What a lovely weekend we all had at the Inception exhibition in the Dalkeith Palace at the Dalkeith Country Park! It was great to meet so many fellow artists, see friends and associates, and make new and renewed connections over art in such a wonderful setting. Congratulations to all involved and thanks to everyone for coming out in support. You can enjoy my complete ‘Echoes and Memory’ series on my website.
I was delighted to make it to my studio this week as well, here's my Tuesday Video Visit as proof!
In other news, I worked on fine-tuning my membership tiers over on my Ko-fi page. There are lots of lovely perks over there in exchange for your support. Check them out.
The Wall of Fame is just one of them...
Thanks to everyone who has supported me with a one-off tip or cup of coffee, a monthly donation, or has now joined one of my new membership tiers! Your support keeps me on the path and the lights on! Do you want to see your name on the wall of fame and receive other great perks? Please support my work through a one-off gift or a signing up for a monthly tier.
To round out the week, I saw my peers Judith Shaylor and Susan Wilson from the Abstractionistas during our collective meeting online. We are making future exhibition plans... stay tuned!
Until next week, keep fighting! The world needs you and the work you bring. Thank you.
I can't say that I am exactly ready for it. Time moves so quickly and I am not looking forward to the short, darker and wet days.
I have to borrow inspiration. I can feel that seasonal new beginning feeling around the edges of things if I close my eyes and try (like making a wish on a birthday cake). Like the best parts of a "back to school" montage from my youth. A time of reinvention. Every autumn I tried to be someone else - I believed it was as easy as changing your hair and makeup while trying to emulate a Benetton or Espirit advertisement from my Seventeen magazine. It never worked and the weird, old soul, new waver/art-punk kid emerged after a few weeks.
Wherever you go, there you are.
I am sort of ready to get clear on what that weird, old soul, new waver/art-punk now squarely middle-aged woman needs right now in her life, in her work and in her community. I am thinking the next 6 months may need to be radical and filled with hard work and deep truths.
I haven't been painting much lately - mainly because I feel that I have exhausted the home studio capabilities. I am ready to "fuck shit up" with paint and I can't do that in a rented house. Also, I have a perfectly good studio just waiting for me. It's so complicated. The studio costs money, getting to the studio costs money, covid is still out there (public transport). Making art costs money and I have a studio full of completed paintings just waiting to find homes. Art sales have slowed to a stop and it almost feels decadent to paint more things to store, document, and archive. I have been quite down about it. I wrestle with the whole point of this art thing. The market is saturated, everyone's work starts to look the same, and social media can feel like a cornucopia of shite.
However, regardless of my feelings, opportunities keep showing up and I am prepared for them and this is a good thing.
And a visit to Bannockburn House as a potential venue for the Abstractionistas collective. Enjoy the latest Tuesday Studio Video Visit if you missed it.
I am honoured to be a Ko-Fi ambassador and feel truly supported by the Ko-fi platform. I will be launching my membership tiers in the coming days with lots of wee treats and rewards for my ko-fi friends when you become a monthly supporter. I am excited to be getting that in order.
Don't forget I also sell my small works and prints exclusively through my Ko-fi Shop.
I am learning new skills, networking and trying to get clear.
I've been hitting the yoga mat more regularly again and soon, I will be out exploring on more walks (as I do walk more in the autumn and winter here in Scotland to make sure I get the light and nature I need).
I even have an idea for a future body of work so that is a good sign.
This is such a weird gig. Being a painter is like putting on ill-fitting clothes, all the seams are wrong and it's been cut strangely but you still love them, even though you can't lift your arms or sit.
This is my blog, my space, my truth and my feelings and there is nothing to fix.
Bring on the soup, the cosy jumpers, the long walks, the plans, the dreams, and especially the "fucked up" art.
A brand-new art show to be held at Dalkeith Palace from 10th-12th, September 2021.
Meet Inception. An exciting new art sales exhibition launching this September, showcasing the work of handpicked British artists. In a world adapting to Covid-19, Inception has been created to allow artists, who have endured extremely tough times over these past 20 months, to collaboratively present their collections to the public. Artists’ collections will be shown in ‘found spaces’ within the wonderful Dalkeith Palace.
An impressive roll call of respected artists, sculptors and painters have already signed up to present their work. Pop onto the event page for a full list of exhibitors. The show is open from 10am – 5pm on 10th-12th September. Entrance tickets cost £2.50 and are now on sale
I am delighted to have been invited to show my work alongside an impressive group of my peers at the gorgeous Dalkeith Palace. I hope you will get tickets and come out to see some beautiful art in this extraordinary place. This will be the first time the palace, built in 1702, will be open to the general public so I feel very honoured to be showing my work in this building filled with such history.
I will be sharing more images and details about the upcoming exhibition as we get closer to the event. It's very exciting! I don't think I ever imagined showing in a palace in Scotland!
In other news, my YouTube channel is ticking along, now with 247 videos and podcasts to watch and listen to. I filmed my first Tuesday Video Visit in a while and it is now available to watch there as well. If you haven't subscribed to my channel yet, please do. I need 100 unique subscribers to get my own unique URL for my channel. I am very close, but I think a few of my lovely and passionate subscribers signed up multiple times (thank you) and I am not sure if YouTube is counting those efforts in my total.
Here's the latest Tuesday Studio Video Visit in case you missed it.
And don't forget you can find my work at Helensburgh Art Hub in Helensburgh and Solo Gallery in Innerleithen and you can also support my work on Ko-Fi and purchase my prints and smaller works there as well.
I need and appreciate your support. Thank you!
I hope you are well, happy, and inspired where ever you are. Keep well - we need you, and the magic you bring. Keep fighting.
Exciting news for my west coast of Scotland friends and patrons! You can now find a selection of my work at the Helensburgh Art Hub!
Yesterday I sent over a collection of 13 paintings on paper, panel, and canvas in a variety of sizes and prices, ranging from £40- £285.
Do you know what the best part is? When you support my work through the Helensburgh Art Hub, the social enterprise gallery and hub gets a 40% commission supporting their important work in the community.
Feel good while supporting my work as well as all the good they do.
Gallery hours: Wednesday - Friday 11-5pm and Saturday from 10-5pm and Sunday 1-5pm.
I hope you are staying well, safe, and hopefully home and away from others at this time. I am sorry for my recent silence, there has been a lot of information to absorb and things to process for us all.
My solo exhibition at the Helensburgh Art Hub in April has been, of course, smartly canceled. We may try to arrange an online gallery of the works or a digital art talk in the near future.
Also, the fabulous Irving Gallery in Oxford has had to close their doors for now as well and many other galleries are closing for the safety of all involved.
Please like the gallery pages above and below to show them some virtual support as they not only manage their galleries and artists but also their families, communities, and their own personal wellbeing in these uncertain times. Many galleries are working on new and exciting ways to stay connected with their patrons and artists at this time, so please stay tuned.
Sending love and thanks to all the galleries that have represented and shown my work in the past and present and to all the individuals that have supported me over the years. Thank you.
Please follow and support these gallery pages online and across social media as well to stay connected as we move forward: Solo Gallery, The Velvet Easel Gallery, Paper + White and Fenix Fayetteville. I will be posting more regularly soon and will be updating my webshop as well and trying to come up with creative ways to work from home as I am away from my studio. I hope you are well and taking the best care of yourselves and your communities.
Thinking of you all with love and gratitude. - Megan
Walls too crowded, budget tight? You can still support my work. Click the link to buy me a coffee. Consider becoming a one-off or monthly supporter for exclusive content. Thanks! Support Me on Ko-fi
