03/27/2026
An edited version of this interview, conducted by Kev, first appeared in the Winter 2026 issue of The Atomic Tomorrow. We will be sharing the full interview over the next few days! This is Part One of Three. Please enjoy!
Martha Knox is an author, teacher, and illustrator who has published the books Cats A -Z and Owl and Cat in Love. TAT gratefully appreciates her taking the time to grant us an interview about her work. Learn more about the artist at www.marthaknox.com
1. Your work is often presented in projects. What informs those projects, like, how do you organize them around what themes? Also, when do you know when to stop?
Most of the ideas for projects that come to me get tossed because when I start to consider the necessary process and logistics, I realize I don't have the resources to do them justice. I need to teach for a living, and I'm raising kids, so a lot of the projects I’ve taken on not only must mesh with having a busy schedule, but relate to things I do and discover through my adventures teaching and parenting. Most of my subjects relate to connecting to the natural world. Most recently, I’ve written and illustrated a middle-grade novel that educates readers about environmental issues in and around the Susquehanna watershed, where I live, but through animal characters who form found family and cooperative networks to combat invasive species and human encroachment on their habitats. The inspiration came from reading so many great books to my kids at night, and also a decade working as a teaching artist for the Science, Nature, and Art in Philadelphia program at the Wagner Free Institute for Science. As for when to stop, having such a busy, full schedule has taught me how to manage my time pretty well, although I do still suffer from cycles of burnout and recovery.
2. Does anything ever come up in a project that you can’t fit in (say, you’re brainstorming a project with emus, but an amazing idea with gazelles pops up)? What do you do with it?
I have so many projects that I never finished due to ideas for how to make it so much better popping up mid-process and just not having the time or energy to do it justice, or simply get it done before the muse for it departed for good. Although there have also been times when I was able to ruthlessly edit back due to necessity, and I think it made the work better. One thing that's essential to making creative work is to have enough time to just sit with our thoughts, reflect, and distract ourselves to recharge so we can see things clearly. Quite a challenge in this economy with high demands on productivity, rising cost of living, and stagnating wages, especially for the sort of day jobs and gig work creatives often survive on.
3. Who were your inspirations? Were there any particular pieces of art or books that truly drove your desire to become an artist?
I checked out books by Beatrix Potter from the library constantly as a child, and when I had my own kids, I ran out and acquired the whole treasury of her work. Her captivating illustrations of animals and charming tales continue to delight children over a century after they were written, an incredible accomplishment. There are also many artists and writers working today who particularly inspire me to keep at it! In the realm of printmaking and ceramics, I'm very inspired by Jenny Pope, who works in both media and addresses subjects of animals and natural systems in a way that is colorful, dynamic, and highly expressive. In the realm of writing, I especially love the personified animals and sense of humor in Avi’s Dimwood Forest series and Joan Carris’s Bed and Biscuit series. Jean Craighead George’s fiction on the lives of animals in natural habitats displays a deep engagement and research into the subjects that I admire.
4. You work with materials like woodcuts and ceramics. What draws you to these?
Both woodcuts and ceramics are among the oldest materials humans have used to make pictures, and while I didn't choose them for that reason, I suspect that's part of the appeal. I like to use my hands. While there is work by others made with modern technology that I find thrilling and important, I don't enjoy making digital art or using computers much at all. There's something about the direct and tactile nature of wood and clay that I find perpetually appealing and meaningful.
5. Tell me about Words on Woodcuts.
In 2015, I launched my own independent press. This was a decision made after having a one-year contract with an agent who failed to sell my first book, a coffee table gift book with woodcuts titled Cats A - Z. Self-publishing was my plan B, and I was determined to do it properly. I had the book professionally edited and the layout done by a professional designer, then launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo to raise the $4,000 necessary for a first edition of 500. Since then, I have published two other books the same way, both children's picture books. And I have also published several calendars featuring my artwork.
See you tomorrow for Part Two!
