Kim Knoll Art

Kim Knoll Art Nature-inspired paintings from an abstract perspective The shapes, colors, and perspective that I recall or imagine inform and guide each painting.

About The Work:

Inspired by landscapes and influenced by minimalism, I enjoy bringing the outdoors in through painting, in a beautiful, simple and unexpected way. My works on paper are an abstract interpretation of moments and sights from my time spent in nature exploring lakes, mountains, forests and coastlines through hiking and camping. I love living in the city of Chicago, but I often crave a

dventures in wide open lands that renew my spirit and make me feel at peace. I use these adventures as the inspiration for my work to provide others with a momentary escape from their everyday. Using watercolors, ink, acrylic, and graphite, I think of a positive memory or a landscape I loved and then translate what I saw and felt into paint using contrasting marks and textures. About Kim:

My style is heavily influenced by graphic design, which has been my focus throughout my schooling and career. It wasn’t until 2016 when I picked up a paintbrush for the first time, but only to experiment with watercolors for a new branding project. I fell in love with the medium and began exploring it as a personal project. Sharing my paintings on social media allowed me to get noticed by collectors, interior designers and art consultants, which has inspired, propelled and enabled me to pursue painting. Today, I partner with art consulting firms and interior design studios to produce commissioned paintings and prints for homes, hotels, resorts, retail stores, cruise lines, products and more. My most notable work can be found in The Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Yacht Collection, Four Seasons Hotels, Waldorf Astoria Hotels, Bellagio Hotel, 7 For All Mankind (Milan and Berlin), Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship, Norwegian Prima and Sky Cruise Ships, and The Spells Deck produced by Chronicle Books.

It’s been two weeks since I had surgery on the wrist of my dominant hand. For over two years, I had a 2cm ganglion cyst ...
09/03/2026

It’s been two weeks since I had surgery on the wrist of my dominant hand. For over two years, I had a 2cm ganglion cyst in my wrist joint that was growing more painful with time. I had been wearing a brace to paint, couldn’t carry large panels anymore and my grip strength was weak. As you can see, I’m in a splint that has to keep my wrist straight for 6 weeks which helps the odds of it not coming back, then OT. I was told to not paint or lift anything heavier than 5 lbs during the recovery, but of course I’m finding ways around that. I spent the first week sleeping on the couch because it was too painful and tiring to do anything else, but this week I’m spending half days in the studio and doing some light painting with my left hand. It’s actually been really fun and interesting and to see how loose and uncontrolled my marks are, which is ironically aligning with my painting goals. I’m looking forward to seeing what discoveries come from this period, and to being pain free.

If you want to see the scar and what it looked like before the surgery, swipe right 👉

A peek inside my new art studio ✨ My last studio was big and looked great in photographs, so a lot of people are surpris...
08/30/2026

A peek inside my new art studio ✨ My last studio was big and looked great in photographs, so a lot of people are surprised I left it. But what you didn’t see in the photos were the leaks in my unit every time it rained, a 96º bathroom in the summer, the noisy new tenants, and the unsafe conditions at the building. It became so distracting and unnerving that I couldn’t relax or concentrate, which was showing up in my work. I had to leave, and was thrilled to find this gem after looking at spaces for months. It’s brand new construction in an old warehouse building located in a great neighborhood, surrounded by people in the arts. And for the first time, I have a studio that’s walkable from my home. I’ve never been in such a fancy building, and I never want to leave 😌 I can’t wait to have you over for the next open studio!

Celebrating 17 years of marriage with this babe.We’re just two kids trapped in aging bodies, having a slumber party ever...
08/29/2026

Celebrating 17 years of marriage with this babe.
We’re just two kids trapped in aging bodies, having a slumber party every day. Cheers to all the years Kyle Eertmoed and many more 🍻💞

Celebrating 17 years of marriage with this babe. We’re just two kids trapped in aging bodies, having a slumber party eve...
08/29/2026

Celebrating 17 years of marriage with this babe. We’re just two kids trapped in aging bodies, having a slumber party every day. Cheers to all the years Kyle Eertmoed and many more 🍻💞

Hi 👋 it’s Kim. It’s also August 18, which means exactly 10 years ago today, I started painting for the first time.I’m th...
08/18/2026

Hi 👋 it’s Kim. It’s also August 18, which means exactly 10 years ago today, I started painting for the first time.

I’m thinking about everything that’s happened in the last 10 years, all of the opportunities I’ve been given, all of the people who have connected with my art, and for being able to still do this full-time. There are so many emotions and a lot has happened in that time.

Looking back at who I was then, how much I’ve failed and tried again, what I’ve accomplished, and how much I’ve learned - it’s been a wild ride. And so often, we focus on where we want to go that we lose touch with how impactful the messiness of getting there is. That’s the good stuff. That’s what makes life interesting. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that destinations are boring. You get there and then what? You reflect on all the crap you went through and those moments are what fill your cup. They’re what made you grow, laugh, cry and overcome. They’ve made you who you are today, hopefully a little more resilient, wise, calm or courageous. At least they have for me.

