Recently I had a Solo Show in Bethesda, Maryland at Gallery B. I loved seeing many friends, collectors and visitors during my time at this amazing space in Bethesda. Enjoy some of the amazing photos of the opening event on 11/11. Thank you again to Jen Kwon Photography for taking these awesome photos of the show.
Recently I was interviewed by Create Magazine for an article on their blog about my work and upcoming show. Read more here.
thank you to Create Magazine for featuring my work!
Here’s my favorite excerpt from the interview:
Your paintings feel light and fleeting, connected to the ethereal. Can you talk about this element of your work?
I have always tried to notice things that are fleeting and document them in my work. I have an obsession with light, shadow, and overlapping of textures that I find to be tiny details that others seem to miss. My work seeks to capture the little things that we take for granted or fail to notice in life.
A new series of Art by Megan notebooks has released with Shop Denik! Click here to shop.
Water resistant and velvety smooth to the touch, this notebook will hold up over time and always feel like magic in your hands.
PRODUCT SPECS:
5.25" x 8.25" softcover notebook.
144 pages.
Lined, Blank, or Dot Grid inside pages.
Rounded corners.
Durable, smyth sewn library-quality binding.
Today as I sit here in my new home-studio and daydream a little after doodling a few new ideas onto paper, I am reflecting on my past 4 years as a full-time artist.
I feel simultaneously like it has been 20 years and / or 45 minutes since I started this career in NYC just 4 years ago. SO MUCH has changed since the day I left my teaching career 5 years ago and decided to take this giant plunge into art making professionally. I am grateful, speechless, exhausted, inspired and hopeful for what’s next on the horizon.
A few observations as I begin year 5:
Everyone emails you back WAY after you give up and think that they never, ever will. So, just send the email.
My paint jars which once looked pristine, now have a beautiful patina of paint on them and I love them. Don’t touch my jars.
I thought that I was leaving teaching when I began my art career and I now teach 1-2 workshops or classes a month. I guess you can’t escape your calling!
Watching fellow art-friends develop their craft over time has been really so satisfying to me. I love seeing other people (women, especially!) succeeding at doing something they love.
I love social media because I think of the number of people I now know because of online friendships and I am AMAZED. It’s nice having met so many amazing people both online and in real life because of this new career. It’s one of my favorite parts of this business.
It’s still really hard to feel confident in knowing everything about being a business owner some days. Other days, I feel like I am finally figuring out running my own business.
Hire help & ask for help. I hate asking for help. I still hate it but I am asking and learning and it’s a giant breath of fresh air.
Always buy the expensive white paint. The cheap stuff (isn’t this a great metaphor for all things!) never looks as good and you will regret it later.
I need to clone myself. I am literally one of the most productive people on the earth. BUT, that being said, I still have so much I dream of doing. So, if you know anyone interested in testing cloning out, give me a call.
I need to chill out and be thankful and soak it all in. I am bad at taking a break. I returned to work just a few months after having our second baby. We had also just moved. But, I just cannot STOP MAKING ART DANG-IT. The hustle is real, my friends.
So, what’s up next? Write a few emails, dream up some AMAZING projects in the works, hire an intern, snuggle my baby and big kid, make some dinner, chat big dreams with my husband over a glass of wine and hopefully stay awake to watch some Netflix (a girl can dream).
Thank you for supporting this dream.
Thank you for being a part of the journey.
Thank you for sharing my work with friends, family, and super kind strangers on the internet.
Here’s a SUPER SIMPLE girls’ night in idea…host a paint night together!! I think it’s so much fun to try a new creative activity with friends and here is a list of the supplies to order that will make it easy to plan.
My list of supplies on Amazon (affiliate site).
OR, email me at megan@artbymegan.com and I will come to you and host a class with you! It’s so much fun and a great way to unwind after a crazy week. I love hosting my paint classes and often teach people who haven’t had the opportunity to be creative since they were in school. I find that regardless of the level of each student, everyone has a blast!
I have had a great time moving back to DC and am loving re-discovering the city that I grew up in. Also, I wanted to share where my work can be found during the summer months in Washington, DC here!
