Music is the key that unlocks the door

Dancing in the old house
Original mixed media painting 
200 gsm heavyweight acid-free cartridge paper
A2/16.5x23.4", 2020, Megan Chapman

This week I painted again. After last week's five-piece story, these two larger pieces came tumbling out. Sometimes, it has to do with time and then sometimes it has to do with music. And this week I found a piece of music that moved me. I think music is my most important art material. Without it, there is no work. This work was created while I was listening to the album Henosis by Joep Beving. I have his first albums that I have previously painted to but this one crossed my path this week. I am grateful it did. Music clears the clutter and lets me soar inwardly so I can find the marks and the places that need to be explored and expressed through my art. I use music like breadcrumbs towards a shamanic journey. It is the key that unlocks the door. I have more to say but I just can't seem to put it together just now. Perhaps the paintings can do the talking. 

This is where it starts
Original mixed media painting
200 gsm heavyweight acid-free cartridge paper
A2/16.5x23.4", 2020, Megan Chapman 

Set my soul on fire : Bikes for Refugees

Okay, Let's do this! Let's put some bikes on the road for refugees here in Scotland! I am very excited to use my art in this way. This sort of thing sets my soul on fire. 
Learn more about the charity: http://bikesforrefugees.scot/ Here are the paintings: 

The muses smiled (as did the fox)

The Muses smiled on me again on Monday. I was able to get the grounds going on four paintings. I painted over two older works that didn't make the cut previously and was relieved to make some good progress on my latest series. I always have to remind myself to let loose and to just create "backgrounds" so that I can react against them with purpose, once I remember this, things really get going in the studio.

painting sounds

I made a short video of the painting process as I love the sound of a brush against the canvas (that is when I can hear them- I usually have my music turned up way too loud on my headphones to shut out the world). I also wanted to capture the physicality of working. At times I can be pretty exhausted from painting, not just from the mental and emotional aspects of it but from the physical demands. I was so glad that I was able to begin the week with a strong start on these four pieces.

Tuesday happened to be my 46th birthday so I popped into the studio to record my Tuesday Studio Video Visit and then I went out to celebrate. It felt good to spend a little time in the studio on my birthday. Here's the video if you missed it on facebook.



After the birthday excitment, I took Wednesday off (I actually think this had more to do with my Monday session of painting) but it seems more fun to blame it on my birthday. However, I was back in the studio to work on Thursday and Friday, which leads us to these two works below.

I am playing with the cool pallette again, with the addition of an orange and a grey. I am also playing more with thick vs. thin paint, as well as harder angles against the etheral atmosphere. It's feeling good and I am glad to be getting back in the zone. I like how the warmer under paintings peek out from beneath the surface.

new work from the studio this week

new work from the studio this week

In other news, the sun came out today and it felt like a miracle. I forgot how good it feels. While out walking and enjoying the sun, I met a fox and he told me to tell you to pay attention to how unexpectedly beautiful the world can be. He then jumped up a wall, making easy work of it. You and I might have looked at that wall and thought we were trapped but he didn't even think of it as an obstacle. He asked me to have you think about that too.

Until next week, everyday we paint is a victory.

Spring Thy Name is Colour

"Spring, Thy Name is Colour" opens tomorrow with an all-day drop-in opening with sparkly and nibbles at the fabulous Velvet Easel Gallery in Portobello, Edinburgh. I am so pleased to be part of this, not to be missed, group exhibition. We have had the "Beast from the East" visiting us with lashes of snow since Tuesday, but the show must go on! I plan to drop by the gallery at some point tomorrow so if you are local, perhaps I will see you there! Here's a behind the scenes photo of the gallery owner Rosalind Walker hanging the work. You can see two of my three pieces in the show on the back wall behind her as well as many other exciting works!

Courtesy of The Velvet Easel Facebook Page

Other than this exhibition excitement, I went to the studio Monday through Wednesday and then took Thursday and Friday off due to the winter storm. I recorded my Tuesday video, worked on a couple of new 80x80cm pieces, and had two short meetings with a fellow artist on how to create and organize more opportunities for ourselves and our fellow studio mates, such as hosting more open studios, exhibitions, as well as increasing promotion of our events and workshops. Stay tuned for more about that in the coming days.

