
Molly Raleigh
Art
About
“You need a hobby.” – My mother, Christmas December 2015
….Longer Answer:
I picked up a paintbrush that next week and have been painting ever since. Well.. that's partially true. I have picked up one before. The most formal art training I have had (and I don't know if this counts) is in elementary school at St. Johns Country Day School, Florida with
Ms. Petska and an art class in high school at Fleming Island High
School with Theresa Davis. My favorite piece of advice they gave
me that I still use to this day: "Paint what you see, Molly." Fortunately
for me I am in no way capable of doing that so therefore you guys
are going to get whatever the hell I see in my head usually after a
glass of wine. Enjoy.
I started by focusing on a modern style female portrait acrylic medium (sometimes mixed with a little water color but that might be cheating so don't tell anybody) on canvas with the unifying
element of dripping paint. The bleeding drips on the women's
faces is intended to represent a version of beauty women see on themselves underneath any added makeup. The removal process
isn’t always perfect but the raw transparency and power that
results from something as natural as water makes me feel things. I promise you I don't put the brush down until I
feel something. I appreciate generous white negative space for
my portraits because that place of calm found in the version
of beauty you accept for yourself can be a very personal,
private process. I like calm. I have progressed to dripping
lips and animal skulls as you can see in my portfolio.
As aforementioned I am teaching myself how to paint things
that make me feel. If you have a particular piece you're interested in,
please feel free to shoot me a message and I'll expand on
my purpose behind it.
Oh, I presume by now you’ve noticed all my prices have a 44
or 444. Explanation time. I see the number 444 almost everywhere. License plates, patient charts (fun fact I am a pharmacist- yes a real
one, no I can't get you drugs, yes its ironic my name is Molly), phone numbers- you get my point. Totally Jim Carry Number 23 style
except zero murdering. I ignored it for years until I succumbed
to the creepy and I researched. 333? Holy trinity. 666? Devil.
But 444? That is the number of angels. I have interpreted it to mean someone is watching over me, paying attention – as I should.
I find it only appropriate to respect this number enough to
integrate it somehow into my work.
Cheers.
For your creeping pleasure