MOLLIE KELLOGG ARTIST

“Since 2009, my Incognito Witch Project has celebrated hidden magick through fine art, short film, dance, and music. My Incognito Witch mixed-media artwork reveals the subject’s hidden psyche, too often suppressed in order to meet society’s expectations. For me, the next phase of the project is creating an opportunity to see where my magickal beings will run off to play (or cause mischief) when given permission.”

—Mollie Kellogg

Harryet Candee: "Balance is not something you find; it's something you create." When you give this theory a moment to contemplate, Mollie, how does this statement reflect your life as an artist?

Mollie Kellogg: Are you asking me this question because every time we talk, I am harried? Ha ha. Balance is a luxury for those with means; otherwise, balance demands compromise. For me, successful balance is keeping multiple plates spinning. It comes at a price I’m willing to pay -like working an all-nighter on a commercial project to make space for new creative endeavors the next day, enjoying a healthy walk, watching a show with my husband, playing my banjo, or having an outing with friends. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always had what you might call a bucket list. What little kid has a bucket list? It started with “Please let me have a boyfriend before I die” and progressed from there, usually hav- ing to do with romantic ideas…such silly, yet so earnest “before I die” requests. And now I’m older, and that voice is still in there; it’s a little more discerning about requests to the Universe, but it’s a constant internal pressure keeping an eye on the clock.

It's challenging to put art into words. Especially when we try to explain our artful world to people unfamiliar with what we do due to its uniqueness, we want them to understand and appreciate it fully, so we try to explain the best way we can. Do you find you present to people the same ideas of who you are and your vision differently, depending on what audience you are speaking to? How far of a range does your description go at times? MK: It is challenging to put art into words. My “All Witch” print is a good image to talk about. It combines the first seven 60”x30” series of paint- ings between 2009-2010. How I present my message varies depending on whether it's a one-onone or group interaction. Seeing someone in person versus a phone conversation makes a big difference, as I rely on visual cues to gauge comprehension -- otherwise, I find myself rambling untethered. Assuming I am making eye contact with the listener, my elevator pitch is, “I'm currently working on a series called The Incognito Witch Project, celebrating hidden magick. It’s a series of figurative artwork and videos inspired by characters in the paintings.” If they're still with me and not looking at their phone, I go on to explain the concepts behind the Project: “We all have something we suppress to meet the expectations of others or ourselves; fears, insecurities, passions, dreams – and we hide our own power sometimes to survive. The hidden magick message of self-acceptance and love addresses this universal struggle...” Then I'll move on to talking about the visuals: “My magickal subjects are adorned with elements of nature, draped fabrics, with messy lipstick and signature color under the eyes -- evoking a Mother Nature archetype of strength and power yet also empathy and vulnerability. My textured mixed paintings are layered upon a metallic underpainting and embedded with hidden sparklies and stars. In my mind, the stars are a visual manifestation of the magickal realm.” If the listener sticks around long enough to get to the bit about the magickal realm, there’s a good chance it’s a love connection.

Can you match a visual piece of art you created to the words of a song you composed? Let's take a look as you explain.

MK: G, Ginger Anxiety, Incognito Marilyn, and Cousin Chris each talk about childhood memories in Don’t Put Me In A Box. After I started doing short videos for birthdays and such with the characters from the Incognito Witch Project, I painted a “Selfie” of Ginger Anxiety, and my family really loved the piece, so I continued to do the selfies, including characters in this video. The song starts out with Incognito Marilyn: “As a little girl I would watch Miss America, at night I would sing and pray, someday I’d be on that stage. But Ma Nature made my bum too broad, other bits too small, and my face not right, so I packed my dreams up nice and tight, and I hid them out of view; I hid them from you.” G talks about hiding in the classroom to avoid bullies, Ginger talks about being told not to sing into a microphone, and cousin Chris talks about altering his appearance to fit in. These lyrics tap into experiences that inform these characters and my paintings.

The world of video is a beautiful fit for your expressiveness. You are not shy in front of the cam- era. Tell us about your videos, films, on-camera, and around-the-camera experiences.

