I hear the earth turning

Studio still life: Vase by Chris Donnelly Ceramics 
Next to a card featuring a print of West Highland Landscape by Barbara Rae. 

I woke with a start at 4 A.M. after having a waking dream about my job.

At 6 A.M. I am drinking a strong matcha and listening to one song on repeat on my big headphones with my windows open. I have sat down in my favourite chair to write this. If you missed last week's post you can find it here.

This week went quickly.

There was a bit of local charity shopping, new matcha and the associated accoutrements arrived in the post, the crocosmia lucifer flashed red in the garden along with the geranium. 

I met my pal Julia for a spontaneous wander on Sunday to the City Art Centre to enjoy Out of Chaos: Post-War Scottish Art 1945-2000. The exhibition didn't disappoint with several personal favourites. West Highland Landscape by Barbara Rae stole the show and practically vibrated off the orange wall it was placed on. It is probably my most favourite painting by Rae that I have seen so far. It was a perfect study in composition, colour, and expression. Both my pal and I left the exhibition with a printed version of the painting on a card from the giftshop. Prints don't do this work justice though, so if you are able please go see it yourself. No photos were allowed of the exhibition or I would have shared some here, so again, go see it. 

Next we wandered through the city centre and I introduced Julia to the work of Michael McVeigh the artist who I had met the week before. It was good to chat with him again while enjoying his work. 

Afterwards, we enjoyed our supermarket lunch on a park bench in Princes Street Gardens and happened upon the vibrant sounds and colours of the Edinburgh Festival Carnival. We then moved on to the RSA for the Paul Furneaux exhibition, 旅路 | Tabiji - Journey (with wonderment) It is a gorgeous, jewel-like exhibition. 

It was a lovely and spontaneous Sunday, filled with all the best parts of living in this city and enjoying it all with a good friend.

Later that evening, I worked on another small painting. I have returned to the inspiration from a series I began in 2004 or so. I will write more about this in a future post. 

I hear the earth turning 15x15cm/ 5.9x5.9” mixed media on canvas 2025 Megan Chapman
£45 & free UK 2nd class shipping

Then on Monday it was back into the city centre for a different kind of art. My pal Anthea and I met up for a gorgeous fancy vegan/vegetarian lunch at David Bann, a gift I had received from my oldest brother for Christmas. We both dressed in bright saturated colours by chance and pretty much laughed the whole time - we played the part of ladies who lunch but with an edge, expertly. It was great fun and the decadent food was a rare treat that I was delighted to be able to share. By the way, I met my pal, Anthea in March at a movie screening - just two folks who crossed paths around a shared interest and then became fast friends. As I noted in my post last week, it's good to talk to strangers! 

Selections from the set lunch menu at David Bann
Thanks again, to my brother Ben for this lovely gift

Then it was back to life, back to reality, and back to work and here we are at the weekend once again. I plan to rest, talk to family and friends, sit in the garden, and paint.

Every day we reach out, set boundaries, and take care to express ourselves through art and action (however we are able - quietly or loud) is a victory.

Thank you for being here. Keep fighting!

All that I am: Publishing News!

Image Credit: Printano. Painting: All that I am by Megan Chapman 

Dear Readers and Patrons,

I have some exciting news to share with you all.

I was recently contacted by the creative director of Image Conscious, a San Francisco-based art publisher and distributor of open-edition fine art prints, posters, and canvas reproductions. 

"Image Conscious is one of the largest wholesale art suppliers worldwide, they sell exclusively to retailers, art consultants, interior designers, frame and poster shops, speciality shops, and wholesale framers. In business since 1980, their collection is comprised of some of the world’s finest contemporary artists and photographers."

I am happy to share, I am now one of them! I am beyond thrilled to have signed a contract to license a very special series of my paintings for worldwide reproduction across a variety of platforms, including wholesale and retail! 

Image Credit: Printano. Painting: Everything I love by Megan Chapman 

That means that wherever you are in the world, you can now purchase quality reproductions of my series, Echoes and Memory. There are 15 paintings in the series to choose from, all beautifully reproduced, and now in a variety of sizes available as a rolled or framed print, or a stretched canvas, with all sorts of beautiful framing options. 

It has always been important to me that my art remain accessible and working with Image Conscious makes this a reality, and takes it to the next level! I am really excited about this new partnership. 

As part of this arrangement, I am also delighted that I am currently a featured artist with Printano. 

