Precipice

Precipice 

mixed media on canvas

51x41x4cm/20x16x1.5"

© Megan Chapman 

Sold

I have good news to share! The painting above, Precipice, just SOLD from the brilliant SOLO gallery in Innerleithen in the gorgeous Scottish Borders! Gallerist, Kate Hayes, messaged me with the good news just a little while ago! Every time Kate messages me with news of a sale, it is a unique thrill because it feels like a real victory for us both in every sense of the word. You may recall I took my work down to Innerleithen soon after Kate opened her new gallery and as luck would have it, the pandemic hit -  changing both of our courses. However, Kate stuck with me and I stuck with her and here we are, celebrating another sale! Another painting finds just the right home. Thank you, Kate, and thank you, lovely new patron!! It is always an honour and a delight to have my work chosen and enjoyed. 

Kate has a selection of my paintings available to purchase, you can see them here. 

Dancing in the old house Archival print A3 sized/11.7x16.5"  Sold (but you can get one too!)   

In other good news (and this time back in the States) - a lovely friend from my University of Oregon days purchased one of my prints for her daughter's house in Eugene! Her daughter is now enrolled at the U of O. So I am loving this full circle moment! I just sent this one off to the printer this morning, and I am looking forward to seeing it before I sign it and send it on its way! 

I have loads of prints and small works to choose from in my online shop. I have a range of sizes and prices to fit most budgets and I can post anywhere. Visit my shop today.

Speaking of print sales, I want to thank Blunt Knife Co. again for carrying my work in their sweet shop. They have recently closed their doors on Thistle Street in Edinburgh, but I look forward to their next incarnation! They were a delight to work with - they sold a couple of my prints and called my work "subversive," so I will always love them for that. 

You can find these prints in my online shop too! 
SHOP

Last but not least, it's FREE POST weekend here in the UK. So, grab a t-shirt or tote from my Teemill shop and look cool while supporting my work and not damaging the planet. YAY! https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com 

SHOP

That's all I have for you this week, I am still in the throws of the covid funk so I am grateful to have some good news to share because honey, this shit is harrrrrrrrrrrrd.

Thanks for your support. (Especially my regular ko-fi crew)

If you are looking for a sign to not give up - consider this it. Do not give up! The world needs YOU and the gifts you bring. Keep fighting.

Consider this the hint of the century

Oh, life... (cue the R.E.M song) 

There was no Tuesday Studio Video Visit this week and this might barely count as a blog (no, it counts). 

On Sunday I went for a walk towards Cramond with my pal James, on Sunday night Edinburgh (and much of the UK) was treated to the Northern Lights and in the city with all the light pollution that is a big deal. Here's a picture I took from the wee beach across the road. It was reassuring to know these dancing colours were out there in the sky over the north sea. 

I don't remember much about Monday and on Tuesday, Theo spent the whole day at the vet on IV fluids. I didn't talk to Jennifer as we usually do that day but I did talk to another creative dynamo about a possible environmentally friendly collaboration/commission project. More on that hopefully in the near future. 

On Wednesday, I shared some older works from my Artwork Archive (pictured above) on social media, trying to do a bit of creative record-keeping. I wrote:

"Do you live with some of these pieces? PLEASE LET ME KNOW - there is a wee comment icon at the top of each painting that will easily send me a message. *I'd like to take it a step further, if you can remember how you acquired the painting that would be grand.* And if you don't live with these paintings - enjoy looking back at these various series of my work from long ago. PS. If you used to live with the painting and sold it - passed it on etc. I would love to know that too. Here is the link if you would enjoy looking back at some of my older works and of course if you happen to live with one or more of these pieces or if you used to, please let me know." Click this link to view: https://www.artworkarchive.com/rooms/megan-chapman/ea4e5a

I think it was also on Wednesday that I moved my schedule around to accommodate the second part of the Scottish Artists Union Rep training that will start up again next Thursday. As you may recall last year I took part in Union Rep training and really enjoyed it and I look forward to completing the training so I can be of service to my fellow union members and art workers in the community. 

Thursday came and went and today I enjoyed a long chat with my dear friend and fellow artist Adelaide Shalhope. We have been enjoying talking about art for about 3 years now. I always feel better after talking to Adelaide. Always uplifted and inspired - we have expansive talks - leaving few stones unturned. Check out her work - I absolutely love it. 

There is a lot going on in the background of my life just now and I am holding many emotions. Spring is here, with new beginnings and flowers and also forks in the road. Sending love to all beings navigating this life.

Oh, and I was told to let you know that if you are in the UK it is free shipping weekend on T-shirts and Totes from my shop! This means that customers can get free UK shipping on all orders in my shop from 9am on Friday to midnight on Sunday. Get yours now!

https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com/

PS. Monday is my birthday. Feel like buying me a coffee in celebration? Go here :) Thanks!