The snow was magical, beautiful, and it filled me with childlike excitement. While away from the studio, I enjoyed a few short cold and snowy walks, took photos, met a friend for lunch, took some time for myself, made some soup and let time slip away. It doesn't really feel like a Friday as I type this. The snow does that- makes the time shift and become much less rigid. I like that.

I like you too. Wherever you are I hope you are warm and well. If you are not inspired now, you will be again soon. You are important for the world and its character and you give us a lot when you share your work. Don't let the bastards get you down (and I know that's easier said than done). You will get down (I do too). Just know you are not alone and it will all come around again. Just wait it out, find your people, and take solace.

Until next week, keep fighting. The world needs you.

Finishing touches

This week in the studio has mostly been about finishing off the work (same as last week). You'll be happy to know that I found the varnish I needed locally at the Edinburgh Art Shop. I went with a satin finish this time as gloss seemed too much when I am pleased with the matte finish of the work.

Monday, I spent time in the studio painting the sides of the pieces with a fresh coat of white (it takes many coats depending on how messy the sides are from the process). I also started a new 80x80cm painting on Monday. I added a bit of orange oxide to the palette. Here is a detail.

detail

I look forward to getting back into the painting soon. However, painting must wait until the current works are finished off and delivered to The Velvet Easel and The &Gallery. The paintings are signed, dated and titled on the back and they have been varnished with the expert help of Stewart. I was feeling a bit under the weather on Tuesday when I recorded my short video visit, if you missed it you can see it here.



On Wednesday I had a lovely meeting with Union Gallery. It was good to check in with them and have a chat. It's such a beautiful space. Their website is now up to date with my currently available works. I am honoured to be represented by three brilliant women-owned galleries in Portobello, New Town and the West End of Edinburgh. After a little over three years of trying to figure out the art scene here in Scotland, it finally feels like I am getting somewhere. Next stop, Glasgow and beyond!

After the meeting on Wednesday it was back to the studio for more coats of white paint on the sides and Thursday the hanging wires were added again with Stewart's expert help. I will be putting one more coat on the sides later today and then deliver the works this weekend.

So, that was this week in the studio. It feels good to be getting things ready to go out, to have work in these three galleries, as well as work back home in the Fenix Collective. I took a break from brick and mortar galleries for a while due to the economy caused closures and simply because I moved countries. It is so good to be getting back to what feels "normal" to me. Thank you for being here for the exciting moments as well as the necessary ones.

Until next week, keep fighting. The world needs you.

Gallery news!

I am delighted to share that the following paintings from my latest series will be heading to two galleries in Edinburgh soon.

These three pieces will be in the Spring, Thy Name is Colour exhibition at The Velvet Easel Gallery in Portobello, Edinburgh. Opening Saturday, the 3rd of March.

All that I am
Mixed media on canvas
80x80cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman
£1,450

Acceptance
Mixed media on canvas
80x80cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman
£1,450

Echoes and memory
Mixed media on canvas
100x120cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman
£2,200

In other exciting gallery news, the painting below will soon be going to The & Gallery on Dundas Street in Edinburgh.

Only to disappear

Mixed media on canvas

120x100cm

© 2018 Megan Chapman
£2,200

It is a joy to know that the work I am creating currently is not only ticking my own personal boxes but that it will also be reaching the public so quickly after painting it and in two such beautiful and unique galleries.

It is moments like these where every question and doubt, every frustration or worry, quiets and I know once again I am on the right path. This path I have been walking down for over twenty years. In fits and starts, my dedication to painting never truly wanes. I am grateful for all the lessons I have been taught and continue to learn through art. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get some more varnish and get these pieces gallery ready!

Until next week, the world needs you, and your art.

