuitive by nature, they often see what’s ahead and express it. Artists are truth tellers, and thus they are often the first to call out society’s wrongs and force the rest of the world to pay attention. You see this again and again throughout history.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I was in one exhibition at The Artist Corner Gallery in Hollywood, which was a mural painting contest. It was a wild night; we all had our own large canvas and paint to work with and we had two hours to come up with a painting. In the middle of the event, the lights went off. Even though it was a wild night, by the end of it there was a room full of extraordinary art. There are some photos of it on my Facebook artist’s page.”
