To feel and remember

perceptibility

I feel like an invisible weight is pressing on me. Why write a studio blog when the world is so uncomfortable and rough and when everything feels fraught? We watch ourselves do our jobs, our chores, our errands, our coffee meetups and our food shopping. As sorrow builds up in our hearts and threatens to drown us, somehow we keep moving. 

We clear or clip the hurdles as the minutes pass, and the sky changes from light to dark. I paint and draw pictures to feel and remember.

patch

I am grateful for the moments of shared humanity and I hate all the sorrow and fear we are living under. Another day, another news cycle, another heartbreak; yet we keep moving, we keep fighting, and somehow we keep loving. 

Please take care of your kind heart. We need you and the gifts you bring. X.

The beginnings of a tentative plan

In case you missed it, you can read last week's post here.

On Monday, I had some big thoughts about my art career. I am not going to get into them in depth but I will say it was a tearful and fraught conversation that needed to happen. It lit a fire under me and fell into the category of "structure and support" that I mentioned a few blogs back. 

I have been completely overwhelmed with all the tasks involved in managing the amount of art I have created. Sometimes when the levee breaks, with it comes a realisation and the beginnings of a tentative plan. 

I had convinced myself that the paper I had created hundreds of drawings on was too delicate to be spray fixed, making storing or maintaining these works feel impossible. But, it turns out the paper wasn't too delicate at all and so began the process of spraying them. I had some spray fix on hand and then ordered some more, a different brand but from a reputable company, but it was awful stuff, extremely noxious and didn't "fix" the dry media I had used at all. My new found momentum had been thwarted and I was upset that I was out £30. This is the kind of shit that at times makes me become inert. However, in this instance, I was able to contact the company, get a full refund and go to a local Cass Art and buy exactly what I needed and get a 10% discount with my SAU membership (just saying). I was so relieved!

As a reward, I treated myself to a perfect oat matcha while marveling at the view of gorgeous Edinburgh. The stars had aligned yet again. I was working as an artist. I was going to art supply stores, spray fixing art, and making progress. It felt good.

You can read next week's post here.

The difference between good and bad

Spring moves too quickly

An old story returns

Beginning shapes

Rest

Created in its wake

We've been here before

mixed media on paper

29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)

£125

The sun has been out but it has been bitterly cold. The blue sky and the brightness have been a welcome change. It's even staying light well after 4pm. Spring is around the corner (a long way around the corner, but around the corner just the same).

Memory Serves

mixed media on paper

29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)

£125

I took two walks to post three of my works on paper to their new homes in the States and to Glasgow. 

Monday: Post office walk number 1

I enjoyed the sun and even saw my first snowdrops! I gasped out loud when they caught my eye like a long-lost friend, a sort of "what are you doing here!" moment. That pretty much sums me up - I am constantly amazed by the world and nature's beauty. It truly brings me such comfort and joy. Listening to music and walking in nature feed into everything else I do.

Wednesday: Post office walk number 2

It was crisp and cold out, but no snow. I visited an old graveyard on the way home. One of my favourite things to do. I love the old stones covered in lichen. Reading the names, running my hand over the symbols - angels, skulls, and masonic imagery. Always astonished by the dates from so long ago. I walk over the frozen grass looking at the skeleton trees of winter, breathing it all in.

Sequence of webs #3

mixed media on paper

29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)

£125

I would like to walk to the post office again soon. Five works on paper remain. I am enjoying featuring specific works during the month. This will continue, it helps me focus and not get too overwhelmed. I have created a lot of work over my lifetime and during these past 9 plus years in Scotland. Not only have I created it, I have managed it - stored it, moved it, packed it, documented it, and kept up with it. Every time I create something, it feels like a billion-step process is created in its wake. I am becoming more discerning that what I create must warrant all the steps and all the expense and energy.

I am also thinking about what I want and need to say, as well as, how to say it in my future work. This all takes time, so it's a good thing it's still winter. While I ponder it all, I will keep featuring specific bodies of work from my studio. Let me know if you have any questions about these works on paper.

Rebuilding. Sketches for a new tomorrow #3

mixed media on paper

29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)

£125

Sequence of webs #1

mixed media on paper

29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)

£125

In other news, a bit of culture I've enjoyed: 

Films: 

Saltburn 

The Holdovers

Television: 

True Love (6-part series on Channel 4)

Music: 

Pictish Trail 

Books: 

Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Currey 

(just picked this up yesterday - excited to read it)

Thanks for popping by the Studio Blog. I hope you are well, happy, and inspired and if not, tomorrow is another day. Thank you for being here. Keep fighting.

