Evidence of the Disappearance: A Preview

For my lovely blog readers I am thrilled to present...
Evidence of the Disappearance.

I have updated my website with my new work and created two new pod casts about the exhibition on there as well.

I hope those of you in and around Arkansas will plan to attend the opening reception on Friday, June 6 from 5-9pm at the Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs. I would love to see and meet you there next Friday!

Thank you again for all your encouragement, love, and support. I couldn't do what I do without you all on my team. You lift me up and inspire me on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy my new work!

The press release follows:

Painter, Megan Chapman featured at
Blue Moon Gallery, Hot Springs Arkansas.

Evidence of the Disappearance an exhibit of abstract, oil and mixed media paintings by Fayetteville artist, Megan Chapman will be featured for two months beginning June 6 – July at the Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs Arkansas. The gallery is located at 718 Central Avenue in the downtown Historic Arts District.The opening reception will be held June 6th from 5-9pm, during first Friday gallery walk. The artist will be present. The exhibition includes thirty new paintings never before exhibited.

Chapman's work has been featured in solo exhibitions at Remy Fine Art in Ft. Smith, the DDP gallery in Fayetteville, Julie Wait Designs in Rogers, Mullins Library, at the University of Arkansas, and at Gallery Fraga in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Chapman's work was recently on display in the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers, Arkansas.

Chapman's mixed media abstracts have been well received, and can been seen in the Fayetteville Shogun Sky bar's permanent collection, as well as other corporate collections. Most recently two of Chapman's paintings were published in Studio Visit, a national juried exhibition in print.

Megan Chapman was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She received her B.F.A. in painting from the University of Oregon. Chapman has shown her paintings over the past ten years in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington; her paintings have appeared in various publications, and are in private and corporate collections around the country.

About the concept behind the title and the exhibition, Chapman says...When I paint I listen to music on my headphones, and the music is always a constant source of inspiration and helps me to dive into the work and away from this world; the paintings that result are the only "evidence" of this time spent "away."

My work is always about my love of color, the subtle changes that occur when colors overlap, react, and create something new. I also love textures and how layers of color and texture come together. I have been exploring different motifs that I find natural and comforting. These shapes are repetitive at times, and often peek out from a hidden space in the painting or brazenly take the foreground. These shapes reflect my love of design as well as "mark making" and how I enjoy the imperfect smudge of charcoal or the gritty pencil line as it floats along the painted surface. Intuitively, I bring these elements together to create an otherworldly atmosphere.

Please join us to welcome Megan Chapman at her opening reception of Evidence of the Disappearance June 6, from 5-9 PM at Blue Moon Gallery. The exhibition will continue through July. For further information please call the Blue Moon Gallery at 501.318.2787 or visit the website at www.bluemoonartgallery.com

Trusting Yourself Enough To Buy Art

The winner of last week's small paper painting give away is the talented author Suzi Parker! Congratulations Suzi! Please contact me so I can mail the painting (shown above) to you. Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful comments! It is so nice to have readers, I remember when I had very few, and rarely any comments. Knowing that you are out there reading this means a great deal to me, and is very encouraging. Thank you all. Please tell your friends about my blog and about my paintings!

Today, I want to switch gears. Last night, I was visiting with a friend who is not an artist, so I took the opportunity to pick his brain about growing up with or without art, buying or not buying art; and what art can bring to a person's life, as well as the misconceptions that hang over the art world.

I asked my friend if he had grown up with art (original or prints) around his house. It turned out he had not; on the walls were mostly family photographs. However, he did remember a few limited edition prints by a well known regional artist that were in his house. He also remembered that his family had actually persuaded other members of his extended family into buying the same regional artist's prints as well. I then asked him if he had art around his current home. Not surprisingly, he did not, but he did have that same regional artist's prints in his closet propped up against the wall! When I asked why he did not have any other original art, he said, he simply did not trust himself, and wouldn't know what was "good" or what he "should" like. I am over simplifying our conversation, and this idea of not trusting oneself isn't completely new to me. I know some people feel they need to be told what is good. My friend was quick to point out the role of the interior decorator (telling people what to like and putting it together for them in the "right" way.) My friend enjoys art and he values it, but he just doesn't think to buy it, and he is not alone. There are many people out there who enjoy art, but just don't feel the need to purchase or simply don't trust themselves to take the plunge.

Living with art is so ingrained within me, that I forget about "trust." For me, wanting and buying art is a natural and intuitive process. I explained to him that I have never lived without it.There were always prints of Picasso, Cezanne, Modigliani, La Tour, Ben Shahn, Klee, and O’Keeffe, along with a good smattering of original art from friends and others in my family home. When I moved out, every apartment of mine had sketches from friends, art oddities, my own paintings, as well as prints. Today, I am the proud owner of many original works by local and national artists. It is a part of my life and in my life; it is a necessity. You are likely to see me wearing the same "good" pair of shoes I have been wearing for the last 5 years, but I will have bought many small affordable pieces of art since. The longer I am a part of this profession, the more I feel the need to support my fellow artists in this way.