Last chance to view: Divinations, Declarations and Whispers

Whew! This week! This past month really. Whew, deep breath in, deep breath out... My sweet cat Theo has been unwell and has been under veterinarian care since Tuesday morning. He is due to come home from the hospital later today. The chronic kidney disease is progressing and that's the reality. I can't wait to get him back home from the hospital later today. 

All my thoughts have been on him so I haven't been promoting the fact that today is the last day of my exhibition "Divinations, Declarations and Whispers" online at Starling & Campbell. I also missed posting my Tuesday Studio Video Visit for the past two weeks. Go have a rummage around my YouTube channel and please subscribe if you haven't. 

Theo comes first - I am sure you understand. 

However, if you haven't yet visited the exhibition, or if you want to go back so you can float around the gallery from face to face and really dive in and see them as you would in person, then please visit the exhibition today. They are all waiting for you there. I am delighted that so many of you were able to visit the exhibition in this way. I will try to have more exhibitions in this way, perhaps quarterly along with some salon-style virtual studio sale events. 

Visit the exhibition today: bit.ly/starlingcampbell

Also I enjoyed creating a special line of t-shirts and totes to mark the ocassion of the exhibition - thank you to everyone who has purchased one - it really helps to support me, my art, and my wonderful cat. Buy T-shirts and Totes: https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com

And of course, my wee shop is still stocked with my prints, smaller orginal works on paper and canvas, and even framed small works. I know I have been pushing the sales lately and my blog has been less about the thoughts around creating the work. The thoughts will come again soon - when I start making new work in the new year. 

Thanks for your patience and thanks for your views, likes, shares, subscribes and purchases and your kind encouraging words. It all adds up and keeps me working. I am grateful for the opportunity. 

Like the art I create and share? Leave me a tip!

Special thanks and appreciation to my Ko-fi Supporters. 

These wonderful folks have supported me over on Ko-fi in the last 30 days: 

Jennifer Libby Fay, Tamsin Haggis, Pat Bremner, Jen Arbuckle, and Muriel Prince.

I will be posting my December Playlist for my supporters soon!! xx

Thanks to all of my patrons near and far, past, present, and future. 

And here's what it's all about... Oor wee Theo. 

Theo is the best curator and friend

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. 

Cup full of can

Big painting stored for now - makes the door to the sink area feel almost festive

Well hello there! It's the first Friday in November. Can you believe it? 

My studio schedule for the past couple of weeks since the big painting has been a wee bit spotty. My cat Theo has needed some veterinary attention and he comes first (he's mostly fine) but I have been wanting to spend time with him as we begin medication for his condition. Anyway, this isn't a cat blog so I will get back to the painting aspect of life... 

I haven't painted anything in the studio since last week's "removable face" and that's a-ok. I have been exploring some other creative outlets. I have made a hair fascinator, a crown out of vintage lace, some homemade clay dough, a miniature paper cup, and some wee things from commercial air-dry clay. I have been practising my ukulele too. All will be revealed or it won't - I'm just having some fun. I especially enjoyed the wee teacup. I think it is actually magical. It taught me a lot - but that's my business. 

My wee cup full of "can"

I recorded my Tuesday Studio Video Visit and showed how I decided to temporarily store my big painting (as pictured above). If you missed the video on the socials you can see it again here.

I put the finishing touches on this month's 13-song playlist for my ko-fi supporters. Anyone who has supported me in the last 30 days for as little as £3 gets access. I really appreciate my regular and one-off supporters. Not only do you help with studio expenses and art materials but also with my daily life. Thanks! TIP HERE

Don't forget I offer limited and open edition prints in my shop. SHOP PRINTS
Also eco-friendly t-shirts and totes. SHOP SHIRTS AND TOTES

What can I do for you? What can I offer you? What do you need to feel better? What can I create for you? I'd surely try to help if I only knew. 

Until next week, keep fighting - don't let the bastards get you down and if you are in America - VOTE like the underdogs of the world depend on it. 

La La love you.

Washing brushes, talking about paintings

Time has been a little strange this past week, to say the least.

I made it to the studio on Tuesday as planned and took a quick look at the large canvas I worked on the previous Thursday. I put it aside for now and decided to go through my paints (I had 10 tubes of the same colour on the go many times over and cluttering up my palette table). I also went through all my brushes and found a selection of them that needed some tender loving care after some neglect. 

I sort of hit the ground running when I returned to the studio and just threw myself into using the space and creating new pieces. A forceful re-entry but probably not a sustainable one. Besides dealing with the paints and brushes, I did start another small square canvas just laying in some washes. Nothing serious. I skipped the studio on Thursday due to some other things I needed to attend to more. This is the 4th consecutive week of working in my studio space since before the pandemic. While I am creating new patterns and schedules I want to be careful to not return to being the taskmaster I once was in creating work to prove to you that I do indeed "work." This is leftover programming that no longer serves me but is deeply worn into my brain. I have done a bit more walking in the past week as well - Autumn always seems to be the walking season as I prepare myself for the darker and shorter days. 

