One Artist's Week in Review

It has been another exciting and busy week! First of all, thank you for all your comments about last week's post. It was great to hear from so many of you and of your personal experiences with rejection in the art world. I was very happy that I had my studio blog so I could channel my energy and feelings about that subject into something positive and useful. I am very fortunate that I have this forum to share my experiences in this business with you. I do feel your support and encouragement, and I appreciate it.

This past week, four of my pieces were placed in the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers, Arkansas. My work will be showing along with the work of Kathy Thompson and Helen Phillips for the next three months. The DDP gallery in Fayetteville managed the selection and placement of the works, and the paintings will be for sale through the gallery as well. I am excited to have my work in this facility. I will let you know when they have updated their website to include my work.

In other gallery news, I am now represented by the fabulous River Market Art Space located in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas! I am very pleased to join their stable of talented artists, and look forward to participating in the 2nd Friday art nights as often as I can. I think my work will be a good fit for the gallery, and I am excited to be in the heart of Little Rock River Market area. So, if you are in Little Rock or plan to visit, look for my work there starting late January or early February. I will update you when I have a presence on the River Market Art Space's website as well. I am no longer represented by the M2 gallery in West Little Rock. I had a wonderful year with the M2 gallery and the wonderful artists represented there.

Last night, I was very fortunate to be invited to speak at the Young Emerging Leader's event, Secrets Revealed: The Fine Art of Art & Wine. The event was held in the Ft. Smith Town Club and Remy Fine Art. I was there to discuss my work, process, and what all it entails to be an professional artist as well as the joys of collecting original art. I also tried to dispel some myths in the art world as well. I encouraged the group to ask questions and think for themselves when it comes to buying original art; to let their personal tastes alone and not the fads or trends, guide them in the process. I believe if they do this, they will be satisfied with their art buying experience and the art in their collection will keep giving to them in ways they haven't even imagined. The group members asked some fantastic questions, and seemed very receptive. I was very nervous about my talk, but of course once it started, I was in my element and I had the greatest time. It just solidifies to me that this is my passion, and I am so lucky to be able to do this as a career. So a big thank you to the wonderful Y.E.L. group and a massive thank you to Jeanne Parham at Remy Fine Art. My exhibit at Remy Fine Art closes today, so if you are in the Ft. Smith area and have not seen it yet, please go check it out. The gallery will keep a selection of my work for sale, and will continue to represent my work in the Ft. Smith area. It has been a wonderful exhibit and experience, with 5 of my paintings selling so far.

Tomorrow, I will be headed back to Ft. Smith to pack up part of my exhibit and then share parts of it and trade out art with the Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs and the River Market Art Space in Little Rock, and at the DDP gallery in Fayetteville. In other words all the galleries that represent me in Arkansas will soon have new and exciting work in time for February. I am looking forward to trading out my work, and making everything fresh just in time for Spring. It is never too early to think of Spring!

To top this already busy week off, I have been in the studio working away. My time there has been exciting. I currently have 11 new paintings in progress right now! I think many of these new paintings will go to Gallery Fraga in Bainbridge Island, Washington. A new energy and vigor has taken hold as I am experimenting with new shape ideas, color combinations, and a bit of a new design element. As soon as I get the work photographed I will share it with my blog readers first.

So, that is a week in the life of this artist, thank you so much for being a part of it.


Restoration
A commissioned painting for a patron
through the Blue Moon Gallery
Mixed Media on Canvas 2007
Megan Chapman

My paintings at your finger tips.

December is drawing near, which gets me in the mood for a year end wrap up. I think about where I have been and what I have done and of course what I have not yet done as well. I like to tidy things up before I waltz into the new year.

This year has been fantastic for me artistically. Many opportunities presented themselves and I tried to grab a hold and participate with as much fervor as I could. I secured representation by several fantastic galleries this year, and sold quite a bit of work to wonderful clients all over the country. My work was chosen for publication by Studio Visit Magazine to appear in the premier issue coming out in February 2008. Four of my large works were purchased and permanently placed in the brand new and beautifully designed Shogun Sky bar in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I participated in five solo/featured shows this year, and participated in some great group shows as well. I also started writing this blog, which has given me a much needed and enjoyed outlet. There are still many other exciting opportunities that are wrapping up the end of my year.

