Biography

Mollie Thonneson lives and works in the New York City metropolitan area with artist Alan Walker, and her daughter Tulsi Franklin. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Fine Arts at New Jersey City University and is scheduled to graduate in 2012. Thonneson studied illustration at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design from 1979-1981, but she soon realized her heart belonged to painting rather than the world of commercial art. Thonneson has shown her paintings nationally and internationally.

     Thonneson abandoned painting temporarily when she and her husband, Joseph Franklin, founded Joseph Franklin Interior Accessories in 1990. The duo designed and manufactured high-end lamps, mirrors and accent tables that featured natural patinas on copper and handmade ceramic tiles. Her contributions to the company included graphic and product design. Their twelve year artistic collaboration ended with Franklin’s death in 2002.

      Thonneson’s nomadic military upbringing prepared her well for change and flexibility. She has lived all over the globe including Iran, Japan, and Hong Kong. Thonneson moved from Southern California to the East coast in 2007. Thonneson’s current body of work is an exploration of and reaction to her new environment. The culture, history, and the four seasons have been her East coast nourishment. Whether she is designing a lamp, cooking a meal, or painting an urban landscape, Thonneson has a creative spirit that illuminates her life and her work.