Ready to walk out the door!

Looking for quality, vibrant art infused with mystery and you want it now? You're in luck! I've got a selection of five limited edition giclée prints that are ready to post! Usually, my prints are printed to order with an approximate one-week turnaround time, but these pieces below are ready to walk out the door!

A fine summer's day - limited edition print size A5

Link to purchase: https://ko-fi.com/s/764cabba7d

Alchemy- limited edition print size A3

Link to purchase: https://ko-fi.com/s/190da26f72

Always wanting more - limited edition print size A3

Link to purchase: https://ko-fi.com/s/da15ae6498

Secrets by the sea - limited edition print size A5

Link to purchase: https://ko-fi.com/s/8cfe680080

You can't make them say the old familiar words - limited edition print size A3

Link to purchase: https://ko-fi.com/s/91e21bb6c7
PLEASE NOTE: The available copy of this print to walk out the door on the day it was ordered has sold! 
You can still place an order for this print but with a longer turnaround time. :) 

It's no secret that artists need to make a living, which is why I offer a selection of limited-edition prints. Not only will you be supporting me, but you'll also be getting a beautiful piece of art to hang in your home. 

Why purchase a print? For one, it's affordable. You don't have to spend thousands of pounds on a piece of art when you can get a high-quality print for a fraction of the price. Plus, prints are a great way to build your collection. By purchasing a print, you're directly contributing to an artist's livelihood and that money stays in the community. It's a win-win for all involved. 

I've been picky about which prints I offer and want to ensure they're of the highest quality. I chose to have them printed locally in Leith at Bare Branding, a self-funded, not-for-profit community interest company that functions in alignment with my values. The colours are vibrant, the details are sharp, and the paper is heavy-weight and archival. The edition size is just 50 for these particular prints, so they are sure to be collectable. 

For the above available prints,  I can pop any one of these (of the four still available) in the post on the same day you order - and send it first class.

And remember, as the popular internet meme says, "support living artists, the dead ones don't need it."  There are many prints and smaller works to choose from in my shop: https://ko-fi.com/meganchapman/shop

PS. Missed my Tuesday Studio Video Visits? I've got you! Here's my first visit back to the studio in 2023! YAY! Please subscribe to my channel, like my videos, and hit the notification button. 

Thanks again for being here with me. Until next week, keep fighting. 

Thanks to this month's patrons and supporters over on Ko-fi: Pat, Tamsin, Jennifer, Bekky, Muriel, Clare, Jen and Sheila. You all are stars!

How to support artists right now

This print was purchased this week from my online shop - my first sale of the year!
Thanks, patron!

Art is often described as transformative. It has the ability to take us to new places, inspire us, and to challenge us. But what does it mean to truly support an artist? 

In a world that can often feel disheartening and bleak, art offers a source of hope. And for artists themselves, their art can be a form of self-care – a way to process and make sense of their own thoughts and experiences. For some, it is a form of catharsis – a way to release emotions that may be difficult to express in words. Unfortunately, not all artists have the same opportunities to thrive. Many struggle to make a living from their art and often go without the financial, emotional, or practical support they need to continue creating. 

This is where the role of supporters or patrons comes in. Anyone can be a supporter of artists, whether it’s through spreading the word about their work, attending their exhibitions, or simply offering words of encouragement. 

There are many ways you can get involved. Here are just a few ideas:

Share artists’ work on social media 

Attend art exhibitions and performances 

Buy artworks or commission pieces 

Donate to crowdfunding campaigns 

Support artists on Ko-fi or other Patreon-type platforms

Sign up for an artist’s mailing list 

Write reviews or articles about artists and their work 

Volunteer your time or skills to help with artist's events or promotional activities

Simply offer words of encouragement and appreciation

Whatever way you choose to support artists, know that it makes a real difference.

If you're looking for one-of-a-kind paintings and prints, take another look at my online shop. My work is inspired by music, memories, and all the little moments of alchemy that make life special. Each piece I create is meant to be treasured and to bring some mystery or joy to your life. Take a look around my shop and find something that speaks to you. Perhaps you'll find the perfect piece to brighten up your home or office.

Thanks for joining me this week for the Friday Studio Blog and for walking beside me on this path. I am very fortunate to have your support. 

Like what I share? Support me on Ko-fi. 