All that I am

All that I am
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas
80x80cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman

Acceptance
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas
80x80cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman

Echoes and memory
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas
100x120cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman

A fair wind and a long way to go
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas
100x120cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman

The space between

Acrylic and charcoal on canvas

120x100cm

© 2018 Megan Chapman

Your quiet heart
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas
100x150cm
© 2018 Megan Chapman

Only to disappear

Acrylic and charcoal on canvas

120x100cm

© 2018 Megan Chapman

Exhibition and Interview News!

A change in the frequency

Acrylic on canvas

41x51x4cm / 16x20x1.5"

© 2016 Megan Chapman

When it rains, it pours! I am very excited to write that I will be participating in two exhibitions, both of which are opening tomorrow and on two different continents!

In Edinburgh, come join us at the gorgeous Union Gallery located at 4 Drumsheugh Place in Edinburgh’s West End, for the preview this Saturday (tomorrow) the 8th of April from 4-6pm! I am delighted to have work featured in this exhibition with such a talented group of fellow artists. The exhibition will be on show from the 8th of April through the 13th of May.

"The Colour Purple is a curated exhibition with artists including Joyce Gunn Cairns MBE, Jenny Matthews, Annette Edgar, Drummond Mayo, Megan Chapman and Jackie Gardiner contributing to what will be a beautiful exhibition."

I will be showing four works from my New Language series (one pictured above and three below). This will be the first time they have shown outside of my studio since they were created. There will also be several of my wee works on canvas available in the gallery as well. I am looking forward to seeing the work up on the gallery walls. If you are local and can join us, it would be lovely to see you at the preview tomorrow.

Out of my mouth come flowers, come barbs Acrylic on canvas
41x51x4cm / 16x20x1.5"
© 2016 Megan Chapman

The new language
Acrylic on canvas
76x51x4cm / 30x20x1.5"
© 2016 Megan Chapman

All the time it took to remember
Acrylic on canvas
76x51x4cm / 30x20x1.5"
© 2016 Megan Chapman

Faith, optimism, alchemy
Acrylic on canvas
6x8.5"/15x21cm
© 2016 Megan Chapman

The ache at my fingertips
Acrylic on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm
© 2016 Megan Chapman

When words escape me
Acrylic on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm
© 2016 Megan Chapman

In my hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas I am honored to be included in the impressive lineup of artists in the Fenix & Friends: Art at the Walker-Stone exhibition. My Reconstruction series of paintings will be on show April 8-29th at the beautiful Walker-Stone House just off the Fayetteville Square located at 207 W. Center. Gallery Hours: Thursday and Friday 12-8 Saturday 10-4 Sunday 12-9.

Adrift
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

After the fire
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

Begin again
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

I'll sing my secrets
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

In the house you live
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

On the brink
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

Patch and repair
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

To return
12x12" mixed media on panel
© 2014 Megan Chapman

If feels good to be showing the Reconstruction series for the first time in Fayetteville and especially in the historic Walker-Stone house. These 8 works on the panel were the last works I painted in Fayetteville before moving to Scotland. These paintings then went on tour as part of the group exhibition, Abstract ARt, travelling to Kresge Gallery at Lyon College, in Batesville, Arkansas in 2014, The Art Center of the Ozarks in Springdale, Arkansas in 2015, and finally on to the Zarrow Center at The University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2016 before returning home in 2017. I could not be more delighted. This will be the first time my works has been shown in Fayetteville since 2014.

In other exciting news, a recent interview I did with Art Scotland has been published on their gorgeous site. The interview covers a lot of ground and I enjoyed the questions. I hope folks will enjoy reading it and learning more about me and my work.

I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to introduce myself to the Scottish art scene in the past year, now with interviews/reviews in three smart publications, Portfolio Oomph, SOGO Magazine, and now, Art Scotland. 

It feels good to have my art being seen and written about and out in the world again after some initial growing pains from my transition from the US to Scotland. I hope the momentum continues.

While all of this is going on, my latest series of limited edition prints, The Distillation Process are happily now available for sale exclusively through my Etsy shop, Artmaven. It has been a quiet debut so far but expect to see more of them and hear more of the story behind them, as my social media ramps up. 

I am donating 10% from each sale of this particular series to the Scottish Association for Mental Health. Mental Health affects all of us and it’s time to remove the stigma and help those in need, as well as get help if those in need happen to be ourselves.

