Artist Collaboration: An Interview with Taryn Knight / @taryndraws

Strap your boots and prepare to take your first steps to the countryside. Beyond the horizon lies cozy farmlands and a country girl’s fellow friends.

Lose yourself in each brush stroke as you endeavor across the acres on new adventures. 

Let us welcome Taryn Knight, the tenth Art Kit of the Mossery Collection! 

Read more to learn about Taryn, her creative process, her career as an children’s book illustrator, and how Harry Potter helped pave her artistic identity!

Hello Taryn! We are so excited to have you for the first time and a warm welcome to Mossery! To kick start this interview, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello! I’m so excited as well to be a part of the wonderful Mossery family, thank you!

My name’s Taryn, I’m an illustrator currently working out of rural Colorado. I grew up homeschooled and obsessed with drawing ever since I can remember. I’ve since developed a passion for nature and slow living, both things play a big role in my work as an artist.

This is the very first time you’re working with us for a Mossery Art Kit and Book Covers, what was the experience of putting practice to paper like?

Designing the book covers felt quite familiar, however the art kit was an entirely uncharted land for me. It’s been quite challenging and interesting to really break down my own process and discuss the technical side of things.

With this new Art Kit, how does it feel being able to help guide and teach first-timers, this particular art medium?

It feels quite strange, I never saw myself as someone suitable to assume a sort of teaching role before. I suppose we’re all beginners in the sense that there’s always more to learn and discover in art. It’s been wonderful, the thought of introducing someone out there to the art medium I’d fallen in love with years ago. Gouache has been a very constant companion of mine, I hope others find joy in it too!

Talk to us through the creative process behind the 2 new covers you produced for your Art Kit! Do they each tell a story?

As always, I aim to evoke a feeling of wildness and calm. I wanted to create a contrast between the two, one being a moody night scene and the other in a sunny, brighter setting. Opposites in some respects but still akin to each other.

We read that you are a children books illustrator! Does the industry help you stay curious about exploring your art in different ways? 

Oh yes! While I’ve much yet to experience and learn, I find it comparable to sailing a ship in the sense that the turns and shifts are only partially within my control. Working in book illustration has pushed me to explore new paths I normally wouldn’t have done before, ultimately helping me to discover what I want my work to be and represent.

Back in 2017, your love and art of Harry Potter became a sensation on its anniversary. How does it feel like to have your art being loved widely? And how does it impact you today?

It’s nice to think that something seemingly so simple as making art inspired by books—two things I love so much—had become a train ticket, guiding me quite unknowingly toward finding my artistic identity and eventually doing work that I love professionally. I’m very grateful for the relationships and sense of community I’d found along the way, reinforcing my conviction that simply creating the art you love can draw you closer to your goals in ways you might not expect.

You also mentioned that you struggled with procrastination and self doubt with your art. How have you grown since then and what are some of the things that you’ve done to help you on this journey so far? 

I do still struggle with self doubt, I think it’s something I’ll always need to acknowledge and keep in check. As far as procrastination goes, I think it stemmed from a fear of messing up, of making mistakes…while I still have those perfectionist habits, I do feel a bit more relaxed and a tiny bit more confident in my abilities. Something that’s helped me is coming to the conclusion that I don’t necessarily want my art to be perfect. I’d much rather focus on creating with freedom, spontaneity, and genuineness.

As an artist, what is next in store for your future creative journey?  What are your hopes and wishes for your future self as an artist? 

It’s one of my fondest aspirations to one day write “author illustrator” in my bio! And, as always, keep learning and discovering.

Trivia question! What does your dream house look like? It can be as bizarre and magical as it can be!

It’s quite a humble little dream house! It’s a small cottage (or cabin!) on the edge of a dense forest with plenty of forgeable goods. There’s a sizable vegetable garden out back, and a small porch to watch the sunsets from. Patchwork quilts galore, green trim on the windows, dried herbs hanging up all around. Perhaps some fairy folk exist in that world as well.

Taryn Knight is an illustrator from the sunny pastures of Colorado and you can find her on Instagram here. 

Dip into the enchantment of the everyday by basking in simple moments and secrets of nature.

Creating this art kit was a great joy, we hope you learn lots through it.

Try your hand at this art kit and tag us @mosseryco on Instagram so we can see your growth!