Storms of thought

The distance
Mixed media on canvas, 40x50x4cm
© 2019 Megan Chapman
£725

Awake early this grey Friday morning in July, I am waiting for the fruit and veg man to come by with his bounty. I have already been outside with my cup of tea to listen to the wind chimes and the bumblebee enjoy the poppies. My bare feet on the cracked and moss-covered concrete of the patio - I love being able to walk out the kitchen door and be on the ground. 

I drew a couple of things this week - nothing that great. 

I have mostly been returning to walking. Twenty-nine miles since Sunday. Walking helps me remember the point of it all. The shock of green, the big trees, the places my own two feet can take me, the simple dedication of putting one foot in front of the other. Space and time to think, dream, and hope. The world is a mess but the flowers are still here, the trees are ancient, the paths are old and well-traveled. The sky is either blue, grey, or fluffy with clouds, the water of the Firth of Forth is here too, and the winds are wild. 

I move through all of this. Fields of wildflowers, paths of ivy, the sunlight through the broad tree leaves. The wind whipping around my ears, the rain on my cheeks, the sun in my eyes, the shadows on the pavements, and glints of sun across the water wrap me up in their wilderness. 

Did you know that in Scotland:

81% of artists are self-employed
50% are full-time practitioners
73% work from home
83% earn less than £10k per year
80% believe they will earn the same or less next year
59% have never received public funding
88% do not get contracts consistently
61% receive less than the industry standard rates of pay
only 11% state regularly receiving the industry standard rate of pay
75% seldom or never receive a fee for exhibitions
53% of artists do not believe the sector is healthy and viable for their practice

These stats are from the Scottish Artists Union. If you are an eligible artist in Scotland please join your union so that we can work together to improve our working conditions.

This week I attended a meeting on Finance and Benefits for Artists and then later on the same day I attended a meeting on Universal Basic Income and the Future of Work. Both of these meetings were depressing as hell just like the stats above. 

And I don't know what to do about it. Except to encourage folks to join their union (whatever their field) and to learn more about and campaign for a universal basic income (a truly universal basic income for all and one that is not means-tested).

I am having a hard time talking and not crying these days. I find everything just a bit too much. It seems we are at each other's throats and everything is being politicised within an inch of its life. Within an inch of our lives. Human beings aren't looking too smart or empathetic and I am tired of it. And I don't know what to do about it except to sweep my own side of the street while still trying to maintain my empathy. Even I fail at this.

Our leaders aren't looking too smart either and I would like to shift the blame solely to them but we did (mostly) put them there and we have the ability to be decent and kind in our own lives and we are failing miserably at this. I know this is an art blog. 

And I have so much I would like to say about art but it gets caught in my throat and turns into tears rolling down my cheeks. For something held up in high regard and something that makes some people tremendous amounts of money and brings society joy and at times acts as a mirror for deeper understanding - as a practicing artist, I am at times left feeling bereft.

Being an artist has been the hardest thing I have ever done. It is something that I question every day. I feel guilt, shame, and fear at times because I live this life. I hate this. I hate that I feel this way and yet I also know that I have barely scratched the surface of the deep vein of art I have within me that I would like to create. Part of me still thinks I took the easy way out, and that art is a good way to hide from the world while looking busy. But, would I really still be doing it with this much dedication and for so long if it is all just a ruse to avoid the responsibilities of living in our society? I don't know for sure but I don't think so. I think this is more likely how society makes artists feel unless they are financially and materially successful (successful on their terms, not ours). 

I am not an Instagram influencer. I am not selling a happy tale of painting in a glowing room while looking like a model. I am not here to tell you how to sell better or more. I want to be here to show you my vision and expression of that and see if maybe you can find yourself in the work too or take the work and make it your own in your mind. 

In my mind being a painter has always been a solitary act of discovery and perhaps defiance. It wasn't supposed to be about money or making it big. I wanted it to be about a collection of souls sharing and talking about their work, giving each other honest and reliable feedback, and pushing each other to work fearlessly with integrity. Pushing boundaries for a better understanding of themselves and then perhaps society as a whole. 

I want to have exhibitions so that people can see the evolution of the work and the development of a series and how it pulls the viewer along from piece to piece like a song. It wasn't supposed to be about a piece here and there torn apart and standing all alone and out of context. I mean, of course, a good strong painting can do that, but can they sing their true song (can you even hear it) when it is rammed up against another work by another artist that is screaming another tune? 