MK: There’s so much I could say about the short films/music videos. They've been a rewarding collaborative process creatively working with videographers, musicians, actors, and my wonderfully creative family. In Nobody Loves Fat G and A Lonely Heart in the Crowd, we had open calls for folks to participate in a dance sequence, which was fantastic. It was such a thrill when old and new friends showed up to get their “inner witch” on and play. Even my mom inhabited a role as “Mama Witch” in Lonely Heart, where the lyrics include some of her advice, “When someone you love is slippin’ away, do you let go or make a strong play? Mama, she told me to get up and fight; sometimes pushing and shoving is doing what’s right. So I’m coming back for you, yes I’m coming back for you….”

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The drawing with stars and mice impresses me. Your drawing skills are outstanding; your imagination is elaborate and fun. I would want to own this piece. I do wonder, however, your thoughts on a fashion design drawing theory that comes to mind and goes as follows: You don't want to be specific with the facial features or body type because the woman buying the dress might feel she doesn't fit that type, and to leave it with fewer details is best for a sale. I learned that in fashion design. Your art is not fashion design, and quite contrary to this. What are your thoughts, and how would this piece reflect in your response?

MK: I’m not sure the fashion industry supermodel complex got that memo. I agree folks want to connect with their gut with the art, and my subject matter can work against me. I can’t complain about sales, I am blessed, but I want to be able to explore themes without worry that are rich with possibility and personal reward in addition to any monetary compensation. My pencil and watercolor paintings are a new phase of the Project and are more illustrative. My vision for this category is to travel further into the humor and mischief of the Incognito world. Because it tells a story, my hope is that the story will resonate. How many adult women read a story about a young wizard with a lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead? They resonate with the magick – it’s the magick that has legs. Thank you for your kind comments about this piece, A Little Help Goes A Long Way; I am happy you like her and her little critter friends.

What rolled through your mind when a mentor once suggested that you find a specific niche with your art? What were you working on when asked to think about this?

MK: I had shown some nudes at MonkDogz in New York, and Bob Hogge was always kind and mentoring. His suggestion was to find some things that could be identifying elements in my work. He cited an example of one painter’s work where all the figures were bald. At that point, I had been creating what I was calling “figurative magical realism.” So, with his suggestion, I felt a little lost. I could randomly choose to make the left hand of all my figures green, but what would that represent? I was searching for more than a gimmick or a decorative doodad. I started doodling, leading to seven cartoony sketches that became the Incognito Witch G1 through G-7 series.

When do you find yourself needing to have com- plete solitude to create?

MK: I am able to paint and block out whatever is going on -- I can ignore my phone and pretty much everything because a certain amount of obsession takes over. Upon reentry, I sometimes have a visceral reaction to having to reengage. However, my commercial art business is a hungry beast that won’t be ignored. And if I do ignore it, there will be consequences. So my solitude time tends to be late in the evening, working on commercial projects and fine art-related computer work because the emails and the calls calm down by then. Luckily, some of my commercial artists work late hours, which is handy sometimes.

How can you explain to us the connection you have with magick and witchery?

MK: This is always one of the hardest questions to answer. I know the answer inside, but when I wrap words around it, it is never a true representation of how I feel or what I believe. When I was in my 20s, I had some medical issues, and my business partner introduced me to reiki energy healing. Over the years, concepts that fall into categories of energy, healing, meditation, and mysticism have come into my life more and more. They feel right, and inevitably they influenced my art. I also attended some pagan group activities at First UU San Diego, and many of my models were from the group and the broader church community. My friend John Keesler and I coordinated the First UU church art guild for many years, and it became a hugely supportive and loving community.

