Beauty finds us

A fair wind and a long way to go, Mixed media on canvas

100x120cm, © 2018 Megan Chapman, Sold

Let's pretend you are reading this on a Friday and not when you are. I had a bit of excitement and somehow couldn't sit down to get to my blog, but here I am. Better late than never. 

Our Stories, Mixed media on canvas

100x70cm, © 2018 Megan Chapman, Commission, Sold

Let me explain : 

On Monday, December 3rd I was contacted by the wonderful interior designer and art consultant, Davina Stanley at Paper+White. We've been following each other's work for a while on Instagram and both appreciate each other's talents. She asked about the availability of two paintings she had pitched to a client. One of them was a large 100x120cm painting available from my studio, one was a limited edition print (if you haven't noticed I have backed off on doing prints - but if you are in the market, all my remaining limited edition prints (like the ones HBO bought for True Detective) are available at Fenix Fayetteville). Could I use the print as a study and make a larger version of the piece on canvas? I said yes. Could I also create another large piece similar to my latest series of works but with some blush pink in the mix? I said yes. Could I turn it around pretty quickly? I said yes! 

Beauty finds us, Mixed media on canvas

100x100cm, © 2018 Megan Chapman, Commission, Sold

By Monday afternoon I had booked this rather large commission and sale and ordered the two canvases I needed. The canvases would not arrive until Friday, December 7th. On that Friday afternoon, I would begin painting. I would drink cups and cups of tea and listen to my best working music and worry and reach out to friends and put in some intense hours in the studio for the next few days. I would learn about booking a courier to get the paintings from the studio in Edinburgh down to Cambridge. I would learn all sorts of things about myself, my strengths, my friends, my resilence, and my passion. I was honoured by the trust the designer had given me to complete this project and I was grateful for the work. 

I had less than a week to complete both the 100x70cm and 100x100cm painting. This is not how I normally work. However, I can say that these paintings are honest, good, and true. I am grateful for my years of experience that allowed me to get the job done and for the confidence required to believe that I could. I stressed, cried, and even felt fear over the work. I was continually humbled by the process and I kept going. The pieces were completed, varnished, documented, and packed up and ready to go by Thursday, December 13th at 9 am and by Friday night I had confirmation that the pieces had reached their destination at The Picture Framers by the deadline. Relief!

The whole project was a thrill! I enjoyed the challenge and the feeling of having worked hard to accomplish the task at hand. I can't wait to see them photographed in their new home, in their beautiful new interiors. I am trying to make sure I take a minute to celebrate this moment in my art history. Thanks for being part of it. 

Come Monday morning, I will be back to work in my studio and with a smile on my face. I say this to all the artists out there, often it seems like the good stuff shows up right about the time you feel like you don't understand anything anymore and you just want to quit. I've been there, so please don't quit. Keep showing up, keep saying "Yes, of course, I can do that" and start believing it!

Now, I think some rest is in order.

 

With love and gratitude for everyone on the path. We are in this together, keep fighting.

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Riding on the Currents - New Work 2008

In recent posts I mentioned that I had returned to the studio and had been working on the beginnings of a new body of work. Well, the time has come to share my ten latest creations with you.

In these ten works, I used a slightly brighter palette, and as a result these works have a lighter quality than some of my paintings. I am experimenting with many of the same design elements(the oval, the curved diamond or lotus leaf) yet I wanted to connect the shapes or position them in a different way than usual. The curved diamonds are touching and sometimes overlapping at the sides but are now moving across the painting in a diagonal. The smaller ovals have now multiplied as they overlap and become frenetic layers. Graphite pencil also plays an important role in these works. These paintings reflect my ever increasing love of design yet still connect to my love of color, texture, and mystery.

The design elements/motifs/organic shapes seem to have a reoccurring floating motion to them. Sometimes they are blowing in the wind, like in the painting, "riding on the currents" where the elements tumble about, shifting through the warm colored space that surrounds them. In"bending back," the elements are now gently tethered and are perhaps taking on a stiff wind as they are caught bending but not breaking and then floating amongst themselves.

In the painting "a veiled understanding" the elements are being pulled up as if in a vacuum. I sense the space around these objects, the band of streaky blue may have caught one or two of the shapes momentarily as they float upwards. The colors in this piece are cool, and layers of under-paintings can be seen slightly beneath the surface.

In the piece, "surrender into this ocean," the curved diamonds hover in the diagonal formation over the atmospheric blue, and slightly breaking into or free of the red on the left of the painting.The earthy emerald green streaks within the shapes are jagged, and almost look as if they are receiving transmissions or static as they float up and away.

In the painting, "unspoken truths," secrets are bubbling up deep from within the earth and then being released once they hit the surface. The ovals fill the top band of the painting, feverishly overlapping; they can't get out fast enough.

The seven square paintings are all 10x10" mixed media on canvas, two paintings are 20x16" with the one horizontal 16x20" piece. You can read the titles of the pieces by simply placing your mouse over the image. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of my latest works. These paintings will soon be released into the world, and coming to a gallery near you.