The lessons I hold dear

I am pleased to write that three new limited edition prints from my latest series of small works have been released into the world! I love the quality of these reproductions and I'm thrilled that two of them have already found homes! A small original painting and two other prints from my collection also sold this week. It fills me with joy knowing that people live with my art.

I think I have mentioned this before on my blog but I think it is worth mentioning again. Another thing I love about my limited edition prints is the fact that each time one is purchased two artists are being supported! My prints are made to order in Edinburgh by brilliant artist and designer Jenni Douglas at her studio. Your purchase helps support two women owned independent art businesses and allows us to keep doing what we are on the planet to do. Thank you.

Just a reminder that I have a coupon code sale going on right now until November 1st. over in my Etsy shop, Artmaven. Use coupon code INSTAPAL20 at checkout and save 20% on your order. As the days draw in and the politics is grim, don't let it get you down! Buy art and support artists! I think it is a revolutionary act to make things of beauty and to support the arts in these days. Be part of the solution. Thank you very much for your support.

When words escape me

Paper size: A5 (21cm x 14.8cm)/8.3 x 5.8 inches 
Limited Edition of 50
SHOP

The lessons I hold dear
Paper size: A5 (21cm x 14.8cm)/8.3 x 5.8 inches
Limited Edition of 50
SHOP

The ache at my fingertips
Paper size: A5 (21cm x 14.8cm)/8.3 x 5.8 inches

Limited Edition of 50
SHOP

In other news, I still haven't got my hands on a copy of SOGO magazine to share the article about my work with you. So stay tuned and perhaps I will get a copy by next week! I am very excited to read the article and see my work in print within this beautiful Scottish publication. Until next week don't let the bastards get you down! Keep fighting!

The new language

After last Friday's blog I decided I had indeed finished the two large pieces in my latest series. As a result they were documented. So here is the series as it stands now with the completed paintings. There are many more in progress currently but it feels good to share the finished ones as I go.

A change in the frequency
Acrylic on canvas
41x51x4cm/16x20x1.5"
2016 Megan Chapman

All the time it took to remember
Acrylic on canvas
76x51x4cm/30x20x1.5"
2016 Megan Chapman

Out of my mouth come flowers, come barbs
Acrylic on canvas
41x51x4cm/16x20x1.5"
2016 Megan Chapman

The new language
Acrylic on canvas
76x51x4cm/30x20x1.5"
2016 Megan Chapman

In other very exciting news, I was interviewed by artist and art editor, Brian McFie for SOGO magazine. "SOGO magazine is a Scottish based quarterly lifestyle and arts publication, which promotes and provides a platform for Scottish creative industries and communities." It is a beautiful publication based in Glasgow and the Autumn 2016 issue including the piece about my work comes out this weekend. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! I am honored to have been included. I will have more on this in next week's blog. Here's a wee sneak peek captured from SOGO's facebook page.

While attempting to contain my excitement about the SOGO article I have been working on new small paintings in the studio and walking in the cool autumn weather every chance I get. I am trying to savor the season before the skeleton trees arrive.

I think that's all I have for you this week. Thanks for being part of my art world, it makes the journey so much sweeter. Until next week you know what to do...

Believe me

The first four in the new bright series complete

After last weeks country jaunt, I got right back into the mix in the studio while the news of the world filtered in...

Paint it all pink I say! Pink is the new black, really! I see a red door and I want it painted pink...or yellow ochre or both! I read the news today, oh boy... cue the PINK!

Or if we want to be classy, paint it magenta! But for god's sake just paint it! Okay, back to the blog and my week. I have now had the three new small paintings properly documented and I am quite pleased with them (which you can see below). I also finished (I think) two larger paintings in my new bright series as well (which you can see above).

The lessons I hold dear
Acrylic on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm. 
2016 Megan Chapman 
http://etsy.me/2cXEEkC

The ache at my fingertips
Acrylic on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm. 
2016 Megan Chapman 
http://etsy.me/2dyo8J4

When words escape me
Acrylic on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm. 
2016 Megan Chapman 
http://etsy.me/2dymKWQ

In other news and in celebration of the fact that it's been just a little over two years since I chose to make Scotland my home, I wanted to acknowledge this milestone by having a 20% off sale in my Etsy shop, Artmaven. Just use coupon code INSTAPAL20 at checkout until November 1 to get your discount! New prints of the three small works pictured above will be added to the shop soon- the originals are available now!

