“an opportunistic optimist”

This post is filled to the brim with so much amazing work, AND such an interesting back story! From a dairy farm, to art school, to working in flooded basements to selling huge installations in New York. Yep, Molly Hatch has seen it all. Of course, so has Molly Hatch Studio. That’s right, she has a few lives happening at once. No.1 commercial artist designing ceramics for companies like Anthropologie, The Land of Nod, Target … No.2 Fine artist creating huge, detailed, amazing installation work … No.3 Mother to a sweet six year old girl. I’m not sure when she sleeps, but she claims she does. You can listen right up there under Molly installing one of her ‘plates as paintings’ pieces,  or you can subscribe on iTunes.

First up, a few of her pieces that you might recognize:

Ahh, the teacup mug. And that vase… I need that vase!

Next, stepping back a tiny bit, these were a few of the pieces in her show at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia a year after completing her MFA {2010}:

Ah, yes… back where it all began!

So during that time there was a lot of hard work, and not a lot of money. I loved this story… not the poor part, but the hard work part… oh, and that very well-timed email she got from Anthropologie. She’s been working with them for years now, and here are a few of my recent faves:

Clearly, I’m going to need that unicorn mug. And the dachshund.

So, from functional pieces that can be found on shelves in lovely stores around the world, to breathtaking installation art that hangs in galleries and museums around the world. This is the piece she was talking about that is permanently installed in the lobby of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta:

Ooh, I would love to see that in person!

Now, If you happen to be in New York you could pop by Todd Merrill Studio, the gallery Molly’s been working with for the last few years. Here are just some of her insane fine art pieces:

My process is detail oriented and takes thousands of brushstrokes to paint each of my cube vases for @toddmerrillstudio Here is a short time lapse of the first layer of three in hand-painting one side of my smallest cube vase. #mollyhatchstudio #toddmerrill #painting #porcelain

A post shared by Molly Hatch (@mollyhatchstudio) on Nov 30, 2016 at 4:40pm PST

 

Right?! Oh my word – so much talent in one person.

And finally, you’ll be happy to know that Molly’s no longer working in a flooded apartment basement {wearing rain boots with her supplies in tubs}, now she works HERE:

What the wha! Gorgeous and so well-deserved. Here’s to being an “opportunistic optimist”, and saying yes to all of the amazing things that come along with that outlook. Thank you so much to Molly for sharing her story – the good, the bad, the hustle, all of it. Thank you as always to Saatchi Art for supporting this episode, and thank YOU for listening. There will be more art for your ear next weekend.

Other links:

1. Molly Hatch Instagram / Molly Hatch Studio Instagram
2. RISD
3. Museum School, Boston
4. Kathy King, Ceramics 
5. Miranda Thomas, Pottery
6. Michael Cardew / Ara Cardu
7. Rebecca Louise Law episode
8. University of Colorado 
9. Betty Woodman
10. Beth Lipman
11. Bennington Art Museum
12. Land of Nod, Molly’s collection
13. Studio images via Molly’s home tour on Apartment Therapy

 

Source: thejealouscurator