“Art is emotional for the painter as well as the viewer. It can change the lives of both parties. I love being a part of that.”
- Molly Wright
Molly Wright is a contemporary painter whose work lives at the intersection of emotion, color, and intuition. Now based in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, she has spent much of her life living and working along the East Coast.
A painter since childhood, Molly earned her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. After years of working primarily in oils, she transitioned to acrylics in 2014, drawn to their immediacy and quick-drying nature. That shift allowed her to work more instinctively, embracing movement, layering, and spontaneity.
Molly’s paintings are expressionistic and impressionistic in nature, defined by bold color, thick applications of paint, and a loose, painterly hand. Her work invites interpretation, encouraging viewers to connect emotionally and find their own meaning within each piece.
Her paintings are held in private and commercial collections throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, including Martha Jefferson Hospital and Elon University. Molly has exhibited widely in solo and group shows and is represented by galleries across the East Coast and beyond.
Molly's Studio
Molly works from her home studio, a space shaped by light, color, and the rhythm of daily practice. It is here that her paintings evolve organically, often beginning without a fixed plan and unfolding through layers of paint, movement, and response.
The studio is both a place of exploration and quiet discipline. Finished works sit alongside canvases in progress, allowing ideas to breathe and shift over time. This environment reflects Molly’s belief that painting is not about control, but about presence, trust, and letting the work reveal itself
Artist Statement
My work is rooted in emotion. For me, painting is not about replicating what I see, but responding to what I feel.
Art has the power to move people, to comfort them, and sometimes to change them. That exchange between the painter and the viewer is what continues to draw me back to the canvas.
Color is as much a tool as the brush itself. Through thick layers of paint and loose, expressive marks, I aim to create space for interpretation rather than instruction. I want the viewer to bring their own experiences into the work and to feel something personal and unspoken when standing in front of it.
Process & Philosophy
I work quickly and intuitively, allowing each painting to develop through action rather than overthinking. Acrylics suit this process, giving me the freedom to build layers, scrape back, and respond in real time.
The evolution of my work has come from learning to get out of my own way. I trust instinct over perfection and emotion over precision. When I let go of expectations, the paintings become more honest and alive.
Each piece is a conversation between color, movement, and feeling. I consider a painting finished not when it feels resolved, but when it feels true.
