Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Knudsen.
Hi Brian, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a California native and have spent most of my early life around the ocean. Surfing and bodyboarding have always been a big part of who I am, and I think I’ve probably studied the shape and movement of waves for decades without realizing I was doing it.
My path into art was anything but traditional. For more than 25 years, my career was in fitness, personal training and physical therapy, building a business and a community in North County San Diego. I never went to art school and never really imagined myself becoming an artist.
Momentum Arc started almost by accident. I began experimenting with ways to physically sculpt the movement of a wave rather than simply paint one. I wanted to capture the shape, energy and changing light that I had experienced in the ocean my entire life. One piece led to another, the technique evolved, and people began responding to the work in a way I didn’t expect.
What really pushed me forward was seeing people experience the pieces in person. Because they’re sculpted in relief, the work changes as you move past it and as the light moves across the surface. A photograph never completely captures that.
What started as experimentation has grown into Momentum Arc, a collection of hand-sculpted relief artwork, and most recently into my own gallery space in Solana Beach. I’m still learning and experimenting constantly, which is probably my favorite part of the whole journey. I didn’t set out to become an artist. I just found something I couldn’t stop creating.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Because I came into art without a traditional art background, I’ve had to learn almost every part of the process by doing it developing the medium, figuring out how to create the depth and movement I was seeing in my head, and honestly not sleeping because I kept thinking I could make the next one better.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to trust my own instincts. There are no real rules for what I’m making, so a lot of it has been trial and error. I’ve learned that sometimes the piece I’m fighting with the most is the one that teaches me the most.for example, Resurrection, is the name of one of my favorite pieces. I had it finished 3 times but I either redid it or ruined it with the wrong finish or mistakes but kept with it and it’s spectacular.
The business side has been another learning curve putting myself and the work out there, approaching galleries and designers, doing shows, and figuring out where the work belongs. I spent most of my career in a completely different world, so starting something creative from the ground up has definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone.
But I think that’s also what has made this whole experience so rewarding. Every challenge has forced the work to get better, and I’m still learning with every piece I make.
As you know, we’re big fans of Momentum Arc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Momentum Arc is a Southern California art studio creating hand-sculpted relief artwork inspired by the movement, energy, and shape of the ocean.
What sets the work apart is that it isn’t simply painted it’s physically sculpted by hand. Each piece has depth and texture that interact with light, so the artwork changes as you move through the room. Photographs can capture the overall composition, but experiencing the work in person is completely different.
My connection to the ocean comes from a lifetime spent in and around the water, but my favorite break is, The Wedge in Newport Beach. Rather than trying to create a literal image of a wave, I wanted to capture the power, tension, speed, and moment just before it breaks. The work ranges from minimal white-on-white pieces to deeper blues, blacks, and more dramatic sculptural compositions.
I’m especially proud that Momentum Arc has developed naturally. What began as an experiment has grown through the response of collectors, designers, and people who have experienced the work in person.
Ultimately, I want Momentum Arc pieces to do more than fill a wall. I want them to give a room life. The way the light changes the look as the day goes on makes the waves coming alive.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Building relationships with the community. The sales that I have had have been generated not only by the product but the connections that happen with my back story. But this is just the beginning. I’m really looking forward to see where this next wave takes me.
Pricing:
- $250-$7500
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momentumarc.art
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@momentumarc.art