My line dances through it all

Solidly in the centre

mixed media on paper

29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)

Sold

This month we are continuing to take a deep dive into my love of working on paper (see last week's post if you missed it)

Working on paper has a rich history and has been part of my art practice since the beginning. Its versatility as well as its ability to be easily preserved and displayed, as well as transported, make paper one of the first materials I reach for. The tooth and texture pull me in. The sound of the brush or pencil across it is one of my favourite things. Each type of paper has its own song and inspires the work.

A sequence of webs #3
mixed media on paper
29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)
£125

This is no child’s dance
No crayon across a blank page
It was born from there
Kept alive by sheer will
and stubbornness
It was encouraged by my mother
and father
It was grown by teachers, mentors, and even thieves

You don’t have to understand it
to feel it
You don’t need to have lived it
to know it
A scroll - a poem, a dedication, a prayer, a song…
My line dances through it all

A sequence of webs #1
mixed media on paper
29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)
£125

This piece above is all about the calming direct energy of the white stroke through the earthy noise and lines in the background. Like a ribbon or rope guiding us in or pulling us out on top. Perhaps it is a wave we are riding through life. If you look at the painting below, "A sequence of webs number 2". You can compare and contrast the two pieces and see how they are different chapters of the same tale.

A sequence of webs #2
mixed media on paper
29.7 x 42 cm (11.69 x 16.54 in)
Sold

The paintings often know the story long before I do.

Thanks for joining me this week here on the studio blog. Take care out there. 

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!

 

Last weekend's Abstractionistas exhibition

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Abstractionistas exhibition at the Granton Hub. Here are a few snaps of our art in the space. We each had a few sales and it was lovely to have an exhibition in the community where I live. 

My work and Susan Wilson's. 

Susan Wilson

My work in the corner browser rack and Susan's on the wall

A close-up shot of my work on the wall

I hung 6 works from my 15-piece series "This is how we tell the story"

Judith Shaylor

Madelvic House, Granton Hub

Paper by the Abstractionistas our 5th featured exhibition as a collective

geraniums outside the large windows of the exhibition space

The light was lovely in the space

We provided some Scottish favourites during our reception

Here's a wee video tour of the exhibition: Paper - Abstractionistas

That's all I have for you this week. Next week, there will be some new developments... Stay tuned and thank you so much for your support. Until next week, keep fighting! 

Resilience factory

Yesterday's parties
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

To be left untethered
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

This is how we tell the story
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

Resilience factory
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

Dancing in the old house
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

Where we left off
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

We took a wrong turn
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

States of being
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2020 Megan Chapman
£475

Could I tell you anything more

mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper

42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"

©2020 Megan Chapman

£475

Under the surface

mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper

42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"

©2020 Megan Chapman

£475

The maps have changed

mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper

42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"

©2020 Megan Chapman

£475

False dynasties

mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper

42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"

©2020 Megan Chapman

£475

This is where it starts

mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper

42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"

©2020 Megan Chapman

£475

Way down inside
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2021 Megan Chapman
£475

I know the way
mixed media on 200gsm acid-free paper
42x59.4cm/16.5x23.4"
©2021 Megan Chapman
£475

The above works are now all varnished, titled, signed, and dated on the back. I really enjoyed creating this collection of bold drawings and paintings on paper in 2020-2021. I think they are quite special and I hope you will too. There is strong alchemy weaving through all of these. I am packing them up in clear sleeves and backing boards and getting them reading to share, show, and ship! 

I will be participating in the Christmas Exhibition and Makers Market at the Edinburgh Palette on London Road in Edinburgh, the 11th and 12th of December from 12-4pm in the 3rd-floor galleries at St. Margaret's House. I will have three paintings on the walls of the gallery and I will also have loads of works on paper and canvas in the Makers Market along with my fellow Abstractionistas at our stall! So put it on your calendars now and plan to come and see us and our dynamic work (covid restrictions permitting of course). We look forward to seeing you! 

Here's my Tuesday Studio Video Visit showcasing a few of the small works I will have available at the Abstractionistas stall.

Don't forget I am also having an ONLINE STUDIO SALE with ten of my paintings listed at 50% off. Click to SHOP the sale here. Ideally, you can come and collect these works from my studio but if you are in the UK and want them shipped please don't let that stop you from contacting me. I am sure we can arrange something.

That's it for the Friday studio blog this week. Thank you for joining me - hope to see you out at the market and exhibition and of course always online. Take good care - Megan