"As planet-conscious individuals and artists at heart, we envisioned creating a platform that offers the highest-quality artworks to our customers while steadfastly supporting artists and the planet. We believe in the power of art to inspire, transform, and bring about positive change in the world. This belief fueled our mission to create a sustainable and artist-friendly marketplace. Printano came to life in 2022, born from a passion for art and a commitment to sustainability."

I love their ethos and I am so pleased to be part of it and have my work available to more people than ever before. Shop and enjoy the collection on their elegant site.

Image Credit: Printano. Painting: Your quiet heart by Megan Chapman 

Besides Image Conscious for wholesale orders and Printano for retail, you can also find this body of work beautifully reproduced on Art.com, Allposters.com and in more places soon. Currently, at Printano they are offering 15% off your first order and free shipping for orders over $100. 

I am just so happy to share some good and exciting news.

To be an artist is to persevere. 
To be an artist is to protect your work.
This is no easy task but sometimes good things do happen and hard work gets noticed. Good working relationships in the arts can exist and when one of us succeeds, we all do. 

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for my work and for being here to witness it all. 

Keep fighting.

Shop Small Feel Good: Art is the Answer!

Here we are, it's Black Friday, and then Small Business Saturday, and then Cyber Monday - it's a weekend where you can choose to shop big... Or shop small and support your independent makers and artists. I hope you will choose to shop with me and my peers! My wee ko-fi shop is restocked and I have a deal for you!

Use THANKS20 or click the link below for 20% off everything. Prints, Originals, and even some professionally framed smaller Canvas Paintings! The discount is good until midnight on November 29th. So get shopping and know with each purchase you are making a real difference in my life. Feel free to share the code/link with your friends too. Take another look in my shop if you haven't in a while - there are over 60 pieces available and with the code/link the prices range from £16 - 260!

https://ko-fi.com/meganchapman/link/THANKS20

If eco-friendly and artful t-shirts and totes are more your style - I have you covered! They make great gifts too and teemill is a company with an ethos after my own heart. There are several styles and loads of sizes to choose from. Shop here: https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com

My exhibition Divinations, Declarations and Whispers continues so please visit this online-only art experience if you haven't already. All the work is for sale and the majority of the portraits in the exhibition are priced at £270 (and that includes worldwide shipping!). If you have any questions regarding a purchase click the question icon next to the painting to send me an inquiry. If you know you want to buy just click the $ icon next to the piece.

Here is this week's video visit featuring some of the wonderful reviews folks have left me. Thank you all so much. I am delighted with the response and being able to present my work in a more accessible way. 

Last but not least, I do have a wide variety of paintings (small and large) that are available from my studio in Leith, Edinburgh. There will be no open studios this year in the building but my studio is always open by appointment and I am usually available to meet patrons there with just a bit of notice so if you find yourself in a last-minute worry for the perfect artful gift, just message me and I will meet you there.

Thank you all so much for your support - I honestly couldn't do this without you. 

Love what I do? Leave me a tip!

Wear your art on your sleeve! Exhibition T-shirts and Totes!

Setting the scene at my exhibition currently at Starling & Campbell

Last weekend's opening of Divinations, Declarations and Whispers was just incredible! Thank you to everyone who came along and who shared the exhibition across social media and beyond. It is a joy to present this body of work to you all in this manner and to connect with communities old and new, and patrons near and far. I am delighted to share that 1,214 visitors from over 10 countries have visited in the first week and two pieces have sold! Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and support for this body of work and this exhibition. I can't tell you how happy it makes me! Special thanks to all the early collectors of my "accidental portraits" from 2017 until now while those works flew mostly under the radar. 

For those that might need a bit of tech support or personal guidance for navigating this online-only exhibition, I created the Tuesday Studio Video Visit just for you. Click HERE if you missed it.

The exhibition is on for a month, so if you haven't yet paid it a visit or if you want to spend some more time lingering in Starling & Campbell - please feel free to visit as often as you wish. Do your favourite pieces change from viewing to viewing? The gallery is open when you are. https://bit.ly/starlingcampbell 

In other exciting exhibition-related news, I am pleased to now offer a selection of exhibition t-shirts and totes! These are available in a unisex standard fit size XS-XXXXL and in a fitted style in UK sizes 8-18 (please check the size chart if you are ordering from outside the UK). 

Click here to shop! https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com/ These t-shirts and totes make great eco-friendly gifts for yourself or a loved one and are also a great way to support my work. Thank you. 

Exhibition selections!

And that's all I have for you this week. Thank you again to all my patrons near and far, I couldn't do this work without you. Until next week, enjoy Divinations, Declarations, and Whispers and stay warm and well.