Please break down the developmental stages from figurative, story-like illustrated art to the undertaking of your unique all-encompassing gathering of people art projects relating to selfies and empowerment. I am looking at Dark Desert, The Gift, and Incognito Witch Selfie: Amanda. MK: In order of creation, The Gift is first. I was painting about motherhood, using secondhand canvases, and donated house paint because that's all we could afford. This is one of my most popular images. Dark Desert was second and created the year I was going through a divorce. This was when I started evolving my technique to include the textured gesso and metallic underpainting, and in this phase, I used a lot of black in the pouring. I poured thinned acrylic colors over top of the metallic and let it do its thing, and then I painted the figure out of that. In the Incognito Witch Selfie phase, I continued the gesso and metallic under- painting but have switched to a more colorful pouring. Paintings in the selfie series are created from references sent in by sister and brother Incognitos dressed in their fabulous Inner Witchwear. It is a lot of fun for participants and can be healing. Incognito Amanda from New Zealand wrote this to me: “There was no stigma, no judgment. I've never felt more safe and accepted.” job title because we are creating something that didn’t exist before – the tagline for my business is “conjure a vision.” The stars are a huge component. But the most exciting is to see how the underpainting dries. It is totally something I can’t control.

Of all the mastery and skills you own and use to create a pastel, drawing, or acrylic of yourself or someone else, what techniques would you say have the most power? It could be how you flick off the brush, a splatter of gold dust, a pouring process, or the combination of colors you choose. Which one holds the most visualization magic? Are they added as a final touch? Reveal to us one of your secret potions and its ingredients! MK: Ha ha ha. I actually visualize when I am in the pouring stage when the painting is lying flat on the ground and has water pooled on its surface. When I add the gold powder, glitter, and stars, and they’re floating around in the water trying to find their resting place, it's a magical conjuring or a potion of sorts, and I’m amused at that thought. I do use the description “Creative Sorceress” as my Continued on next page...

Do the doodle line drawings you showed me you have come up with also hold as much potent magic?

MK: The “Doodlies” are trying to find their way. They are part of the realm. A couple of them have had concepts. They stem from my first steps in any painting. I’ve just not ever really shared them before. Definitely, my process is trying to take them to another level and see if they can stand on their own. They are like little bursts of energy thrown at the paper. I’d like to find a consistent level – and I need to do a lot more of them to see how it plays out. I enjoy them a lot.

You have a strong presence online. So much info about you and your art is offered honestly and candidly to the world. Some artists are more secretive. Why do you choose this direction of revealing yourself, yet, in your portrayals, you want to hide behind the physical of yourself?

MK: I have complete confidence in the work, my process, the concepts, and the people who care about this work and who’ve participated in the sure builds, my prisoner trying to break free. Am I wrong to want what I don’t have, or is it all in my head? Pains of the past are my prison, I'll take my magic brush and paint a life I recognize.” The video featured G – who again is a character styled after the first painting in my series titled G-1 for “Goddess 1.” In the story, she starts a new life as a painter. It won the LGBTQAI Track Award Nine Worlds Film Festival 2014 in London.

Project. I care about them, and I am very grateful to them for sharing the vision, and we’re in this together. When presenting myself as an artist talking about art, I got this. Presenting myself as just Mollie is a bit harder. Everything I feel, my insecurities, and all the struggles can be shared as G and Ginger and the gang – with a good song especially – and I’m protected. It's now their story, their struggle. I am working towards presenting more of myself through music as well. I have a couple of songs that are not part of the Incognito Witch world, and I’m hoping to get a new one recorded soon that may reference some Incognito elements.

"The Incognito Witch goes to great lengths to hide her true identity. She feels imprisoned by societal pressures and is scared to let her true inner magick shine. Through difficult self-examination, she discovers the key to freedom.” Can you elaborate on this bit of writing that I came across?

MK: The lyrics for my songs are most often inspired by something I'm going through or an experience I have gone through that is still sticking with me. I can’t decide if it’s a form of therapy or a diary. The first song I wrote was Paint My Life with the lyrics, “in these clothes, in the car, in the mirror, what do I fear? It's not a reflection of me. In my head and my chest fingers chilled, the presContinued on next page...

On the other end of the spectrum, but not too far away, I see the magic of a graphic designer! Is this your bread and butter? Did you start with paste-up and mechanicals?