Maybe it's all built on myth (I am not sure where this statement came from- probably the myth of being an artist, the myth of work, the myth of success, and societal validation).

I took a break from writing this (and took a long walk) as the tone of this post was becoming dour and I thought perhaps I should delete, correct course, or write something different. But I will let it stand. As you can see there are different storms of thought rolling in like clouds. I should also clarify this post is mostly fueled by this week's events and that after learning about the benefits system (what a shambles - I would not participate in that at all costs if I could possibly avoid it) and sorting out my US and UK taxes in the same week, it leaves me in a bit of a funk. It always does. Pitting the creating and selling of art against the government measuring stick of viability is a sure way to make one doubt everything. 

And that is why it is important to walk, important to keep our feet on the ground and to be in nature. Nature is our true leader. Nature would probably like us to be even less successful. Nature says listen to my leaves in the wind and stop being so bourgeois. 

I think it is also saying, honey, get your arse to the studio. 

*************************

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Irving Gallery
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The Velvet Easel

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Exhibitions and studies

One of my paintings that will be on show at the Velvet Easel

It's Friday and I bring news from my personal art world. First, news again of two upcoming exhibitions! The first exhibition opens tomorrow (Saturday, July 6th). I borrowed the following copy from the fabulous Velvet Easel Gallery.

"The Velvet Easel Gallery would like to extend a warm invitation to our new mixed exhibition, The Stars Go Waltzing.

The exhibition will feature a myriad of new and exciting artists as well as work by those already popular in the gallery. Drinks and nibbles will be served throughout the opening day on Saturday 6th of July

The Stars go Waltzing will run from Saturday 6th July to Sunday the 27th October and the gallery opening hours are:

Thursday - Saturday 10 - 5
Sunday 12 -5

The Velvet Easel Gallery exhibits a broad range of original art including paintings, pottery, ceramics, glass, and jewellery...we also have a wide range of prints and greetings cards and provide an ideal venue to shop for unique, unusual and quality purchases and gifts. We also sell Gift Vouchers which have proved popular for wedding, birthday, retirement, Christmas gifts etc.

Thank you as always to customers and exhibiting artists - the gallery would be nothing without you."

I hope you will make it by the gallery for the exhibition, The Velvet Easel is one of my most favourite galleries in town, always a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, and a wonderful variety of art on show. A real gem in Edinburgh. I am delighted to have six new paintings in this exhibition. 

Between memory and story, just one of my paintings that will be part of the Out of the Blue 25 Exhibition

The second exhibition opens on Thursday, July 18th. I know I mentioned both of these exhibitions in my blog last week as well but you just never know who will read one blog and not the other, so thanks for your patience. I borrowed the following copy from the fabulous Out of the Blue Drill Hall. 

Mark your diaries and get your free ticket (see link below). I am delighted that I will be participating in the Out of the Blue is 25 Exhibition, Thursday 18th - Thursday 25th July. Join us for the exhibition launch: Thursday 18th July, 6pm - 9pm (book free tickets), The exhibition will be open daily from 10am-5pm (except Sunday)

"An exhibition of our studio artists’ work to celebrate 25 years of Studio provision in Edinburgh by Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust.

Out of the Blue is delighted to present an exhibition showcasing the rich array of practices taking place behind our studio doors. Bringing together painters, textile artists, jewellers and everything in-between as a celebration of ingenuity, imagination, innovation, and craft."

I have worked at my studio G23 at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street in Leith since I rented it in late December 2014, just 3 months after I made the big move to Edinburgh. All the work I have created since has been made within this fabulous old building, so I am honoured to be able to celebrate and become part of the history of the 25 years of the Out of the Blue. 

Now that we have the very important promotions out of the way. I will say that this week was spent on a series of studies. I think I did six sets of six paintings - so 36 small studies for six larger-scale works that I hope to be busy painting in the near future. It was a fun and challenging process. I painted a few things I really liked and am looking forward to transferring them to much larger canvases shortly.

Here is a rough version of one of the studies and then six of the final studies cleaned up. 

rough study

cleaned up studies ready to create on 90x120cm canvases

I think that is all I have for you this week, I would love to hear that you have visited The Velvet Easel or perhaps I will see you at the opening at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall. Regardless, let's keep in touch. Keep fighting, you miraculous creature of light and dark. I need you here. We all do. Thank you.