For my Tuesday Studio Video Visit this week, I decided I wanted to try something a bit different and talk to you about one of my favourite paintings from childhood. Paolo Uccello's "St. George and the dragon."  Of course, I only meant to talk for 5 minutes but it ended up being 15 as I couldn't contain my excitement. If I record more of these videos I will keep them shorter. If you missed it, here it is again. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven't already. Thanks! 

This week I also sent out an email to my subscriber's list as sometimes social media isn't the best way to get ahold of everyone as it becomes more of a pay-to-play scenario. If you are not on my mailing list please sign up. I never spam and usually only send out newsletters quarterly or when a special event is happening that you might want to know about. As always you are in control and can unsubscribe at any time. Click HERE to sign up if you haven't already. Thank you. 

There are several ways you can support my work: 

Leave me a one-off tip! Or support me monthly!

Buy prints 

Buy T-shirts and Totes

Commission me

Buy my art through Solo Gallery

Buy my art online or through my studio - Message me about pieces on my website and across social media - I am working to find the best point of sale platform online just now.

Hire me as your mentor: Let's get your art on track! 

And of course, please share my blogs, videos, paintings and social media posts. Leave a comment - it all helps and I appreciate you for putting in a good word for me and my work. 

Thanks to everyone who remains on this path with me, I couldn't do it without you and I wouldn't want to. I hope you are well, happy, and inspired. Until next week, keep fighting! 

A big thank you to my regular monthly Ko-fi Supporters! 

Jennifer, Tamsin, Jennifer, and Pat - you really make a difference!! 

Faces and Free Post! Happiness!

Hi ya! 

If you joined me last week to read about the developments, then thank you! Sadly, no one left a comment, so no one wins the print. Sorry, you all missed out on that! 

lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz/cries into the void... 

No, not really because I am having too good of a week to worry about that. I have analytics that tells me my readers are lurkers and that is perfectly alright with me. Hello! 

This week I want to show you my new friends that showed up in my studio. 

I am so bloody happy and relieved to be working again. These portraits are a joy. I have been told to create at least 20 more, so that is what I aim to do! 

In other news, it's FREE POST weekend for UK orders from my shop, Gutless Apparel! You don't need a code or anything to save a bit of cash! This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - FREE SHIPPING in the UK! YAY! Click the link to shop and save! https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com/

https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com/

https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com/

And that's where I am going to leave it this week. I am thankful for everyone who supports me. Have a good weekend. Take care. - Megan

This link will take you to all my other sites: https://linktr.ee/meganchapmanpaintings

*****

PS. This is for folks down in the Scottish Borders or planning to visit! THIS WEEKEND: Make plans to attend Innerleithen's Open Studio event! Keep your eyes peeled for my friend and fellow artist, Muriel Prince's gorgeous abstract work at her open studio as well as in the exhibition, The Dam, at St. Ronan's Wells. And of course, stop by Solo Gallery - they will be open on Sunday!

If you enjoy what I create and share consider leaving me a wee tip of £3. Thanks!

 

Exciting New Developments!

Oh, I have so much to say - how can I say it all? I feel like a video would be easier but it's good practice to keep writing, even though no one reads blogs anymore... (Hello, anyone there? comment below for an old-fashioned giveaway...)

Let's start with PRINTS!

I have just added 15 new prints to my shop and added many of my classic pieces back into the mix as well. Currently, my Ko-fi shop will be my print shop. So, if you are looking for a gift or a bit of home or office decor, make my shop your first stop. 

I offer a range of signed limited and open edition prints in a range of sizes. There are 37 different prints to choose from ranging in price from £20-55. These archival giclee prints are all printed locally in a not-for-profit community interest company in Leith. I love that I can have my work reproduced affordably in the community in alignment with my values.

Here's a video walk-through of my Ko-fi Shop and all of my print offerings! https://ko-fi.com/meganchapman/shop

Next up: New T-Shirts and Totes!

This was a request a while back and I am finally getting around to it! You can now have your art and wear it too! These bold designs were just asking to be put on t-shirts and totes. As you can see in the last video they are also available as prints too. I am delighted to have these images as part of Gutless Apparel on teemill. I love that these are sustainable, organic, and made in the UK with worldwide shipping. Show us how you really feel... enjoy this video walk-through! Thanks so much for supporting an independent business. https://gutlessapparel.teemill.com/

But wait there's more! I went to the studio twice this week and worked on a series of accidental portraits. These are my first new works in a year! This is cause for celebration... Here are some quick and dirty studio snapshots. 

So, it's been quite a week. Now, it's time to figure out what comes next... 

Wherever you are, I hope you are well. Thanks so much for your support and interest in my work. What a road we are walking eh? Take care. - M

Oh and if you are still with me - leave me a comment on this blog post and be entered to win a wee abstract (and slightly wonky artist's proof) print as pictured below! The randomly selected winner will be announced next week on the blog and social media!