MK: Yes! I started old school. Breathing spray mount and Bestine eight hours a day. Schooled in Colorado, I returned to begin my career in Phoenix ad agencies. I loved it. Wish it could’ve lasted longer. But there are no more Mad Men. I spent time at a large PR firm and boutique design firm in Seattle. In San Diego, I fell into the medical marketing space. Medical marketing is now my largest business segment, and we provide art and creative direction and design for ads, print, web, branding, and video. I have a great team and nice clients, and we get to do thoughtful, creative things that can potentially improve patients' lives.

I would love to learn more about what made you fearless and impulsively take on other art forms, such as acting, composing music, and more. And, when does each venue have its place or merge with others? It does take a certain amount of confidence and empowerment to explore, challenge and create at will!

MK: Right now, acting, music, and art are pretty much all the components of the Project, including dance. I've always acted, I’ve always created art, I’ve always danced. Despite not having confidence, I was always singing and trying to make up songs. But it was a whim when my husband and I walked into Deering Banjo Company in San Diego, and I walked out with a banjo – I think mimosas at brunch were involved. I realized that, up until then, everything I did was with the goal of being what I did. I didn't have any hobbies; I just worked. So banjo became a hobby and a way for me to create more music on my own.

Where did you grow up, and what places did you live? What reasons took you from one place to another? To the Berkshires?

MK: I grew up in Phoenix I have lived in the Southwest and West Coast my whole life. I left Phoenix for Seattle when relocating our theater company. That turned out to be really bad timing, and the dreams weren’t fully realized. We moved to San Diego because my then-husband got a professorship teaching theater at one of the universities. My current husband and I relocated to the Berkshires a couple of years ago. He is from Amherst, and his family lives nearby. We fell in love with Webster, New York, while caring for my aunt there, but as we searched for the right home, we ended up in Dalton, and we absolutely adore it. I have really been deeply moved by the beauty of the Berkshires.

The art community in the Berkshires is good. You are partly responsible for making it a whole lot stronger. What contributions have you been accountable for, and what plans do you see feasible down the line here?

MK: I am more than thrilled to find a community of artists here that is so welcoming. It’s surprising

– and a little shocking – to find exactly what I was hoping for while not believing it existed. I hope I can be an asset to the community. Some contributions to date include a few shows in the area – at local businesses and through the local art guild –and I strive to contribute to our community. I want to support the effort of those trying to make all this happen, too. I’m a member of The Guild Berkshire Artists, and Susan Smith and I are assisting with coordinating First Friday artists at Hot Plate in Pittsfield this year.

Was it easy for you to break into the art communities here? For people who want to move to this area for many good reasons, what advice would you give them that you have learned?

MK: I was lucky to be in the right places at the right time and connect with the most generous of artists and coordinators right out of the gate. My advice is to show up and keep an open mind. You never know where you’ll make that connection.

Shany Porras and you have created an excellent title for your upcoming exhibit in an intimate setting gallery space in West Stockbridge this July.

What is the synopsis of this exhibit?

MK: Here’s how we describe it: Where does your imagination go when it wanders? Mollie Kellogg (figurative) and Shany Porras (abstract) step into new worlds of mist and magick in search of an answer in Where Our Minds Wander, a two-person exhibit at Art on Main Gallery, 38 Main St., West Stockbridge, MA, July 13-24, Thurs-Mon 11am4pm. Reception Sat, July 15, 2-4pm. Art Talk Sat, July 22, 2pm.

How much of a collaboration took place between you and your co-artist?

MK: Surprisingly a lot. We've had regular meetings throughout the process, conceptualizing and looking at each other’s work, then refining our message. Even the show cards and press releases were a collaboration. I’ve never had a relationship with another artist I’ve shown similar to this process.

How does the art mesh and contrast between each artist?

MK: From our first show together at the Guild, it was apparent that there was a natural conversation when our work was hanging next to each other. www.molliekellogg.com www.incognitowitch.com www.gingeranxiety.com www.creativespiritworks.com

What words of wisdom do you want to share?

Teach us through words unspoken and written, treasured by you now and for a lifetime ahead.

MK: The words I live by: Better paranoid than sorry. The message I want to share with others: You are magick!

Thank you, Mollie!

