I need to find my guts (again)

Consumption

mixed media on canvas, 60 x 70 cm

©2023 Megan Chapman

Fortress building
mixed media on canvas, 60 x 92 cm
©2023 Megan Chapman

I feel like a combination of these two paintings from 2023. I need to find my guts. I need to get my arse back in the deep end.

Thank you, Brian for seeing, believing, and championing my work. Your kindness after our art paths crossed soon after I moved to Scotland will never be forgotten.

Rest in power.

New small works series in progress

Within
mixed media on canvas, 10x10cm
2026 © Megan Chapman

Hello Dear Readers, 

Another new small work has surfaced (see above). There are currently four in this series, with the first one being in Manchester at the Saul Hay Gallery for their 10x10 Exhibition opening on the 13th of June. You can learn more about the exhibition and view the included works here: https://www.saulhayfineart.co.uk/10x10. 

I am delighted to be a part of it and thankful for the inspiration for this new series.

Three new pieces on my studio wall minus the one I sent to Manchester

I am going to keep it simple this week. I hope you are well and inspired wherever you are. Thanks for spending some time with me. 

Until next week, keep fighting.

Through the heat waves

I have been living with my door wide open to the outside world. I have been watching the sunlight flash across the walls, bouncing from windows over the road - dancing patterns through the leaves in the trees. It reminds me of the past and of music and films that I have seen. Buttercups grow past my knees in the garden and sway back and forth in the breeze.

I look towards the sun and breathe in comfort. A forgotten melody plays as I dance across the room - a remembered joy returns.

Summer is here and so am I. 

X
 

Exhibition News!

Under the surface
mixed media on canvas, 10x10cm
2026 © Megan Chapman

Hello Dear Readers,

I hope you enjoyed last week's post featuring a new wee painting and poem. If you've been following my work long enough, you'll know that titles are very important to me. Naming my work is an equal part of my process. The poem was a way for me to illustrate how titles serve as keys to let the viewer in to the work.

Last week's small painting and poem (and the work shown above) were all inspired by being invited by fellow artist and dear friend Steven Heaton to participate in Saul Hay Gallery's 10th anniversary exhibition next month in Manchester. 

50 artists from Saul Hay’s past and present have been challenged to create a piece measuring just 10x10cm. In turn each artist has invited a new artist, one who has never shown at Saul Hay before, to join the show. 

10 x 10 Exhibition

Saul Hay Gallery

​Saturday 13th June - Sunday 28th June 2026 ​​​

Tuesday to Saturday 10 - 5.30 and Sunday 10 - 5

Closed Sunday 21st

Railway Cottage, behind Bass Warehouse, off Castle Street,
Castlefield, Manchester M3 4LZ

Email: info@saulhayfineart.co.uk

You can view the 10x10 works online and more will continue to be added.

Disappear Here
Mixed Media on Canvas, 10x10cm
2026 © Megan Chapman

Disappear Here

Disappear Here, mixed media on canvas, 10x10cm, 2026 © Megan Chapman

Paintings are thresholds to be crossed

I put the keys under the mat by the front door
But you have to come to the porch and you have to know where to look
Don't be afraid to wake the sleeping dog or worry the neighbour
You must be brave and feel that those keys were left for you

Breathe. Turn the lock. Open the door.
Step into the dark. Find the light.
Now you can sit and stay a while.
No rush, no hurry.

You are inside
My home

Make yourself comfortable
Imagine yourself living here
Within the mystery of its bones

As you leave the key for the next guest
Something of you remains

The art of living

Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh

Hello, Dear Readers,

I hope you are doing okay and that you enjoyed last week's post on my day trip to Glasgow.

This week was varied; Monday was spent working on US and UK taxes. Tuesday, I received a Reiki session from a friend and practitioner-in-training, and afterwards we shared a delicious lunch. Wednesday and Thursday were spent working at my job with the Scottish Artists Union. After a matcha morning with a pal, Friday was mostly spent following the election results; however, in the evening, I attended the Royal Scottish Academy's 200th Annual Exhibition with two artist friends, both of whom had work in the show. Beyond spending time with them, I also bumped into a couple of other peers who had pieces in the prestigious exhibition. It is a strong show, and I look forward to going back when it is quieter.

This weekend I will be spending time in the studio listening to music and painting. I am working on a small 10 x 10 cm piece for an upcoming exhibition in Manchester. I will share more details regarding the exhibition soon.