I just received a new piece of art in the mail this week, and it is always so exciting and so rewarding! Another connection is made, another artist is encouraged, and my home becomes a reflection of the inner worlds and dreams of another, that then meet with my own visions to create the most personal and unique atmosphere.

I guess today's message is trust yourself to know what you like, and don't wait for someone to tell you when something is good. Don't be afraid to mess up, there are many affordable pieces of art in the world to purchase and to help build your confidence level. For the price of a nice dinner out and drinks, a nice outfit, a trip to the salon, or a new ipod, you could have something special and one of a kind; all the while doing something for the artist that is priceless, encouraging them to continue on the path.

Art is not food, shelter, or a full tank of gas; it is not required to live. Art is not really about having the right taste or style or about value or investment. Art is about a connection, and isn't that what we are all searching for?

Only two weeks away!!

Evidence of the Disappearance
Blue Moon Gallery
718 Central Ave.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
June and July 2008
Opening Reception: Friday June 6 from 5-9pm, during first Friday gallery walk.


Threads
Megan Chapman
Mixed Media on Canvas
30x40"
2008

Stamina and Refrain

She calls at 3a.m. like clock work for a couple of weeks out of each month. She is the breeze through my window that kisses me awake. She is the lone bird that sings in the dark, and she is the street light that filters through the leaves and onto the side of my house. She is the blue purple sky with dark tree silhouettes. She stirs my heart, and then grabs me by the neck and pushes me up the stairs to the studio. She chooses the music as she clears the path for me, and if she is willing, she allows me to remember my last dream before she called.

Once in the studio, she starts to fade away and sits guard in the corner to watch the show unfold. The blank canvases, stark white stand before me, I glide my hands down the surface, and I breathe in their size and tooth. I must cover them up; and any color will do, but gold is preferred these days. I breathe a sigh of relief. Blotter paper comes out and is pressed to the canvases, picking up paint and revealing texture. This must dry before the layers of oil can be applied, blotted again, and wiped away. Slowly building up the textures and color overlays that create the depth and atmosphere that I hunt for. I go within this process and disappear.

I dive within the diptych before me; again I lay the gold, then a swath of my blue, jagged across the canvases like a horizon line. The diamond shapes arrive stacked on top of each other oddly like a totem. Yellow ochre comes a long, then some white, and then more diamonds. A rich earthy brown comes on the scene. I add some charcoal dust, and the spray bottle does its work and papers are applied to blot the excess and the painting starts to become something interesting. I vow to set it aside until tomorrow...

She calls at 3a.m. like clock work for a couple of weeks out of each month. She is the breeze through my window that kisses me awake. She is the lone bird that sings in the dark, and she is the street light that filters through the leaves and onto the side of my house. She is the blue purple sky with dark tree silhouettes. She stirs my heart, and then grabs me by the neck and pushes me up the stairs to the studio. She chooses the music as she clears the path for me, and if she is willing, she allows me to remember my last dream before she called.

Finding myself back in the studio, the rich earthy brown is taken over by an olive green. The diamond shapes are blanketed with transparent orange oxide, and the spray bottle comes along again and then more blotter paper. The diamonds remain but they are softer now, and the orange film on top suits them. This same oxide takes over the gold on the two top sections, and creates a type of nuclear sky. Hours pass as I work the painting, and again I must set it aside until tomorrow. She gets up from her corner post and whispers in my ear, "see you in the morning, you are almost there...."


Pictured Above:
Stamina and Refrain
Megan Chapman
40x 60" diptych
mixed media on canvas
2008

Evidence of the Disappearance
June-July 2008
Opening Reception Friday June 6 from 5-9pm
Blue Moon Gallery
718 Central Ave.
Hot Springs, Arkansas

It is time once again for the paper painting/print give away! This month I will be giving away a small paper painting to one lucky reader that leaves a comment on today's blog. I will mail to anywhere in the world. I will randomly draw a number to correspond with the comments in the order they are received. Leave your comment between now and Tuesday at midnight. I'll post the winners name in my blog next Friday; please be sure to check back, so that I can contact you. I really appreciate everyone who reads and comments on my studio blog. Please don't be shy, and if you want to comment but don't want to be included in the drawing (previous winners etc.) just say so. GOOD LUCK!

Rainy Day? Say goodbye to boredom with Fun.

First, a quick status report on Evidence of the Disappearance. My studio is very empty now. The acoustics in my space are so different as the majority of the paintings were delivered to Hot Springs last weekend. Currently, I only have the two large diptychs, and two large horizontal paintings left in my space. I have been finishing up the last two paintings this week, and I am pleased with the way things are wrapping up. This next week I will be working on photographing the last of these works, finishing up with the titles, and working on publicity, and postcards. Not to mention a website and a MySpace overhaul right before the show. I do hope folks in and around Arkansas will try to attend my exhibition, the opening reception will be Friday June 6th from 5-9pm at the Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Evidence of the Disappearance will be on display June through July. I am so proud of this body of work and can't wait to share it with you all, either in person or online.

