Friday, September 25, 2020

Money Talk: Studio Update


As many of you know, I have not been using my studio space since the second week of March. However, I have paid my studio rent in full for March, April, May, and June. Thankfully the Drill Hall management offered studio holders 1/2 off our studio rent for July, August, and September which I made use of. My studio rent at the drill hall is £203.69/month (and includes wifi). As of now, in October I will be paying the full amount of rent again. 

To enable me to pay the rent as I have during this time, I applied for and received £600 from the Bridging Bursary Fund offered through Creative Scotland (almost enough to cover 3 months of studio rent). I also applied to and was accepted for a commission to create a short studio video visit to represent and promote the Drill Hall along with my friend and fellow drill hall resident Mairi Brown for the Leith Late Virtual Studio and Mural Tours. This wonderful opportunity thankfully paid £200 - again, almost enough money for another month of studio rent. I have engaged in my own personal fundraising, raising another two months of studio rent on my Ko-fi site, a place where patrons can support artists. I am so thankful for all of this support and am delighted to have worked on something with Leith Late as I have wanted to for years now. 

I applied for and received both self-employment grants from the UK government and will apply for a third much lesser grant when it becomes available. During this time, I have been actively promoting the galleries that represent me, while also selling my art directly to my patrons online to sustain myself. During these strange days, I have been focussed on promoting more affordable originals as well as prints as I know most folks are being as frugal as possible just now. I participated briefly in the artist support pledge on Instagram as well. I scoured the internet for other funding sources and grants, applying for two grants that I sadly wasn't chosen for, and I also applied for an art tutor position that I also didn't get. So as you can see, I am taking action steps to stay afloat during this time as are many others. It's obviously quite competitive out there just now. 

I currently live about an hour's walk away from the studio or a 20-minute bus ride and the distance does, of course, hamper my ability to access my studio even when the building itself is now relatively safe with the new COVID measures in place. I have been in my studio once in July, once in August, and twice very briefly in September - as you can imagine paying for the studio and the wifi, while not using it, will eventually become unsustainable. I want to keep supporting the Drill Hall. I don't want to give up my studio and I also don't want to go into deferred debt (ie: a rent holiday which is another option the management has offered). I wrote the drill hall hoping that perhaps the half rent scheme could be extended or some other measures put into place while I and many others continue to work mostly from home solely as self-employed artists.

I appreciate that we are all struggling and I hope the Drill Hall has been the recipient of various government grants and other means of support as it is an asset to the community and one that I am proud to be a part of, long may it last.

I have been thinking about the future and other ways I can adapt even more with the ever-changing situation. After a productive spate of painting and drawing over 45 pieces from home since late March I haven't painted as regularly. The two main reasons for this are; firstly, the novelty of making smaller more controlled works in the corner of my living room is wearing off and secondly, with a good selection of paintings at a variety of prices, small works, and now prints, I need to sell some more work before I invest more money into making new work. This second reason and feeling will change because ultimately I make work to express myself and not only to make money. I have done well with this time and have expressed a lot and luckily sold a lot as well - which I am immensely grateful for. So more likely this is the classic ebb of the work and not me just digging in my heels. Regardless, I really do need to think of the viability of the studio in the future. 

Thank you to everyone who has bought a painting, small work, or print online, gotten in touch about a commission, or donated a cup of coffee, or sustained me through regular subscription donations. Thank you to the two patrons that bought refugee pieces during this time so I could donate money to a great cause and get two more bikes on the road. Thank you to a dear friend and patron who bought my ailing cat some prescription food and another dear friend and patron that helped to keep me in materials and regular donations during this time. Thank you to Jennifer and Tamsin my two monthly subscribers on Ko-fi. Those regular monthly amounts are extremely helpful! Thank you. 

All of you are keeping me afloat as well as the drill hall studio rent paid. And I know many of you are struggling too. 

I am thankful for you. I know I have been behind a bit in the blog lately and certainly in the Tuesday Studio Video Visits, but I plan to get back in the swing of things, so keep tuning in and watch this space! 

Anyway, again - I would rather write about the colour alizarin crimson or the tooth of the paper or canvas but sometimes, we just have to get real and talk about money...

Until next time, keep fighting! The world needs you and your art, your care, and the light you bring. 

get your prints and small originals here
help support my work one cup of coffee at a time

Friday, September 18, 2020

Tell me how you really feel...