Marion Grant

Artist Marion Grant is a member of Clock Tower Artists in Pittsfield, MA. Her current work in mixed media on canvas combines textural materials, hand-painted papers, acrylic paint, and fabric in abstract compositions that explore colors, patterns, and shapes.

About the work, Grant says, “My recent pieces reflect my ongoing interest in the interplay of geometric shapes, color relationships, and embellishments such as texture and drawing. Viewed as a whole, the paintings have unity; viewed up close, every element stands on its own as a unique passage.”

Grant’s studio will be open to the public the first Friday and Saturday of each month now through December. This summer, public hours are Saturday, July 1 (11-4), Friday, July 8 (5-8), Friday, August 4 (5-8), and Saturday, August 5 (114). Private visits to the studio can be arranged by contacting the artist directly.

Marion Grant - 413-446-7979; grants3@earthlink.net; www.mariongrantart.com; IG: @marion.hgrant.

Ghetta Hirsch

When I go to Maine, I certainly enjoy a lobster or two, but tastebuds are not the only highlights of my stay. Look at these rocks at dusk. My sense of sight is challenged every minute of the day and I return with the memory, the sketches, the photos and a few rocks in the trunk of my car. I am stealing from Nature and keeping my creative memory alive. Look at the dying sun rays hitting the top of the rocky formation. I am so glad I was able to paint the Maine shore. I certainly welcome your visits in my art studio if you wish to study my painting more closely.

This new oil painting can be seen in my studio at 30 Church St, Williamstown, Massachusetts. OPEN STUDIO and refreshments Saturday July 15 and Sunday July 16 from 10am-4pm.

July is a busy month as my work is exhibited in two locations at Kimball Farms in Lenox, Massachusetts. One exhibit, The Sky’s the Limit, is at their Connector Gallery and is open every day 8-8. The other exhibit is the Conference Room Gallery and opens on July 6.

If you go to Vermont, I also have some pieces at The Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester. You can also reach me if you are driving to Williamstown for the wonderful E. Munch Show at the Clark Museum this summer. I will be happy to offer you some cool ice tea while you explore my studio.

Ghetta Hirsch - 413-597-1716, ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com

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It’s Virtually A New Beginning.

This spring, Schantz Galleries, the nationally renowned glass gallery in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, began the process of restructuring and moving towards a virtual format. After much consideration, owners Jim Schantz and Kim Saul decided to close their physical gallery space in September 2023 and thereafter continue to operate remotely via their website, social media platforms, and email outreach. Throughout 40 years representing artists working with glass, Schantz has established strong relationships and an international standing. This new era begins with the full support of the sixty artists represented. The gallery’s initial foray into virtual exhibitions is available for viewing now on their website, as Schantz and Saul created an online catalog of work by Dale Chihuly featuring the artist’s Venetian series.

Schantz and Saul will continue to consult with clients and maintain and build on the wonderful relationships they have created over the decades, while this change in format allows Schantz time to curate remote exhibitions. In addition to being gallerists, Saul and Schantz are working artists who have always understood the challenges of providing for a family while being makers. They have supported, encouraged, and promoted the artists they represent, as well as cared for the dedicated team of local people who have worked with them over the years. “We have placed works in museums, exhibited at art fairs around the country, and held special events here in the Berkshires, attracting new art patrons and enthusiasts from around the world to Stockbridge,” said Schantz in a recent interview.

Ideally, they would like to see another type of gallery business take over the physical space. The location has been an art destination in the Berkshires for more than 40 years, and there are people who visit every year, and now their adult children and grandchildren visit the gallery.

“We are truly grateful for so many good friends and their remarkable support. Working together to share art and educate the public about the medium of glass as an art form, all the while helping artists develop their careers, has been a great honor and blessing. We will continue to do so, just in a different format. We are looking forward with great enthusiasm to this new era.” www.schantzgalleries.com

Located at 3 Elm St. in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Schantz Galleries is a leading contemporary art glass gallery. Its final summer of regularly scheduled hours will be this July and August, Thursdays through Sundays, 11am to 5:30pm.

Instagram: @schantz_galleries

Facebook: SchantzGalleries