With that said, I want to share some of the things I have been experiencing lately that push me forward and inspire me, or even just make me laugh. Things might get a little random here this week, but there are a lot of amazing things out there, and I hope these selections will inspire you too.

First of all YOU inspire me, yep you. If you share your ideas with me, or the things that inspire you, if you make me laugh, if you give me your time, if you are fighting to discover the answers in this life, or even if you are struggling, you are inspiring me. If you have shown me your human side, or your vulnerabilities; then you have given me a gift, and helped me feel less alone in this life, and that propels me forward. Thank you.

This week a dear friend of mine told me to get Portishead's latest album, "Third" and I did. I have been listening to it ever since. Listening while painting at 4 am, walking my dog, walking alone, while napping, while writing my blog. Fresh sounds, good textures. I really needed this.



Another friend, sent out a bulletin containing this Bat for Lashes video, and I fell in love with it's melancholy sweetness. Who wouldn't get excited by BMX bike riding "animals" clapping and doing tricks to the beat of this catchy song. I love the concept and atmosphere.



Another friend, (oh I have some good friends!) Sent out this Andy Warhol video the other day and it brought a smile to my face, and was simply a bit of light in this serious art world.It is only 8 seconds long, so I had to watch it again and again.



And yet another wonderful friend, sent me this Bjork video for the song Wanderlust. I had never seen this before. This is such a good example of the power created when music and art combine to produce something magical. This video is really astounding.



Well, that about does it for this weeks post, but I must leave you with this random oddity. The other day I got some junk mail, in fact every Wednesday I get this thing called Extra, a cheesy section from the newspaper that mostly is full of adds, and it always goes straight into the recycle bin. This week my copy arrived torn, with a chunk of it missing and I could really care less. But on Thursday, I received this in the mail...Click on it for a better look. And yes, that is the missing chunk...

Until next week friends, thank you as always for your support, encouragement and inspiration.

Pictured Above:
Unspoken Truths
Megan Chapman
20x16" mixed media on Canvas
2008

Evidence of the Disappearance
June-July 2008
Blue Moon Gallery
Hot Springs, Arkansas

Boxing up the Evidence

First some news:

I will be at first Friday gallery walk at the Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs, Arkansas tonight from 5-9pm.If you are in the area, please stop by, I would love to meet you. I will also be there next month, Friday June 6, from 5-9pm for the opening reception of my exhibition, Evidence of the Disappearance. Please mark your calendars- I would especially love to see you then! I am very excited about my new body of work and can't wait to share it with you.

I also want to let everyone know that Studio Visit, Volume One arrived in the mail this week! Two of my paintings, Olivine and Secrets Revealed were selected to be included in this new juried publication in print, produced by the publishers of New American Paintings. I am thrilled to be a part of this beautiful and elegant publication. Two thousand of the best galleries and museums in the country will be receiving Studio Visit as a source book, featuring some of the many talented, emerging artists from around the country. I am so pleased to be a part of this new publication by the Open Studios Press. You may be able to obtain a copy by visiting their website. Each gallery that represents my work, will receive a gallery copy, so when you visit them please ask to see it!


















Boxing up the Evidence: It's almost time...

The finishing work takes hold now, and there are different practices to follow at this stage in the process. New lists are made to separate the important tasks from the jumble that is my mind four weeks before a show. Things must be broken down into even smaller more manageable parts. Daily, I must stay on task with a new vigilance.

The majority of the work is now titled. The sides of the paintings have received three solid coats of black paint before they are signed up the right hand side in gold. Hanging wires are fastened. The work has been photographed, and those photographs have been scrutinized. The paintings are looking quite put together now.

The music changes for this process as well. Interpol fades away and the headphones are put down for a while. Now, mixtures of "work" songs filter through the open air of my studio. Compilation Cd's from dear friends and the soundtrack from the film Pollock will propel me to the finish line.















It is always amazing how a body of work can come together out of nothing. These paintings, these difficult births, always surprise and overwhelm me. When were they all created? How are they finally, really here? My heart is full with all the love, support, and time given to me so that I may simply put colors and textures together to hopefully create something beautiful and unique: something that transcends daily life. Sitting in my studio so close to being done, tears well up in my eyes. I am so fortunate to be able to share this experience with the artists that are always with me, the ones that have come before me and the ones that will come after.

There is an invisible thread that runs between us; and the evidence proves this.


Pictured above:

Fragile Together
Mixed Media on Canvas
10x10, 2008

Delivered like Thunder
Mixed Media on Canvas
20x16, 2008

We Talked Like Dancing Feet
Mixed Media on Canvas
16x20, 2008

These are just three of the new paintings that will be featured in my upcoming exhibition:

Evidence of the Disappearance
Blue Moon Gallery
Hot Springs, Arkansas
June and July 2008
Please join me for the opening reception Friday June 6 from 5-9pm
During first Friday gallery walk.