Support my work

Painting by Alice Neel 1965

And last but certainly not least, I took a little time to appreciate the culture around me and ventured out to see the Alice Neel exhibition at the Talbot-Rice Gallery. It was a wonderful exhibition and really made me appreciate the work and the woman in a new way. The documentary made by her grandson was playing as part of the exhibition and I found it mesmerizing. I could identify with so much of what Alice said.

I have been thinking of her often since seeing her work. I hope to watch the full documentary soon and perhaps buy a collection of her work in book form. I think it is so important to find the people who have blazed this trail ahead of us and find solace in their works and words.

We are not in this alone. People do think like you, some even see and act like you. Not like drones, not like copies but like true originals. True flesh and bone humans with the wild ideas. You will find your people eventually even if they are long gone when you do. It seems unfathomable at times. That is why we must keep fighting. I write this to myself and also to anyone who comes across this. I know how lonely it can feel, please hang on and fight with us. Someone one day will need to hear your words and see your work. They may not even be born yet. Believe me.

It's like learning a new language

This week was spent working at a fever pitch in the studio creating new small paintings and was punctuated by a quick jaunt to visit artist, Louise Blamire at her charming country estate for the best tea, a good blether and of course beauty at every turn.

So, let's jump in! I haven't documented my new works properly yet but I can share some studio snapshots of my three most recent small works on canvas. Follow me on instagram to stay in the know. These originals will be documented properly soon and put up for sale in my Etsy shop with limited edition prints soon to follow!

The studio continues to fill with coloured blotter papers created from the making of these works. Some of the papers are hung up to dry on one wall while others are taped to my supply closet door. It feels like I have the start of a new language on every surface. I like being surrounded by the remnants of the process. The studio has a energetic quality right now that it rarely sees but that I am happy to cultivate. Dirty brushes sit in the paint water, open paint pots cover every surface and of course the papers are everywhere. These papers with their markings are like breadcrumbs in a forest showing me the way back or the way to somewhere I have never been before.

It was fitting then that I found myself in an actual forest this morning, miles away from my studio in Leith. Louise Blamire and I walked along in an enchanted forest in East Lothian with the sun streaming in to highlight the forest floor carpeted with ferns and mosses. The tall canopy above us swayed in the wind as birdsong filled the air. We talked and listened and dreamt out loud. We talked about this artist life and the bigger picture and the circuitous route that we have taken and all the bloody questions we still have about it. We talked about what we wanted, needed, desired and deserved. Artists need to be artists around each other and the woods and later the sea provided our backdrop. I returned to the bustling city this afternoon exhausted but filled with beauty and understanding. It was wonderful.

Until next week keep fighting, keep learning and creating your new language. Rage about it in the forests, by the sea, in the barn, in the basement, in the city and in the country. Let your voice be heard and share it. We need you out here with us.

New supplies & inspiration

new bright series in progress

There was excitement this week as I received new supplies for my studio after the spate of previous sales. Thank you again to my patrons who have supported my work in recent months, you are helping me to create more art and encouraging me more than you know. Thanks to you, I have new tubes of paint, brushes and some new canvases! Once the parcel of new supplies arrived I spent some time cleaning up my studio and organizing things in the space. I took a good look at the "new bright series" (working title) to see where I am in the game. I made a vow to whip the unfinished pieces into shape before I started anything new...this did not happen. 

However, I did make some progress on several of the new bright paintings but I was just too tempted by the new supplies, so I started messing around with a new small (square!) canvas. I had a good time listening to old playlists from an rediscovered Ipod and dancing around the studio, generally making a mess of things. My hands were black by the end of the session with perhaps some magenta flecks. 

Today I happily gathered up a few more new tubes of paint, a few more new small canvases and replenished my tape stock. When wrapping up my paintings to send to their new homes, I like a bit of tape and if it's pretty tape that's even better!

In other news, I have also been enjoying connecting to a mostly new audience over on Instagram. It is so energizing when folks discover my work for the first time. It has been a nice shot in the arm and very inspiring. It's been great getting to know other artists and their work as well. I always appreciate the feeling of being part of a community. If you don't already follow me over on Instagram, please do. I post a new photo each day and share behind the scenes studio shots, in progress works and finished pieces. By the way you don't have to have an account to view my photos there.

