Meet Marcia Molnar | Artist . Enchanted Wayfarer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcia Molnar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcia, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Painting makes me happy.

Why? I don’t really know. I start drawing and then I start coloring like a little kid with all of the joy and none of the judgement. I step away from all the worries of life, other people’s rules, and I am free.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The drive to paint comes from somewhere deep within. I think I was born with a love of beauty and the world. The colors of a sunset astonish, humble me and getting that onto a canvas has not always been easy.

It comes with practice. For an artist, this is not a chore. Doing a thing over and over until it is perfect is work that brings joy and a sense of great accomplishment.

And this might surprise you but when parents ask me if they should send their child to art school I always say “No. If they are true artists they will always have the drive to be creative. Send them to business school. It is being in business for yourself that they will need to learn.”

You need to learn not just how to create but market and sell your paintings. Then there is all that tax stuff. I can remember how offended I was when I learned I had to list my expenses. It’s a cruel world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to the Grand Canyon. It is a magical place. You never know what will happen next.

We would get up before sunrise and go to Yaki.

During the day you can talk to a ranger and find out where the Bighorn Sheep and elk hang out.

We would spend one sunset evening searching for condors at Hopi, then a day or two at Desert View exploring the Watchtower and the Unkar Delta.

Both places have sunsets that are beautiful yet completely different. The thing they have in common is the way shapes disappear into deep lavender and the river reflects the color of the sky.

On another evening, we would take a quiet walk from Yavapai to the Visitor Center at sunset. It is completely enchanting, the canyon shimmers pink and gold in the last of the sun. I always think this is the closest I will come to touching the face of God.

Once the sun is completely down, I would take them to Yavapai Lodge for pizza and to sit around the fire with a glass of wine to tell our stories.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I come from an artistic family.

My parents never told me I should be something other than what I wanted to be, an artist and so I came to believe I was an artist at a very young age.

My dad, Jay Schmidt, was an artist and a gallery owner. He would always tell my brothers and sister that if we could paint and sell just one painting a month, we could make it. When I met my future husband, George Molnar, my dad would tell him the same thing. We all believed him and so we became professional artists.

George and I have made it through 51 years of marriage and painting. We encourage each other while trying to respect boundaries such as not giving a critique unless asked. We have separate studios, which we tell people with a little smile, that this is how we have stayed married. George has been my biggest fan and coach over the years.

Website: https://www.thepaintedjournal.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcia_molnar/

Image Credits
My photo was taken by Paul Markow – https://paulmarkow.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=8198&Akey=N7FHNS24