In other news, spring is truly upon us now, with the trees in their fresh verdant coats and the small birds flitting about singing their morning songs.

And that's all I have for you this week. The studio is calling, and I must go.

Let Glasgow Flourish

City Chambers

Julia and I met at Edinburgh Waverley for our 10:15 train to Glasgow. We blethered away as the train sped through the bright yellow fields, arriving at our destination within the hour. I have always loved Glasgow and felt an affinity and connection from the first time I visited.

We readied ourselves for our day of adventure with cups of tea near the station, and then we were off! Walking along George Square, we popped into the gorgeous Victorian Glasgow City Chambers to enjoy the beautiful mosaics. I have walked past the stately building many times, but it never occurred to me to step inside. I was glad Julia mentioned the beautiful mosaic work and prompted our brief visit.

Keeper of Light by Smug

As we continued our walk through the city, we happened upon Keeper of Light, one of the brilliant murals by the artist Smug. I exclaimed, “Wow!” as I simply wasn’t expecting the mammoth painting. Julia and I took photos of the arresting vision in red.

We then continued on our way to see the current exhibitions at Trongate 103. Once inside the building, we encountered the moving and troubling images from Marc Davenant's Outsiders.

Neuk Collective Together Apart

We made our way upstairs as we had specifically come to Glasgow to see the Neuk Collective Exhibition, Together Apart. It is a varied exhibition, with plenty of work across most media to see and experience. I especially enjoyed the interactive works. Tactile art has interested me since I created my Books series. There were loads of works in Together Apart that called for tactile investigation; sound, colour, texture and a strong sense of play tied the exhibition together. This is the second Neuk Collective exhibition I have attended in person. I always get a strong sense of the thoughtfulness and care that goes into the planning and execution to ensure the experience is inclusive and accessible for as many people as possible.

We then visited Street Level Photoworks to view Simon Phipps's Brutal Scotland: Scotland's Post-War Modernist Architecture. A brilliant photography exhibition of brutalist buildings, a style that I have only grown to appreciate in recent years.

We rounded out our visit to Trongate 103 with a quick dash through the Glasgow Print Studio’s current exhibitions, viewing Janka Malkowska's Wood Cuts and works by featured artist, Consuelo R. Servan.

I was thankful to be able to view these five very different but equally important exhibitions. Accessible spaces such as Trongate 103 that offer so many different media, expressions, and opportunities under one roof are critical and must continue to be rallied around and supported in times of crisis and in our everyday lives. We must never take them for granted. Arts venues contribute to our well-being, our humanity, and build our communities. The importance of this cannot be understated. Solidarity to all who are working so hard and fighting to keep the doors open.

After all that art, we needed some food, so we walked down the road to Mono for a simple lunch of soup and some tasty focaccia. We followed this with a quick stop by Mr Ben Retro Clothing for a wee browse.

Cult of St. Enoch by Smug

St. Mungo by Smug

We then headed towards the Glasgow Necropolis. I have a thing for graveyards, and thankfully, Julia likes them too. We wandered up the road towards the city of the dead, where 50,000 people are buried on the 37- acre site. As we continued walking, we came across two more of Smug’s arresting murals - Cult of St Enoch and later Saint Mungo. All three of Smug's murals were a delight to happen across as we walked. Truth be told, I am not always a fan of public art or murals, but these are special.

Glasgow Necropolis

Glasgow Necropolis

Before we knew it, we were walking next to the Glasgow Cathedral (unfortunately, with the cathedral spire under wraps for renovation). We crossed the bridge to the garden-like hillside Necropolis, with its winding tiers of towering monuments, colourful wrought iron mausoleum gates, and views over the city. It immediately brought to mind Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, which I visited twice during a four-day trip in 2016. I do love a cemetery! Julia and I slowly wandered up the hill, looking at the various graves. I video-called my mother to show her a few monuments, and gave her a dramatic reading of the script on the tomb of actor-manager John Henry Alexander of the Theatre Royal. I then showed her some of the ornate gates and the cathedral in the distance. Technology can be pretty wonderful at times.

Afterwards, Julia and I made our way back down the hill towards Queen Street Station and hopped on the train. We shared part of the journey back with two sleepy wedding revellers until we managed to find more private seats under a poster with a quote from a favourite Altered Images song,“I could be happy.”

We once again travelled through yellow fields and onto Waverley; another brilliant adventure in the books.

I could be happy...