Just for fun, here’s a rapid fire list of 10 things I’ve learned over the last 10 years:

1. Making art is maybe 25% of an artist’s time. 35% is marketing it, 10% is emails/estimates/invoicing/scanning/file prep, 10% is bookkeeping/taxes, 5% is cleaning supplies/studio, 5% is packing/shipping, 2.5% is ordering supplies, and 2.5% is hauling things in/out.

2. The creative process doesn’t have office hours.

3. The way you paint is a reflection of how you feel in that moment. If you’re not in the right head space, it shows up in the painting.

4. You can’t wait to be found. It’s not going to happen. You have to put yourself out there.

5. Most people want to see you succeed. 

6. Lift with your legs and bend with a flat back. 

7. Mistakes often end up being the best part of the painting.

8. Comparison will make you feel lost. Only compare yourself to your past self. 

9. New work takes about a year for people to connect with.

10. People love blues and greens. And when there’s a sale.

And no, I didn’t use AI to write any of this.

Cheers to 10 years! 🥂 🤍

Quick update on “The Art of Restraint” workshop I’m teaching at PaintSpace NOLA | Art Workshops from March 1-4: There ar...
07/28/2026

Quick update on “The Art of Restraint” workshop I’m teaching at PaintSpace NOLA | Art Workshops from March 1-4: There are only 2 spots left. I’ve kept the group to just 10 of us on purpose because I think small groups allow for more one-on-one time, deeper conversations, opportunities to connect and share, and the space to just breathe and focus. Plus the friendships that form when you spend this kind of time making art next to a small group of other like-minded people is something that can have a real effect on you and your work ✨

If you’re interested in learning more about the workshop, leave a comment below and I’ll DM you the link. My DMs get buried quickly so comments are the best way for me to see your note.

Sometimes Instagram is just the best ✨ I was not expecting to do much of anything today, but this morning I was scrollin...
07/26/2026

Sometimes Instagram is just the best ✨ I was not expecting to do much of anything today, but this morning I was scrolling Instagram and came across a post about from William Grant Little about an estate sale happening in Chicago’s north shore (ifykyk).

It’s the estate of a veteran graphic artist and illustrator, so of course my interest is piqued. Then I looked up the address, and it was only a 30 min drive. It was almost 11am and the sale was happening until 2pm today, so my decision was made. Surprisingly, Kyle wanted to go with so we made some coffee, packed a snack and were off! 💨

We waited in line having no idea what to expect and once we were inside, it was like entering a time capsule. You can’t tell from the outside at all because it looks so modern and new (last pic) but this house was built in the 1970s and the inside was still living like it. There are thousands of books on architecture, design and traveling, sooo many T-squares, musty clothes, some really intricate, big model ships, cool chairs and some weird knickknacks.

These were my finds that I now cherish, including that hockey stick of a paintbrush - it’s 33” long! I couldn’t believe the Yellow Oxide paint wasn’t dried out. And probably my favorite is this Rockwell Versacut mini circular saw. I need to make shelving in the new studio so it’s perfect timing! Kyle found 2 books on Chicago that he’s been looking through for the last 2 hours.

I can’t help but think about the man whose things we now own. We wanted to learn more about him so we looked him up. His name is Arnold Arnam and he was 91 years old. He spent over 30 years in the art department at the Chicago Tribune. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute in 1956, served in the Navy, was awarded an 18 month scholarship where he studied in Italy, UK, Austria and Spain, and returned in 1960 to complete his masters degree at IIT. It sounds like he lived a wonderful life.

If you’re in the area, the last day of the sale is tomorrow (7/27) from 10am-12pm at 247 Linden Ave in Glencoe, IL, and everything will be 50% off.

Thanks Instagram for a great, unexpected day! 🤍

Here’s a peek at the new space I’m moving my art studio into, in 2 weeks! You can see from the pics that the whole floor...
07/19/2026

Here’s a peek at the new space I’m moving my art studio into, in 2 weeks! You can see from the pics that the whole floor is under construction. I think they still need to add the ductwork, lights, outlets, paint, and seal the floors in my space. There are 4 floors of artist spaces in this 5-story building, so I’ll be in a bigger community of artists that I’m really looking forward to.

It’s been fun planning the layout (2nd slide) and yes, I’m such a nerd that I measured all of my things and the space to map it out true to size 🙃. It just makes moving day and setting up way easier.

Things I’m really excited about that my current studio doesn’t have: walls that go to the ceiling, central a/c, great bathrooms, a slop sink right next to my space, a weekly cleaning service, a view of downtown, a 10 min bike ride from home, a safe neighborhood, and being able to host you with more open studios 🤍

I know this space will have a profound impact on my work since I’ll be able to have less distractions and more peace of mind. I already feel a weight being lifted 😌

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kim Knoll Art posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share