Art by Megan X Whyte House Monograms
Whyte House Monograms in Chevy Chase, MD (on the DC border at Friendship Heights Metro stop) is a beautiful shop in the Collection Chevy Chase’s new shopping concept. The shop is full of gorgeous home decor, beautifully monogramed items and fun, fashionable gifts and items for all. I will be there on July 31 from 6-8pm for a summer pop-up and wine tasting. Hope to see you there!
Art by Megan X Shop Shelter
Shop Shelter in Union Market , DC (near Union Market and Galludet University, near Union Station Metro stop) is a cool collection of home decor, handmade jewelry by Mallory Shelter (PS I want all of her designs!) and fun gifts. The entire Union Market area is such a fun place to visit in DC and features some amazing restaurants and shops. My favorite restaurants are La Jambe, Red Apron, and Blue Bottle Coffee. There are so many fun places there to try out, stay tuned for more!
This past weekend, my friends Kim (@kimhovell) and Farah (@heyfarah) and I hosted an art opening and painting class in Annapolis, Maryland at Lightbox in Downtown Annapolis. The space is PERFECT for an art opening or event because its gorgeous and drenched in light with bright white walls and floors. I love it there.
Here are some photos of the event. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us!
In a recent interview with Salt Mystic, I shared a bit of the behind-the-scenes of the Art by Megan world.
Check it out here and be sure to visit Salt if you find yourself in Mystic.
And check out their GORGEOUS instagram account for chic home decor and relaxing, coastal vibes.
“Calm Seas” by Megan Elizabeth of Art by Megan
On weekends, we have been trying to take advantage of the DC museums (free!!!!) and I thought I would share a few fun photos of our adventures + share some ideas for day trips with kids in DC.
A great museum to hit up with a little one (or 2) is the Hirshhorn. Also, we have heard that they have a killer Saturday morning story time for kids with a great art project and we cannot wait to check it out! We hit up the light installation called “Pulse” and it definitely did not disappoint + it totally mesmerized adults and kids alike!
Another super easy and fun family outing is the National Gallery of Art sculpture garden. I love these gardens and they are fun for a little one to run through and yell at the top of their lungs without getting into any trouble. Also, if you are up for a winter adventure, they have ice skating and hot cocoa! The museum is full of amazing exhibits as well and I could spend days and days looking at their collection. Plus, check out the Gordon Parks photography exhibition; it was beautiful and breathtaking.
Here’s a fun list of where to shop Art by Megan originals and prints!
1. My original works can be found in Georgetown, Washington, DC at Oliver Dunn DC. Also stay tuned for an upcoming event in Georgetown at this ADORABLE shop!
Art by Megan X Oliver Dunn
2. New works are headed to Salt Mystic in Mystic, CT. Check out this AMAZING store if you’re ever in town!
Art by Megan X Salt Mystic
3. In Charleston, SC stop into Indigo Market for a peak at the awesome home decor selection + originals by Art by Megan!
Art by Megan X Indigo Market Charleston
4. If you’re in Fairfield, Connecticut, stop into the cute Saltwater shop for prints and minis by Art by Megan + cute kids clothing, beachy favorites and other summertime treats!
Art by Megan X Saltwater
5. My work will be popping up in Annapolis, MD on April 12 and 13 at Lightbox Studio! Click here to RSVP for my joint painting class with artist Kim Hovell.
Join us for a painting class in Annapolis, MD on April 13, 2019 at the GORGEOUS Lightbox Studio.
Recently, I read this article on Artsy that really made me question the relationship between success as a female artist and motherhood. I know that I can do both, sometimes even well. Here’s a podcast all about the article, too!
But, the essential question is…can I do motherhood and art SUCCESSFULLY? My answer is YES. YES YES YES a million times over!
multi-tasking Mama here!
At an art show in 2018 (while visibly VERY pregnant), a man told me that I should stop having babies because they derail art careers. I was too tired and nauseous to care, but every time I juggle our new baby on my lap while responding to emails I remember that quote and think, “I am going to prove people who think that way wrong.” That’s a funny thing about me, I like to prove people wrong.
So, when Brit and Co called me last year and asked to film a HUGE project together, I thought to myself, “yep, I am flying to CA". The caveat was that I had been VERY sick while pregnant and wasn’t at all myself. And my ankles were HUGE…like scary huge. And I felt terrible. But, I did it anyways, because women are badass. I hid that 6 month baby bump behind some beautiful painting ladies and I filmed that show and I am so proud of myself for it!
