My designs are inspired by nature and by my passion for color. I have always appreciated functional objects representative of good design. Each of my hand printed textiles is unique – individually printed, one at a time, using a process that begins with carving my drawings onto a pliable rubber surface which is mounted on wood to create a stamp.
Once I finalize my design, I hand paint and print the stamp again and again to create impressions that mirror gardens, both real and imagined.
Creating beautiful things and caring for the natural world are important to me. The fabrics I print on are made of natural fibers and the paints are food safe and heat set, to withstand rigorous use and repeated washing. My cards and wrapping paper are printed in Maine at Franklin Printing, a family owned business, a wind powered facility. I package and ship my goods in materials that have a minimal impact on our planet.
ABOUT ME: My work is inspired by a life-long interest in the natural world and by my verve for color, pattern and form. I consider myself a researcher of nature, studying closely, then rendering what I see. Playful experiments using a variety of media including paint, paper cutting, bookmaking and block printing, help me explore and capture plants and landscape in various stages of growth, from bud to decay. In recent years, I am pleased to have found a way to share my work in the craft market by block printing on functional home textiles and paper goods.
I live and create in Portland, Maine. I am grateful to be the mother of three creative children who grew up to be kind and resourceful adults and to be sharing my life with a husband who supports me in all my pursuits. After enjoying a long career in early childhood education, publishing parenting magazines in New York, Connecticut and Maine; and working as a marketing director and graphic designer, I am very happy to be working full-time from my attic studio with it’s beautiful view of the treetops.
ABOUT MY SIGNATURE CHOP:
Everything I make is signed with a hand-carved chop I designed several years ago. At its center are my initials – MAT. The two parallel lines at the bottom left symbolize my two sons, the mark in the upper right my daughter, and the square enclosing the whole thing represents the support from my husband, family and friends that enables me to pursue creative endeavors.
PRETTY FLOURS IN THE PRESS
• edible MAINE, Artist Molly Thompson uses Turkish cotton as her medium, June 2021
• ARTISANS WHO WHOLESALE, podcast interview with Stefa Normantas, March 2020
• TRADE SHOW TIPS, created by Maine Small Business Institute, January 2020
• MAINE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE, published by Knack Factory & Might and Maine, November 2017
• BOSTON GLOBE, Insider, October 2016
• DEERING SQUIRREL, Studio Visit with Molly Thompson, July 2016
I am a member of and am grateful for the support of these organizations:
