Meet Reed Knauth | Reed Knauth of Rosebud Studios | Watercolor Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Reed Knauth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reed, what do you attribute your success to?
Being yourself! And putting in the work of course. Sounds easy enough, but I learned the more authentic and vulnerable you are with your work and your audience, the more they will love you and the more successful you will be.

Your business really rests on the foundation of your content – when I first started out I was nervous to be too “colorful” with my work. I was afraid it would scare people away because it was too bright and not sophisticated enough. Over time I realized I was hiding my personality by doing this. Once I started embracing my true self I felt more comfortable and was able to create from a place of confidence and pure authenticity. An amazing feeling.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I can’t even tell you how many twists and turns it took to get where I am today! I enjoyed every bit of the struggle because it taught me so much valuable insight about myself, my beliefs and what I’m most passionate about. It’s not about what anyone else wants or what makes them happy it’s about how it makes YOU feel when you are doing it. My journey really started when I was super young….. I was constantly creating, whether it was paintings, jewelry or ceramics, etc. Since then everything has always led me back to my art and design instincts. I have a degree in Graphic Design + Painting from UNCA Asheville and I moved to Atlanta post-college to attend Ad School at The Creative Circus for Design. It was a windy road for a minute, I created my own jewelry company for a little while, tried out the advertising world, and ultimately through a lot of trial and errors, I figured out my truth, my passion. Along the way I learned there was such a thing as a “textile designer.” The light bulb went on and I really began branching out into pattern design and learning about all these ways I could use and sell my original art – from greeting cards to home decor, even clothing. I’m super thankful for my graphic design path because not only is it financially supporting my second dream to be a working artist but it also makes it possible to design my own pattern content from scratch, brand my business and create my own photography. Over the years I’ve distinguished and mastered my style of painting with certain techniques that resonate with me deeply. My art today fully embraces my extreme love for color and organic shapes. When creating, I’ve found I work best in an intuitive style of painting that evokes a certain amount of energy, movement and spontaneity. I’m best recognized for eccentric and vibrant color palettes, gestural marks, complicated patterns and various texture applications. As a textile designer I look heavily to radical trends in fashion design and the natural patterns in nature to inspire my creations. My focus almost exclusively stays with natural, organic, fluid elements (like botanicals and dreamy landscapes), that have the ability to warp and evolve. My newest landscape and floral collections practice Japanese aesthetics and explore the principles of negative space – leaving the work slightly unfinished, thus inviting the viewer into the painting to actively complete it. The best advice I could give anyone is don’t stop creating! Even if it’s just something little daily, a small sketch, an idea, keep going. Also, stay true to your style. Try to identify the small habits you naturally make in your daily work/art to organically develop your signature style.

My latest accomplishment has been working on murals locally in the community and professionally with corporate clients. This has been a big goal of mine for years, so never be afraid to push for something you never thought was possible. Dream big!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I usually avoid super tourist spots, love earthy, ambient, bohemian places with chill vibes! BEST VIBES + Drinks + Tacos/Coffee Spot: Muchachos
BYOB Brunch: Sun In My Belly
Drinks before dinner: Bon Ton
Low Key Music: Waiting Room
Plant Shopping: Flora Fauna, The Victorian
Sexy Dinner: Barcelona
Walk around and take artsy pics: Goat Farm
Kayaking: Shoot The Hooch
Park Stroll: Piedmont Park
Seafood + Fancy drinks: The Optimist
Tapas + Salsa dancing: Eclipse Di Luna
Day exploring: Cabbagetown Murals + Estoria 97 for cheap drinks
Gallery night: ABV Gallery, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta Contemporary

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely owe my creative pursuits and success to my parents – my mom was a painter and my dad a writer/poet. Without their continued love, encouragement and daily dedication to my work I’m not sure I would have realized my talents or be where I am today.

Website: www.rosbud-studios.com

Instagram: @rosebud.studios