Also, for any fellow mothers out there trying to achieve the ever-elusive balance of it all…listen to this amazing podcast (Artist Mother Podcast) for tips on how other moms are out there crushing it in the art world!
Art by Megan X Brit and Co
hi friends!!
In the past few weeks, I have been back at work in my new studio and wanted to share some recent work with the internet world.
In 2019, I have been exploring some new color combinations in my smaller ocean abstract works and released a Valentine’s collection with some neutral blue shades + a set of pink works. Click here to see what is still available from the collection of fun minis that make great gifts or a little treat for yourself, too!
“Southern Shores” original painting by Megan Elizabeth, 2019.
Up next, a few commissions of tropical beach paintings followed by a Cherry Blossom Series!
Stay tuned for updates as they arise and thanks so much for following Art by Megan.
“Morning Beach Walk” by Megan Elizabeth, 2019.
As always, feel free to follow along on the adventures as I post updates on Instagram in my feed and stories! I love the feedback and fun that social media allows me to have as a small business owner.
To sign up for a 2019 commission spot, feel free to reach out by email to megan@artbymegan.com. I have a few spots left for the spring and summer!
As a solo-entrepreneur and artist, I have learned MANY lessons in the past 3 years of "full-time" working for myself. Today I hope to shed some light on the real behind-the-scenes of the operation you know and love as Art by Megan.
Framed 8x10 prints / Frames courtesy of Art to Frames
1. Make artist/creative/maker friends either online or in-person. THIS is essential. Working ALONE from home or my kitchen table has allowed me many freedoms such as motherhood multi-tasking like a champion, but it can also be a bit isolating at times. Online friends, phone dates with friends, Facetime calls, and anything else I can get my hands on have saved my sanity. Real life coffee dates are also my sanity-saver of choice! I LOVE human interaction and when it is limited I can really feel drained, so I have had to learn to schedule this time into my work.
2. Follow a schedule the best you can. Hold yourself accountable to a schedule when you work alone. Without one the days and nights can blur together and productivity can be completely lost. I use a technique where I accomplish as much of a specific kind of task as I can in an hour and then move on the to the next thing on my checklist. Which leads me to the world's best check-list technique...
3. Use a bullet journal. I use a scheduling and brain-dump technique known as a bullet journal. It's all over the internet and some people's journals are ridiculously beautiful. But, the beauty of this type of note-taking and scheduling is that you can completely make it your own and tailor it to your needs as a mom/business owner, etc.
4. Schedule time off. YOU MUST be able to put down the business at night (sometimes!) and pay attention to your family or you will be burnt out and bitter over the long-haul. BUT, I wish I had known how hard this would be. The tricky part of owning a business is that you actually DO love what you do, even if it's some of the silly tasks or "boring" admin tasks. I genuinely enjoy most aspects (most...I am looking at you financial planning and taxes!) of owning my business, so it's VERY HARD to turn it off. Which leads me to...
5. Your business might take over your life sometimes. I thought that I would be able to pursue many of my passions simultaneous to starting my own business and I think I was wrong. I don't actually balance things well. I am kind of an all-or-nothing kind of person. So, that being said, I have learned that I love this enough to pour 100% of my energy into it on most days. It's not a perfect balance, but I am ok with it because I love it and I have come to realize that things evolve over time.
6. Be FLEXIBLE. My scheduled time working on Art by Megan is often "migrated" (that's bullet journal lingo for rescheduled) to other days on my calendar as I am parent who does pick ups from school, after-school play dates, doctors appointments and all of the other fun last-minute stuff that comes with parenting. My day really starts at 9 and ends at 2:30pm and resumes after bedtime if I have work to continue. It's not a typical 9-5 and it changes rapidly on any given day, but this unique flexibility works for our family and you learn to do the best that you can.
7. Celebrate the small victories. Progress in any form (working out, parenthood, relationships, reaching goals, etc.) can feel so SLOW. I often have to force myself to STOP, smell the roses and be grateful for how far I have come in the past couple of years. I also think that being grateful for the ability to own a small business and pursue a dream is something that I need to tell myself at least once a week. If you just keep going and going, you will lose the small moments in the process and that's just no fun at all.
