Creative Cross-Pollination

Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2020/06 - June

What do architecture, banjo-pickin’, and fine-tunin’ a vintage car have in common? Plenty. Just ask Knight Martorell. If you don’t know Knight, chances are you’ve seen him in a variety of venues: he’s an accomplished architect, the banjo virtuoso in Silly Ridge (blue grass band); the esteemed illustrator of the annual posters for Highlands Motoring Festival; a fine arts aficionado (oil, watercolor); a creative process consultant; an art professor; and currently the cover artist of The Laurel. 

All his talents merge in the “cross pollination of creative thinking”, as he puts it. He adds, “Teaching design, drawing, and painting over the years brought about an intense interest and research into understanding the creative process and assisting others in structuring their own.”

Knight finds the process much more interesting than the final product. He says, “The process is the juicy part. Seeing finished work is like seeing the movie credits.” 

Knight shares his juicy journey from watercolor brush to Laurel cover: “I had never painted a bird. Illustration and design from academia (University of South Florida and SCAD) and architecture were my focus. A gallery owner/bird enthusiast/friend commissioned me to do four watercolor birds. Uncertain I could do them, I said, ‘Let’s try one and see how it turns out.’ It was an unbelievable challenge for me… a level of watercolor I’d never attempted. After three attempts and much creative contemplation, I finally finished a goldfinch. He loved it. He contracted the three remaining birds. Each one had an especially difficult area of technical challenge. If I could first tackle and successfully master the most problematic aspects, I’d have the confidence to finish the remainder.” And finish he did, placing another creative feather in one of his many hats.

So what do architecture, banjos, and old cars have in common? Passion. Everything we think, practice, and enjoy spins around our fervor and creative process. Consider music. Although communicated in a different language, music still informs (affects) our process. We might have a love of music, old cars, painting, impressive structures, the mountains, etc. These subjects share beauty, line, shape, form, color, texture, surface design, rhythm, energy, wisdom, and much more. All our cherished icons are planets orbiting our passionate core.

If we learn how to be open to innovative sparks, they will stoke our creative fires every waking moment. To explore your own creative potential, commission a work of art, or consult with an architect, contact Knight Martorell by visiting his website: martorellstudios.com or emailing him at: [email protected].