That’s all I have for you this week. If you are near Edinburgh I hope you will check out the Union Gallery exhibition and if you are in Northwest Arkansas, I hope you will check out the Fenix and Friends exhibition in Fayetteville.

Life is a strange dance and I am glad to be dancing through it with you. Until next week, keep fighting.

New! Limited Edition Prints are here!

They're here! My new limited edition prints have been released to the world! You can purchase them exclusively through my Etsy shop, Artmaven! 

The Story:

The Distillation Process

- conversations born of charcoal dust, my hand, and heart.

My latest project, "The Distillation Process," is a series of 180 paintings on paper created in January of this year. I wanted to give myself the challenge of creating six paintings each day, using only white and yellow ochre paint and charcoal, over the course of a month. These minimalist pieces focus on movement and gesture, spontaneously capturing my visual language as it is repeated and expanded. The process was a lesson in commitment, structure, and intuition. Confessional and dark at times, yet also quick and bright, the distillation process lead me down a new and vigorous path.

I have carefully selected 19 works from the original 180, that I feel represent the heart of the completed series. The following selections are now available as a series of signed, limited edition prints.

A huge part of the original process was very physical, immediate, and included the use of non-archival newsprint paper, and as such, the originals do not exist to be shown or sold. I will keep the originals in my personal archives and these limited edition prints will be the only representation of the process and the pieces that resulted.

Buying these limited edition prints supports mental health charity work:

10% from each sale from my distillation process limited edition print series will be donated to the Scottish Association for Mental Health. As beautiful as this world can be, there is darkness too, and sometimes we all need help. I want to contribute to people getting the help and services they need so they can experience more beautiful days. You can learn more about the charity and the good work they are doing here in Scotland as well as find helpful resources for yourself or a loved one.

Fine Art Print Details:

These prints are of my original abstract paintings created in my studio in Leith, a vibrant arts community in Edinburgh, Scotland. Each print is hand numbered, titled, dated and signed on the front.

These reproductions are professionally printed in Edinburgh with pigment inks on acid-free and archival 190gsm, 100% cotton rag paper. Archival prints should last 70-100 years so you can buy with confidence and enjoy your art for many years to come.

Available in Paper Size A3: 

42x29.7cm / 16.5x11.69 inches are priced at £65 and 29.7x29.7cm square / 11.69x11.69 inches are priced £45 and are limited to an edition of 25

Each print will be packed with a sturdy backing board inside a clear plastic sleeve and then placed inside a non-bendable mailer and shipped through the Royal Mail either track and sign or special delivery (depending on which size is purchased) in the UK or International track and sign depending on your location.

Thanks so much for your support of my work. Until next week, you know what to do (keep fighting and go buy some art!)

New limited edition prints: Soon!

My armor, my solace, my connection
© 2017 Megan Chapman
signed limited edition print
paper size A3 42x29.7cm/11.7x16.5"

I was pleased to share the final selections from the Distillation Process with you all last week here and across social media. Thank you for your support and excitement over my latest body of work. It means so much to me, I am quite excited about releasing this series in limited edition prints. 

I visited with the brilliant designer, printer, and now shopkeeper, Jenni Douglas yesterday as we made our final decisions on the best paper for the reproductions. Jenni showed me an artist proof of one of my favourite pieces from the series and I was delighted with the quality and richness of the print. The colour and detail are superb and the finish of the archival cotton matte paper is perfect. I happily gave her the go ahead to print the other pieces on this same paper and I should be able to release them into the world next week.

Until then, I have a few details from my artist proof of the piece, My armor, my solace, my connection, to share with you today. At A3 size (42x29.7cm/11.7x16.5") these prints are a beautiful and strong presence.

Wonderful detail and richness

A good size, I can't wait to have my proof framed

A moment of sun hits the print, illuminating the details

Rich in colour and texture with a border for easy framing

Have a look back at last week's post to see the complete series and start thinking about which piece or pieces might be right for your collection. Until next week, keep fighting. The world needs you.