8. It won't always feel like "full-time". Some weeks I work over 100 hours to make this business work and other times I have to travel FAR on weekends. On different weeks, especially those in early 2018, I work only 20 hours a week and take naps on the couch to just survive. There is not a hard and fast rule in regards to clocking hours when you are your own boss. It's glamorous and awesome to be able to live like this, but it can also drive a person who loves structure and goals (me!) a little batty. So sometimes I like to repeat the following after myself: "Be nice to yourself, Megan."
9. Tell people what you do all day. Yesterday I was on a coffee date (yay! real human interaction!) with a friend and we talked about how there is a bit of mystery surrounding people who work from home or work for themselves - whether they be freelancers or creatives or what have you. BUT, for me, I have found that I need to share what I do with those who might not understand or have context. I want people to know that I am working hard, even if I am not at the studio. It's not to prove how hard I am working, but instead to share what actually happens behind-the-scenes. People are really just genuinely curious and don't mean to be offensive if they say things like, "so, what DO you do all day?". It's a new type of job, relatively speaking, so SHARE SHARE SHARE what you do with the world! Enter social media. :)
10. Being an artist is SO messy. I love making a good mess as much as the next gal, but something I have come to realize is that I own literally 5 articles of clothing that are untouched by paint. I am CONSTANTLY covered in paint. I usually have some on either elbow, on my nails, and somewhere else on my body at all times. If I have to do something formal like be in a wedding, go out in public with real life adults, or be even mildly presentable, I find that I have to do a full-body scan to make sure that I don't have giant paint blobs somewhere on my body. Who knew the struggle would be so real to stay clean? ;)
I hope this helps shed a bit of light on my journey as an artist working to build a dream. Thanks for reading and see you next week!
xo
M
Art by Megan original painting above a headboard in a Master bedroom. Photo by Amy Frances Photography.
One of the most frequently asked questions by my commission clients is "what's the best size for this space?" I agree that it's a tricky decision but I know that the perfect statement piece of art is so awesome when creating a beautiful space. I also know that there are MILLIONS of ideas out there, so did a lot of research and have come up with the best answers and takeaways to make our decision making MUCH easier!
image courtesy of Emily Henderson's blog
One of my go-to resources for interiors and inspiration is Em Henderson. Here, she talks all about what size artwork suits best for each space in a home. Side note: I love her and I think we should be friends. My takeaway from her lesson: Bigger is always better!
Joy Cho of Oh, Joy! is a ray of sunshine and a total inspiration. I love her eclectic, quirky and unique style and think that she should TOTALLY own an original Art by Megan for her amazing gallery wall. Just sayin'. I love her take on picking artwork for your home. My takeaway: more is more and collections are cool!
Apartment Therapy has an awesome article on how to pick art for a room here. In this video, Liz Lidgett of Adore Your Walls says that the size should ALWAYS be 75% of the size of furniture that it will reside above. What an awesome and easy mathematical ratio! Also, she says that you should always hang art about 10" above the furniture. AMAZING! My takeaway: 75% is the magic number.
Art by Megan original painting featured on Houzz. This painting measured 40x60 and hangs above an oversized sectional couch in a Manhattan Apartment.
One Kings Lane is one of my dream shops. I love their combinations of textures, styles and looks with a fresh, fun and unique vibe. Go on with your bad selves OKL. OK, so they say that bedroom art can be fun and awesome and share their tips here on picking artwork for above a bed. My takeaway: Do whatever you want in the awkward space above your bed, but pick a piece of art that is calming, inspiring or just plain awesome.
Also, One Kings Lane has some great ideas on how to style an Entryway here. I like their idea of picking a painting with the longest side of around 40" for a statement piece upon entry that won't overwhelm. They say, "To hang the work, center it above your piece of furniture, leaving several inches between the bottom edge of the frame and the furniture surface—a few more for a horizontal work, a few less for a vertical piece." My takeaway: a 30x40 painting suits best in an entryway.
Master Bath artwork idea - image courtesy of Chairish.
Chairish has a great style and wonderful ideas for how to style and hang artwork in a Master Bath. Check out their recommendations here. I love their recommendation for calm, peaceful artwork or a fun nude or other "cheeky" (their adjective, not mine, hehe) piece for this private space. My takeaway: do whatever you want. It's your life and your Master Bathroom. But, that being said, I have an original 16x20 in mine, if that helps.