Collect



Tell me how you really feel... *NEW*

These giclée prints are on heavyweight archival matte paper (220gsm/81lb) and will be signed on the front in pencil. The paper is A4 sized/21x29.7cm/8.3x11.7"

£25 (includes p&p in the U.K.)
Additional £5 for shipping to everywhere else.

Printed to order in Scotland by another woman-owned small art business, you can feel extra good about your purchase as you support not one but two artists.

While I am known for my abstract paintings, for the past three years I have explored another series, my "Accidental Portraits." These paintings have proven quite popular with collectors and now I am excited to be able to offer a selection of them as prints.

These statement pieces capture the collective feeling with a minimal palette and a strong line as we wade through the strange days of 2020 and beyond.

 What viewers are saying about the debut of my new print series, “Tell me how you really feel...”

“These are edgy cool and graphically stark, you do it so fucking well.”

“I like the mood, angles, and the honest and brutal mark making, they are severe in their grace!”

As always, I am continually looking for more affordable ways for you to be able to live with my art and for ways that you can help support the work I do. Thank you. Click the collect button under each piece to purchase or visit my shop. 

https://ko-fi.com/meganchapman/shop

Friday, September 11, 2020

Needs must

I have been focusing on selling my older small works, studio sale works, works on paper, and my book works. Working on the promotional aspects of my art world than the making and doing. Honestly, I would rather be painting but I have to stand squarely in the reality that I need to sell the works I have already made so that I can survive and continue to work in the future.

The bottom line is I want to be able to continue being a painter and in order to do that, I have to sell some work. I am still paying rent on a studio that I have only been to about 4 or 5 times since the pandemic hit Scotland in March. I am not even sure if in the future I will be able to maintain or support a studio. Like many people, the virus is making me rethink a lot of things and to consider different approaches to living and working. 

The one thing that hasn't changed is that I have a strong belief in the power of art and I want more people to have access to my work. That is why I always have more affordable pieces along with the more expensive gallery pieces. 

I am grateful to all my patrons and supporters past and present that have continued to support my work, especially during these strange days.

Here are some of my remaining affordable original works for sale. Follow me across my social media channels to always stay up to date with sales and my available smaller works. I only post my larger canvas series on my formal website. 

Little anchors #2
15.2x15.2cm/6x6”
Mixed media on card
Framed in black, no glass
Signed and dated on the back
© 2019 Megan Chapman
£45 (free shipping in the UK)
to purchase email: megancha at gmail dot com 

An image of the same piece to show you the frame. 

Dark Sketches Transition # 2
Original, signed on the back
Mixed media on acid-free 300 gsm/140lb Watercolour paper
Mounted and ready to pop in a frame
10x8”/25x20cm.
£25 (free UK shipping)
to purchase email: megancha at gmail dot com


Isolated Moment #10
Original work on paper! 
Mounted and ready to pop in an 8x8"/ 20.x20cm frame
£20 (free UK shipping)
to purchase email: megancha at gmail dot com

Friday, September 4, 2020

Refresher: How to find my work.


Just a quick update to say that besides my three accidental portrait prints now available in my ko-fi shop, I have added more of my works on paper that I created during the lockdown time, as well as adding the remaining charity canvas panel pieces to benefit Bicycles for Refugees and our new Scots. In this shop, I have work from £45-£270. You can see these available works here.
I have updated my other shop that has my larger bodies of work from 2015-2017. These are all larger canvas pieces, varnished and ready to hang. In this shop, I have work from £440 - £1,080. Currently, I am offering these pieces at a 20% discount and free shipping as a thank you and to offer an incentive to keep supporting the arts. You can see those pieces here:
You can also visit my website for some of my more recent works. Prices are marked, so send me a message about anything you might be interested in. Payment plans are always available for my work (even some galleries offer them- so don't be shy). I love working with interior designers, so if you are one please get in touch!
And of course, you can find my work in the following wonderful brick and mortar galleries in England and Scotland and I know they will appreciate your business as they slowly begin to reopen and continue with online sales as well.
Thank you for supporting my work and the galleries that represent my work. We can't do this without you.
Be well.
With love and gratitude,
Megan
Consider supporting my ongoing work and content by leaving me a £3 tip. Thank you! https://ko-fi.com/meganchapman