About Molly Paulick

Molly Paulick is an artist based on California’s Central Coast. Her paintings are inspired by the native plants, shifting light, and layered terrain that define this region. From coastal hillsides to quiet backyards, she finds beauty in the plants that make California’s ecosystems so distinct. Her work celebrates this biodiversity and invites a renewed sense of belonging to the land, bringing the beauty of native plants into the spaces we inhabit.

Molly grew up in Irvine, California and studied Painting and Drawing at Azusa Pacific University after years of being classically trained in oil painting. She later worked in arts administration at the Arts Council for Long Beach, where she saw how creative access strengthens communities. She then spent nearly a decade in graphic and web design before returning to painting—a shift sparked by the loss of her sister and a deepening connection to California’s native landscape.

Now living in San Luis Obispo, Molly continues to explore California’s natural world through art and community. She leads Little Acorns, a nature-based program for toddlers and parents at the SLO Botanical Garden, creating space for families to reconnect with the rhythms of nature.

At home, Molly and Mark are raising their two children, James and Rosie, and love hosting neighborhood gatherings often featuring Mark’s home-brewed beer. Their life is rooted in creativity, hospitality, and connection to the land.

For Molly, painting is a way of paying attention—to the light, the seasons, what’s growing nearby. She hopes her work awakens that same attentiveness in others, revealing the native beauty that’s always been here.

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Inspiration

Native Plants as Storytellers

Molly’s art begins outdoors. She spends time observing plants in their natural context — noting the colors of new growth, the way a poppy leans toward the sun, or how sage holds light after fog. These quiet moments of attention form the foundation for her work.

Through her paintings, she tells the story of California’s landscapes — not as untouched wilderness, but as living, evolving ecosystems that exist alongside human life. Every leaf, petal, and horizon becomes a reminder of what endures when we notice what grows right where we are.

Process

From Observation to Canvas

Back in her studio, Molly translates her field studies into expressive, layered compositions. Her process is intuitive yet intentional — blending realism abstraction, texture with a touch of surrealism. Through bold color and rhythmic brushwork, she captures not just what a plant looks like, but how it feels to stand among it.

The result is contemporary botanical art rooted in place — work that honors California’s native species and the quiet poetry of their persistence.

Belonging

Bringing Nature Home

At the heart of Molly’s practice is an act of restoration: using art to help others reconnect with the land they live on. Her paintings bridge fine art and ecology, encouraging a slower, more attentive relationship to the world outside our doors.

Each piece is an invitation — to see the overlooked, to celebrate native beauty, and to bring nature home.