A list + some math for fun, because who doesn't love doing math problems for fun.
- ABOVE A FIREPLACE: The average fireplace mantle is 48"-54" wide. Therefore a 24x36 or 30x40 painting would fit perfectly!
- ABOVE A COUCH: The average couch is about 86" wide. Now, that's just a generic measurement and you should totally measure your couch before selecting artwork for above it. So, with our new 75% rule, the artwork should take up about 64". I would pick a 40x60 painting or a diptych (2 paintings) hung side by side to take up a bit more space.
- ABOVE A BED: The size of a queen bed is approx. 60" wide + room for a headboard, if you have one. So, with that in mind, an approx. 40" wide painting would look amazing above your bed! Another option that comes up a lot for above beds is hanging 2-3 pieces in a row, which equals 2 paintings measuring 16x24 (width x height) or 3 paintings measuring 12x24 / 12x36.
- DINING ROOM: Something HUGE over a table. Don't forget the 75% rule.
- ENTRYWAY: A 30x40 painting hung above a console table or other statement piece works best.
- MASTER BATH: Total creative license here based on the size of the room and personal taste!
- BOOKSHELF: Something tiny is best - ranging from 8x10 - 11x14 framed or unframed.
- LAUNDRY ROOM: Something fun to brighten up an otherwise "serious" space. Defined by the size of the room and how much space is available, but a fun medium-sized painting (18x24 range) would be a good dose of sunshine here.
- ABOVE A DRESSER: 75% of the width of the dresser.
- OFFICE ARTWORK: Depends greatly on the size of the office. For above a desk, a 30x40 or a 24x36 overall would look great. Remember, these sizes can reflect the size of the painting or the final size of the framed piece, including matting and framing.
- NYC APARTMENT TINY BATHROOM: Pick something cute and fun. If your space is tiny like a real Manhattan apartment, pick something in the 12x12 range or go super tiny with an Art by Megan mini. It will add a splash of color without totally overwhelming the room.
- ACCENT PIECE ANYWHERE: An idea I love is to add a little painting anywhere in a room for a treat. Minis (4"x4" and 6"x6") are just perfect for that. Also, hanging a mini gallery wall is fun, too!
Now, I know that there are those of you out there who ascribe by the "do whatever you want rules" of life. I also ascribe to this rule. For you, I say "pick whatever you want from here".
Art by Megan original painting hanging at the Bayberry Inn in Newport, RI
Art by Megan original painting hanging above a sectional couch. Painting measures 30x40.
Did you know that Art by Megan has available desktop downloads, thanks to my friends at Designlovefest blog? Check them out here!! And here. And shoutout to my friends at Designlovefest for supporting artists and small business owners by sharing our work online with the world!
Here's the most recent collection of desktop backdrops.
Happy Wednesday, friends!
xo,
Megan
"Custom Mini Ocean" by Megan Elizabeth. Available in the shop.
You see this super cute pin? Well it's taking Pinterest by storm. I am serious. Maybe it's because it is really so stinking cute. BUT, maybe its because of my new best friend and online Pinterest scheduler called Tailwind.
Ok, so before I tell you all about how much I love, love, love Tailwind, let's be Pinterest friends.
Now, here's my ode to tailwind. What is Tailwind? According their website, it is "The complete Pinterest & Instagram marketing toolkit for bloggers and small businesses". Aka it is a GIANT timesaver.
It coordinates your pinning schedules, helps organize your Pinterest technique and helps to promote your business, which is amazing when you are a one-woman business like me and need multiple assistants. I consider it my most valuable employee with Planoly. So, basically I am telling you that I have two co-workers and their names are Tailwind and Planoly.
To use Tailwind, just sign up for an account, link your pinterest (make sure to organize and make the pinterest pages you share attractive, concise and related to your business vibe), then begin exploring their amazing tutorials, FAQ pages and draft your pins. You pick a pinning schedule and can schedule out your content months in advance, which is excellent for busy small business owners (and moms-to-be!). Also, you can join "tribes", which are the Tailwind equivalent of a group text. Everyone within the tribe helps one another grow their online presence and content spreads like wildfire.
