Artist profile
Marnie
McKnight
Internationally collected artist Marnie McKnight turned her hobby into a career in 2016 to immediate success. She is primarily known as an abstract expressionist painter working with acrylics and oils, but often releases capsule collections exploring other styles and mediums. Her new “Light Reading” series is selling out everywhere and plays on her love of books, the women depicted often a variation of Marnie who when not in the studio creating art is writing and reading books.
Career Highlights
1. Consistently a Bluethumb bestseller.
2. Artwork being featured in multiple magazines and TV advertising.
3. Being a finalist in the Bluethumb Art Prize, SBS Art Prize, Online Portrait Prize.
Artist Interview
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I usually use acrylics as I love their pliability and vibrancy.
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
Expanding from my usual abstract work, I was inspired by my messy studio laden with books to tie into my abstract work and my botanical drawings. Putting them altogether with a commentary on women in society was important to me and I played around a lot and decided that there were common themes I loved and kept reoccurring so I embraced them and birthed this collection.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
My studio is at the bottom of my garden, overlooking the river and therefore sparkles with reflected light throughout the day. Inside is a crazy mess of colour, blank canvas, ideas and books, exactly mirroring the inside of my head.
