Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Knight.
Melissa, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was introduced to batik in my early twenties when I enjoyed writing poetry. I was invited to display one of my poems at a group art exhibition and was looking for a creative way to display my poem. Someone suggested creating a batik banner. I had no idea what batik was, so I set out to explore what it was, and I instantly fell in love! Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to fabric, and it originated in Indonesia. I wrote the poem with a tjanting, a Javanese instrument for applying hot wax in batik work. I made a large banner and dyed it purple and there the words were written in the fabric! I became slightly obsessed with the process, gaining so much joy from all the layers of color that emerged in the fabric. However, I found creating designs in the fabric more challenging. One day I had an amazing piece of vibrant orange fabric, and I just started cutting it up and creating collage designs. I have made batik collage art for about 15 years now.
I basically stumbled my way into becoming a working artist about 9 years ago. My husband Ethan Azarian is also an artist, and when I met him in 1999, he began having art shows in his house. He called it “The In House Gallery” and for 15 years we hosted shows in our home. For these shows we moved everything out of the living area, packed it all into our bedroom, and the house became a “gallery”! We did this once (and sometimes twice) a year. Obviously, we couldn’t do this forever, especially after the birth of our son Francis, in 2009. I often displayed my art at these shows, but always had a job. After Francis was born, I was looking for ways to be able to stay home with him while he was a baby/toddler. I quit my job and got started with the business of being an artist! It wasn’t an easy road getting my art career off the ground while also raising a small child. My husband and I juggled child care and worked to make a living as best we could. I would often ask myself, “What are we doing?” and, “How is this going to work?” But, somehow it did work and has done for nine years! I do take on temp jobs and contract work here and there to help supplement my art income. We also have very supportive family and friends that have helped us over the years. I am forever grateful. It really does take a village!
In 2014, we hosted our last In House Gallery show and in 2015 Blue Cow Studio was built in our back yard. This has been a game changer for us both personally and professionally! We now have our home and a designated work studio! We work in the studio and also exhibit during East Austin Studio Tour, inviting other artists to exhibit their work with us.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
This quote from Georgia O’Keefe really resonates with me, “I found that I could say things with colors and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way.” The batik fabric often guides the design process for me, the colors or shapes that appear in the fabric will sometimes take me in a certain direction with my art. The inspiration for my collage art also comes from my surroundings, life in Austin, and also Vermont where my husband is from. We spend our summers there, and we also spent extended periods of time there before my son started school. When we were in Vermont one winter, I was complaining to my Mum about the cold, and she responded with something like, “But what about the snow and the snow angels?” Soon after this conversation, I got to work on creating a snow series!
A few years ago, I also began weaving with my batik fabric. In 2017 I facilitated a community project called “Interwoven” at Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center in East Austin. For this project we hosted a series of workshops where the community came together to weave and we held an exhibit of the completed artworks during the East Austin Studio Tour. Through this experience, I became very passionate about community building through art. When I work with the community, my hope is that people will feel inspired to create art and to connect with others in the community. I am excited about the next community project that I will be working on with mosaic artist Ryah Christensen happening in Spring, 2019. Please check my website for information about this exciting project.
As well as working on community-based projects, I am very interested in collaborating with other artists. I enjoy meeting with artists and exchanging ideas. In 2016 I enrolled in a program offered by the City of Austin called Artist Inc. I met so many wonderful artists and mentors. It was such a great experience for me, both personally and professionally.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
As it has probably been throughout the ages, I believe one of the biggest challenges facing artists is how to consistently make a living from art. Some important things I learned from the Artist Inc. course include the following 1/ Diversify. Look for various sources of income. 2/ Continue to work on getting funding for art/projects. This is a constant. It’s not always comfortable, but it is necessary to make a sustainable living. 3/ The path is not linear. 4/ Get creative. 5/Keep going!
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Examples of my work can be viewed on my website and my Etsy store, as well as on social media sites Facebook and Instagram. I have original artworks as well as prints available for sale. I also accept requests for commissions. Batik by Design is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and Austin Creative Alliance. This support helps to fund community-based art projects. Businesses and individuals can also support our community projects. Please get in touch if you are interested in supporting these projects! Lastly, my husband and I have a Patreon page for our patrons to help support the work we do. Our Patreon page is www.patreon.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: www.batikbydesign.com
- Email: melissa@batikbydesign.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/batikbydesign
- Facebook: facebook.com/batikbydesign
- Other: patreon.com/bluecowstudio
Image Credit:
Portrait photo by Corrinne Gassiot
Interwoven Art Board photo by Leon Alesi
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