For more information, check out this super helpful SEO post by my friend Jessica of Art and Soul Events.
And if you are on the search for growing your Pinterest following and helping to share more about your business and blog online, be sure to sign up with this code.
Be sure to sign up ASAP if you need help exposing your brand to new people on Pinterest. I have noticed HUGE success in the past 6 months since I signed up. This is not a sponsored post, FYI, I just love this service.
xoxo
M
New work is available in the shop today!! Woo hoo!
I worked on a new series of sunsets based on my observations and inspiration from a family trip to the Hamptons in June. The colors and reflections on the water combined with the clouds and beautiful summer skies really got me so inspired so I have set out to capture this trip. I was so amazed by the way the light changed each day and how cloudy days, sunny days and everything in-between were so distinct and different!
So, without further ado, check out the new Summer Sunset Series (say that 10 times fast!!) today over in the shop. And thank you, as always, for your support of Art by Megan.
I recently did a little search to round up all of the interviews, features and podcasts I have done with awesome people, small businesses, companies and corporations and wanted to pass them along to my readers to see! Here's a big old list of my recent features for you to check out and listen to. Yes, there are 2 podcasts listed below as well!
Happy reading and listening. Thanks for the support, friends!
Online features:
- My sweet friend Meredith featured me on her "Cultivating Kindness" series on her Cake and Confetti blog.
- Featured artist interview on Framebridge's blog.
- An interview with one of my favorite art magazines "Create Magazine".
- An artist spotlight with The Creativity Exchange (2016):
- A feature on being a female entrepreneur on Bloguettes.
- A super real, raw interview with Mother Maker.
- Sharing some tips and tricks for marketing with Planoly.
- A feature with UNUM Magazine, celebrating women in business.
- A chat about my business and sharing my tips with Creative Founders.
Podcasts:
- An awesome, in-depth look at my business and how scrappy I am with with my kick ass friend Ashley on her Real Rebel Podcast.
- Talking about being real and avoiding burnout as a businesswoman and mother with Rein and Christina on Creative Empire Podcast.
"Blush Sea", 8x10 print.
My closest friends and family know that almost 4 years ago, I was COMPLETELY lost.
Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved teaching and I loved making art in the evenings and on weekends, but I was at a major crossroads. I actually have a unique curse of loving almost everything, so while I look like I am always happy and smiling, it's just because I am unusually good at "turning lemons into lemonade", as they say.
Our family was relocating to NYC and I was feeling major pressure to find a new job teaching high school Art and/or Spanish. But, the issue was that nothing felt right. I interviewed, I traveled to NYC looking for jobs, I visited schools, I interviewed again, I prepared countless applications on my couch at night and then went to work again in to teach "my kids" at school the next morning, but nothing was sticking. I felt hopeless.
Maybe my heart wasn't really in it.
Maybe the universe was shouting in my face "DO IT, MEGAN, TAKE THE LEAP!", but it just didn't feel like it at the time.
At the time, it felt like panic. I felt like doors were closing and my career was changing and it was SCARY. I hate to disappoint people. It felt like I had studied so hard to become a teacher, I had learned so much in my almost 10 years at my first career, I had fought really hard to achieve the roles in the schools I had worked at and I was willing to throw it all away for a dream.
I felt careless.
So, this post is an encouragement to anyone out there who is in that weird middle phase of deciding what to do next. To anyone who thinks that they are outgrowing something and need to take a giant leap of faith but is scared shitless to do it. For anyone who wishes that they had the guts to make a change in their life, but isn't sure if the sacrifice is worth it.
It will happen when it's time and you won't feel ready. But it will be wonderful, I promise.
On a podcast that I LOVE called "Second Life" with Hillary Kerr of My Domaine, I recently heard Jen Gotch (founder of Ban.do) speak about how she just always kept following the one thing that made sense and that she was not sure if it would work out. I guess that's what happened and why Art by Megan exists as it does today.
I couldn't stop painting. I couldn't put it aside. I couldn't stop dreaming of it happening "someday".
So, cheers to the dreamers out there. Just keep dreaming and fighting and letting the crazy universe steer you towards what you love. It will be painful and difficult and beautiful and wild. Hold on tight.
"Gray Sea" 8x10 print.
xoxo,
M