Melody Jean Moulton
What is your favorite art medium to work in, and why?
I do hand-cut collage art using books, magazines, and other paper-like materials. With the exception of the card stock that I mount my images on, all materials are humanely sourced in thrift stores, swap meets, & random peoples' garages. I have never fancied myself very good at painting or drawing, the process was always too frustrating. I throughly enjoy the process of flipping through articles of the past and soaking in that time period’s points of views as I source the images I intend to use. There is something so satisfying about carefully, meticulously cutting out an image and then the freedom you have with it to change it’s meaning by placing it with other images. Metamorphosis at it’s best.
When did you first figure out that art was important to you?
I think I became aware of how important art is to me when I was working for Humboldt Women for Shelter in the late 90’s. I started volunteering there my senior year of high school, went through their volunteer training, and eventually became a paid employee. One of my roles there was to co-facilitate therapeutic art projects with children while their mothers attended support group. This was when I realized how powerful art can be and how many different hats it can wear. An outlet of emotion, a healthy avenue to process emotion, a source of inspiration, the list goes on and on. At this time I wasn’t creating pieces like I do now. I have always been an avid postcard/letter writer, so my work during that time was in the form of handmade postcards and envelopes and was sent out to my various pen pals (some of which I still have today, 20+ years!) and sometimes even to friends who lived just down the street. While I still send handmade mail from time to time, I have grown and evolved into making larger pieces that I take more seriously. What a long, strange trip it has been… ha ha.
Who is your art mentor?
While there are many artists that I admire, I’m going to have to go rogue on this one and say, "Travel!”. Getting out in the world, meeting new people, seeing new perspectives and ways of life, this is what keeps me going. I pull a lot of inspiration from in-depth or even fleeting conversations I’ve had, the pleasant-pain of nostalgia, and the personal growth that comes with travel. Living in San Diego has gifted me cheap airfare (from Tijuana) to Mexico City and I make it a priority to spend a week there 4 or 5 times a year. Maybe I should narrow my answer to “Mexico City,” rather than travel, since I go there most often.
Finish this sentence: My art is my...
partner-in-crime.
What advice would you offer someone just beginning their exploration of their own artistic self?
Be kind to yourself, art is growth and growth isn’t always pretty (while this is easy to say, I know from personal experience it can be really hard to do). Spend time with people who inspire you (even if they are strangers and you’re people watching from afar) and spend time doing things that are outside of your comfort zone. Keep moving forward.
Do you have a website or blog you would like us to link to?