Enjoy the dreamlike portfolio of artist Megan McCarthy, who is inspired by the beauty of the natural world. View more of her work on her website.
“Enchanted” oil, 30″ x 24″
What a gift my art is to me. It took me many years to fully appreciate just how crucial the act of creativity is to my mental wellbeing. Just like sunshine alters my mood, so does working on a piece of art. There is some chemical reaction in my body and soul that I’ve come to realize I don’t care to try to live without anymore.
“Magnolia” oil, 20″ x 24″
For many years I wasn’t creating. Life was too busy, and my energies were diverted to other activities. I lost a sense of myself as an artist and forgot the joy it provided in my world. Then I had a life-changing experience that shook me out of my fog. I started Megan Gael McCarthy Art, committing myself to making art a priority.
“Serenity Lies Beneath the Boughs of the Pines” oil, 36″ x 24″
As a professionally trained artist at Virginia Commonwealth University, I had been taught a common method of painting. Select the subject matter, develop a composition, and execute. I started painting again on a daily basis, and something fabulous began to occur. As I was working on a piece, it would direct me down avenues I hadn’t foreseen.
“Sunflowers and Daydreams” oil, 40″ x 30″
Sometimes these cues were in the form of mistakes, a slip of the brush, a drip or unintentional stroke. Something akin to striking a musical note would happen. My brain would follow along this newly exposed path as I continued to paint.
“Bohemia” oil, 36″ x 48″
Listening to your paintings may sound a bit ridiculous, but in actuality paintings are nothing more than our inner thoughts and feelings revealing themselves in a visual manner. As I’ve continued along my artistic path, I have learned to pay more attention to the story my mind is telling, and let go of trying to direct it down a predetermined path.
“The Pathway to Enlightenment” oil, 12″ x 36″
I think one of the most beneficial aspects of working in a studio with other artists is the exposure to alternative styles and techniques. Appreciating qualities in pieces of art created by others helps to write those stories in our minds. Our vocabulary expands, and our means of expression grows.
“In the Land of Lemons and Bougainvillea” oil, 24″ x 20″
I’m grateful every day to have this magical source of joy in my life that I get to experience and share with others. I’ve come to realize although art is my chosen profession, it is really a way of living my best life day to day.
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