I am grateful for all the support and wonderful conversations that I have had with people near and far about my art and art in general. The conversations, encouragement, questions, and ideas that we exchange mean so much to me. I am honored that I get to share my work with you all.

I am excited to be preparing for my last show of 2007, entitled "Secrets Revealed" which will be held at Remy Fine Art Gallery at the Town Club in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. I will be showing twenty nine paintings. I am pleased to be showing with PJ and Steve Robowski as well.

This will be my first exhibit in Ft. Smith and I look forward to talking with the folks there about my work. If you are in the area, I hope you can join us at the opening on Thursday, December 6th from 5:30-7:30pm at Remy Fine Arts in the Town Club at 720 Garrison Avenue. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Check back next week on my blog for images of that body of work.

Speaking of all the wonderful galleries that represent me and my paintings. I want to share those galleries and their current selections of my work with you. The slide show below features my work that is currently at the M2 Gallery in Little Rock, Arkansas. If you see a piece that you are interested in please contact Mac Murphy at the M2 Gallery. I am thrilled to be showing with the M2, and recently enjoyed participating in the Best of the Northwest show. I also enjoyed getting to know all the other talented artists that are represented there.

The slide show below showcases my work currently at the Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Contact Pat or Dishongh Scavo if you want to know more about my work shown there. This year I participated in the gallery's 10th anniversary celebration exhibit to mark the successful 10 year history of the Blue Moon Gallery. This December I will be down at Gallery Walk for "An Ornamental Affair" a CASA benefit. All the artists have created beautiful and unique ornaments to be auctioned off for a great cause. If you are in the area, come to the first Friday gallery walk and bid on an ornament. Gallery walk in Hot Springs is always a good time.

This next slide show is of my work currently represented by the DDP gallery in Fayetteville. This past summer, my work was shown alongside Helen's Phillips' brilliant ceramic work in our show entitled "Intuition." The show was a huge success, eleven of the twenty pieces that I showed sold. The DDP gallery also facilitated my work being placed in the Shogun Sky bar in Fayetteville. Very thrilling. The DDP gallery represents my work exclusively for all of Northwest Arkansas. Contact gallery owner Dede Peters for more information about my work.

Last, but certainly not least is my work currently represented by Gallery Fraga, in Bainbridge Island Washington. I was so excited when gallery owner Jeff Fraga contacted me after finding my paintings online and offered me an exhibit. My first featured exhibit with Gallery Fraga, "According to the Vapors," was held in March. I am pleased to have representation out in the Pacific Northwest after spending six years in Oregon while in school. I do love that part of the country. As part of the exhibit, I created a pod cast about my work and creative process, even talking about some of the specific pieces in the show, you can listen to it on their site as well. Contact Jeff Fraga at Gallery Fraga about the work you see below.

This past year, I also enjoyed exhibiting, "The Path that Light Takes," at the Mullin's Library at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. It was a joy to hear from students and staff members that my work had a calming influence on them. It was a great feeling to see how my work can impact a public space by transforming it with color.

Another opportunity that presented itself this year was my exhibit, "Spellbound," at the Julie Wait Designs Gallery in Rogers, Arkansas. It was a wonderful opportunity to share my work with a whole new group of folks. It was great to meet the people there and talk about abstract art and design.

So, as you can see it has been an exceptional year, and if you are now reading this you are a part of it too. I thank you, and I hope you have enjoyed my work this past year, and I hope you will enjoy it for many years to come.

If you enjoy what you read and see in my studio blog, please pass it on to other people who might enjoy it too.

* The slide shows originally published with this post are now out of date. Many of these works may still be available for purchase. Please check my website to find out their current locations as well as, my most up to date gallery affiliations. www.meganchapman.com