About Kim Knoll

Inspired by nature. Influenced by minimalism.

About The Work

My work is guided by a love for simplicity and abstraction, addressing the universal human desire to find moments of peace in a chaotic world, both externally and within ourselves. Nature is a great source of inspiration and inner peace for me. I draw from sensory memories that bring me calm and joy, like fog drifting over a lake or the liberating expanse of an open sky. These fleeting moments guide the concept, mark-making, and composition in my paintings, transforming personal reflections into visual meditations.

Through mixed media on paper, my process pursues a balance between intention and spontaneity, mirroring the tension between my personal control and surrender. I work with a limited color palette, letting water and pigment lead the way to create unexpected textures and unique forms that surprise even me. This practice is a testament to my philosophy that beauty and peace often emerge when I let go of control and embrace uncertainty, leading to a sense of liberation as I create.

Each piece is an invitation to pause, reflect, and find solace, acknowledging that while we cannot control the noise around us, we can cultivate calm within ourselves. In an increasingly fast-paced and digital world, my paintings offer a tactile, grounding experience that speak to the transformative power of letting go to find peace within.

Kim Knoll is an abstract painter living and working in Chicago. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communications from Northern Illinois University. For most of her career, she was deeply rooted in the digital world as a brand designer. She spent long days in front of a screen working within the confines of precision and order, including over a decade at a design studio she founded with her husband. Life took an unexpected turn when she experimented with watercolors for a branding project, igniting a spark in her that she didn’t know existed, like it had been waiting for her all along. What began as a personal passion evolved into her full-time focus, transforming her approach to creativity and putting her on a new path. Painting became her sanctuary—a way to embrace imperfection, rediscover the joy of working with raw materials, and a return to her artistic roots. Her background in graphic design has had a noticeable influence on her artistic style and creative process, bringing a unique perspective to her abstract work. Kim’s paintings have become sought after by brands, designers, curators and collectors for luxury home and hospitality projects worldwide. Some of her most notable work can be found in The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Yacht Collection, Waldorf Astoria Hotels, Four Season Hotels, JW Marriott Hotels, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and CB2.

Education
• 2003, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Northern Illinois University

Solo Exhibitions
• 2019, Jun 26-Sep 3, Neighborly, Chicago, IL
• 2018, Nov 16-18, The Martin, Chicago, IL

Group Exhibitions
• 2024, Nov 1-28, New & Abstract Group Show #4, Berlin
• 2023, Jun 23-Jul 28, The Martin, Chicago, IL
• 2018, Aug 28-Oct 19, NIU Art Museum, DeKalb, IL

Select Commissions
• 2024, Crate & Barrel, Spring Collection
• 2023, Regent Seven Seas, Grandeur Cruise Ship
• 2023, JW Marriott Essex House, NYC
• 2023, CB2, Spring/Summer Collection
• 2022, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Evrima Yacht
• 2022, P&O Cruises, Arvia Cruise Ship
• 2022, CB2, Fall/Winter Collection
• 2021, Norwegian Cruise Line, Prima Cruise Ship
• 2021, Bank of America Tower, 110 N Wacker
• 2020, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Evrima Yacht
• 2019, 7 For All Mankind, Milan Flagship Store
• 2018, Chronicle Books, The Spells Deck

Select Features
• The Ritz-Carlton Evrima Yacht
• The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, FL
• The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Chevy Chase, MD
• The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, San Francisco
• Four Seasons Jackson Hole, WY
• Four Seasons Vail, CO
• Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas, NV
• Virgin Hotel Las Vegas, NV
• Waldorf Astoria Doha, Qatar
• Waldorf Astoria—The Avenues, Kuwait
• Waldorf Astoria New York
• JW Marriott Desert Ridge Phoenix, AZ
• JW Marriott Essex House, NYC
• JW Marriott Miami Marquis
• Hotel Martinez, Cannes, France
• Sofitel Riyadh Saudi Arabia
• One Palm Residences, Dubai
• One&Only The Palm, Dubai
• Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
• Rosewood Little Dix Bay, British Virgin Islands
• Le Méridien Fort Worth Downtown
• The Westin, London City
• Capitol Tower, Singapore
• Kempinski Hotel Hangzhou, China
• Artyzen Lingang Hotel Shanghai, China
• Hyatt Regency London Stratford
• Hyatt Regency Orlando, FL
• Whitley Hotel Atlanta, GA
• P&O Arvia Cruise Ship
• Regent Seven Seas Grandeur Cruise Ship
• Oceania Marina Cruise Ship
• Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship
• Norwegian Viva Cruise Ship
• Norwegian Vista Cruise Ship
• Norwegian Sky Cruise Ship
• Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship
• Silversea Silver Nova Cruise Ship
• 7 for all Mankind Milan Flagship Store, Italy
• 7 for all Mankind Berlin Store, Germany
• Bank of America Tower, Chicago
• Sonesta Chicago Riverfront Hotel
• Baptist Hospital Miami, FL
• Chateau Elan Winery + Resort, GA
• Addison Reserve Country Club, FL
• Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland, OR
• Westin Kierland Scottsdale, AZ
• Pendry Residences Park City, UT
• Montage Resort Laguna Beach, CA
• Hotel Clio Denver, CO
• Hotel Longmont, CO
• Marriott Grand Chateau Las Vegas, NV
• Hilton West Palm Beach, FL
• Renaissance Orlando Resort & Spa
• Aura Crossroads, CO
• The Worthington Residences, Salt Lake City, UT
• MerryWood on Park, NC
• Ladd Luxury Apartments Portland, OR
• Wander Teton Valley, ID
• Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
• Encore MidCity Apartments, AL