Speaking of inspiration, today we took a wee field trip to Jupiter Artland and spent a good part of the day roaming through nature and happening upon world class art. There is not much better than walking through wild paths with the wind in the tree tops while exploring sculptures and other forms of art surrounded by farms and the wilds of West Lothian. 

Jupiter Artland is one of my favorite places in the whole world and it is hard not to be completely entranced by the experience. A true gem in these lands and not to be missed. I could dedicate a whole blog to the art and artists of Jupiter Artland and maybe one day I will but for now please visit their website to learn more.

And I think that is all I have for you today. Until next week, keep fighting, the world needs you and your art.

New paintings & prints!

I am pleased to write that last week's victory continued, seeing the completion of five new small paintings on canvas and the production of three new limited edition prints for my shop! All of this was happily followed by a spate of sales over the weekend! It was a delightful and much needed and appreciated result. Thank you to all of my lovely patrons that supported my work, you have encouraged me once again!

As many of you know, I believe that art is for all and not just the few. I have my larger paintings represented in lovely galleries, but I also offer a collection of affordable small original works and limited edition prints in my Etsy shop.This is a core value of my art practice, thank you for supporting me in this.

Without further ado, I would like to share the new works and latest prints with you and encourage you to visit my shop, Artmaven on Etsy if you haven't already.

Now, let's look at some art!

Where the dreams make sense
Acrylic & foil on canvas
© 2016 Megan Chapman
6x8.5"/15x21cm
sold

Faith, optimism, alchemy
Acrylic & foil on canvas
6x8.5"/15x21cm
© 2016 Megan Chapman
Shop: http://etsy.me/2c1IJ8F

An anchor, a beacon, something to pull me back
Acrylic & foil on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm. 
© 2016 Megan Chapman 
Shop: http://etsy.me/2cNyRjN

Always wanting more
Acrylic & foil on canvas
8.5x6"/21x15cm. 
© 2016 Megan Chapman 
Shop: http://etsy.me/2cNxB0f

As I looked forward
Acrylic & foil canvas
6x8.5"/15x21cm
© 2016 Megan Chapman
sold

Faith, optimism, alchemy
Paper size: A5 (21cm x 14.8cm) or 8.3 x 5.8 inches
Limited Edition of 50
Shop: http://etsy.me/2cGC5Cn

As I looked forward
Paper size: A5 (21cm x 14.8cm) or 8.3 x 5.8 inches
Limited Edition of 50
Shop: http://etsy.me/2ccyFYJ

Always wanting more
Paper size: A5 (21cm x 14.8cm) or 8.3 x 5.8 inches
Limited Edition of 50
Shop: http://etsy.me/2cBQQZ2

To the great beyond

I need to complete a painting. I can feel the frustration coming to the surface of my skin. The ache at my fingertips that can only mean one thing, the work is not coming along the way I want it to. I am trying to be okay with it and focus on the other aspects of my art. 

The frustrated side of me rattles away, I just want to complete something and the other aspects can be damned! Screw all the affirmations and all the "business" lessons. Anything that takes me away from my purpose, anything that clouds the frequency can be damned too! But then I snap out of it. 

I go to the studio and tidy the paint covered papers from the floor (well, I push them to the side to make a nest of sorts and then step over them). I clear my tabletop and put a fresh sheet of paper down to create the appearance of a clean surface. I set all the studio lights to point at the table, to illuminate this stage I have set for myself. 

I pull out the small canvases that I started a few months back, was it really months? Perhaps weeks, let's hope it's just weeks. The layered magenta and yellow covered canvases are not that bad and are not even that far from completion. If I could just complete one thing... I need and want that momentum. I think to myself, what if I could finish them all off today? Wouldn't that be grand? I close my eyes and breathe deeply, attempt meditation over the pieces, trying my damnedest to focus. 

I set an intention for my art and life (basically at this point I seem to do anything but apply paint to the canvas). Moments later I find myself painting a sign to the great beyond in black paint. I tape it to the door and decide it is finally time to start work. And I did, I even finished something.

Everyday we paint is a victory. Even one stroke, even 5 minutes, even a whole day of painting pure shite. It might be frustrating and filled with weirdness and procrastination maneuvers but we are still victorious. Remember this. 

Yesterday, the victory was mine.