“I’ve used Kim’s art for a number of projects over the years and can’t say enough about working with her. She consistently adds new work, she is always quick to reply, and her artwork is ALWAYS stunning!”

— Lindsey King, Art Consultant, DAC Art Consulting

Q&A

Where did you grow up and where are you now?

I was born and raised in Elk Grove Village, a suburb about 30 minutes from Chicago. I've always been in the arts, but chose to make graphic design my career when my high school art teacher told me that's the only way I could make a living as an artist (so not true!). I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BFA in Visual Communications, packed up my car and moved to Tempe, AZ for a fun few years. In 2006 I made my way back to Chicago and have been living in the city since with my husband, Kyle. I dream of one day living somewhere that's warm year-round where I can stand up paddleboard, live in sandals, and plant a mango or avocado tree in my backyard.

What originally drew you to making paintings?

I discovered my love for painting in 2016 when I was creating the visual identity for a new apothecary. I wanted to use watercolor washes in their identity so I bought the supplies and started experimenting. I loved watching the paint react to water and the effect it gave once it dried. I liked that it had a mind of its own and was hard to control. It allowed me to let go of needing things to be perfect, which was so freeing and therapeutic. So I bought more supplies and explored painting as a personal project, trying different ideas and techniques until I discovered a vision for my art which is how I eventually developed my own style.

How do you go about developing your work?

It all depends on my mood. Sometimes I sketch out an entire painting and then paint it. Sometimes I just start painting the first layer without thinking about it, take a photo of it, and sketch ideas for more layers using my iPad. Sometimes I don't do any sketching and just follow my intuition with each layer. Most of my paintings have been planned during one of the stages of creating them. A lot of my creativity comes out on the iPad. It's a great way for me to explore a lot of ideas without committing to any of them. It's also not a precious piece of paper that I've taken the time to cut and stretch, allowing me to have more freedom of expression without any fears of ruining it.

What is the best advice you could give a novice artist?

It’s ok to not know everything you think you should know. I struggled with that in the beginning. Not that long ago I saw the quote “Every expert was once a beginner.” and it really resonated with me. We all start out somewhere—the beginning is all about guessing, making mistakes and failing. It’s what you have to do in order to learn and develop. I learned what I know the hard way because I didn’t take a single class on painting in art school and I don’t have anyone to guide me through it. So I learned what I know about painting through trial and error, Google searches and YouTube videos, and I’m still learning every day. We're all just figuring it out as we go and that's ok.

Creative blocks. Do you get them and how do you over come them?

Of course! I usually get them when I've been focusing on the business side of things and haven't painted in a few weeks. The best way for me to overcome them is to study my past work and look at my folder of inspiration that I keep updated. I have to submerge my brain in nothing but that for a couple days and get out my iPad to sketch ideas. When I'm really frustrated, I'll just throw some paint on the paper without any thought behind it, and then it becomes a fun challenge for me to figure out the next layer, and the next, until it's done.

Why do you work on paper and not canvas?

When I first started out, all I had was watercolor paper and canvas seemed daunting to learn. Plus a lot more space is needed for storing canvases and more materials and tools are needed for stretching canvas, which I didn't have the space or budget for. So paper is what I went with. But after trying out canvas later on, I learned that paper is much better suited for my techniques and for scanning the art to make prints. I still love that paper takes up less space and it's much easier to ship too. There's an art to stretching paper and hand tearing the edges that I enjoy as well.