On Trying New Things and Experiments

Routine...
 As an artist, one can fall into the trap of making the same kind of work over and over again where it becomes formulaic and expected; especially when one has had some success in sales. There's a natural pull to repeat what did well in order to achieve “predictable” sales results.

 Welp… NOTHING in the world of art sales is predictable. What is hot one day is not hot the next, and so forth. It is NEVER a good idea to change (or NOT change) the work to potentially please a market. I've learned this the hard way during dips of confidence. The work that is successful is work that is authentic, interesting, and unique in some way. The artist must be happy and energized in its making.

Ideas flow through my head daily and it's my job to curate them and decide what has value toward where I want to take my work and what does not. This also means I need to experiment with new materials, mediums, and techniques to achieve the visions I have in my own head. I must be comfortable with taking risks and making messes. Relying on what I know or what I've already seen means I might miss pushing the work to the more interesting unique places it could potentially go, thus uncovering a wonderful new thing.

 When I wasn't working on custom commissions this past spring and summer, I was busy experimenting with ideas (many of which I won't share because they are terrible, ha!). I was thinking a lot about nature and found myself constantly drawn to images of water on shores; like the sea, ponds, lakes, and streams. I would stare into the milky shallow water at the rocks, plants, and life below the surface. I loved the soft greens of the milky cloudy water and wondered if I could capture that wax-like cloudy effect with my paint. 

 I Googled, You-Tubed, asked questions in forums, and inquired on websites until I finally figured out what might work best. I brought home the materials and spent a few weeks trying different mediums and formulas to achieve the look I was going for and one day it finally happened, much to my delight and relief.

Milky water effects using many layers of fluid matte medium mixed with white acrylic ink.

 This required time, effort/planning, money, and the willingness to fail. Was it worth it? I would say yes! I've learned a lot of valuable things I can apply to my work going forward. These are ways I can add the values of interest and originality.

 It can feel scary and intimidating to go out of our depths and do something new. But, you will ALWAYS learn from it and you will never regret TRYING. If you feel stuck or bored in ANY aspect of your life, consider how you may go beyond your depths a bit in a way that will shake things up and energize you toward new ideas and new confidence in your abilities. We are never finished growing, so keep experimenting!

5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Becoming a Professional Artist

Authority Magazine interviewed me about my life as an artist and what I wish I’d been told when I first started out. You can read it here.

Finding Your Style: How Artists Can Connect With Themselves and their Audience

During my journey of becoming a full time abstract painter, I found it took years to find my own unique voice as an artist. I was so influenced by what other artists were making and found myself floundering and trying so many different things. Nothing felt right and I always felt so rudderless and confused. I had the SKILLS I needed, but I didn’t feel like I was connecting with my own work or with others. It got very depressing.

Over time, I finally stopped looking at what others were doing and started to let myself get my own ideas and express them as I felt called. I did what FELT GOOD in my body. I focused on feeling loose, free, and relaxed. I wanted to ENJOY making my work. I wanted it to feel like MINE. I finally started making work that felt cohesive, fun, unique, and expressive. Authentically MINE! What made things different? What turned the tide?

Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about my paintings and how they come to exist. There is a definite channeling with an energy…some call it Spirit, The Holy Spirit, The Universe, Source, The Muse, our Guides. Whatever you call it, I feel it and intuitively translate and express what shows up in my brain. It’s a “Great Mystery” and a great act of Faith to listen to this information, translate it, and then share it for others to connect with; thus giving them space for their OWN spiritual moments.

I like to call that crucial process the Creative Circle of Inspiration.

It is all about a cycle of ACTION and looks something like this:

1. Wanting: This is an invisible internal yearning to create. When we ignore the call of yearning, we become anxious, unfulfilled, depressed, sad, and ill. The yearning is there as a special calling that MUST be answered.

2. Listening: You actively are mindful to hear inspiration come to you on a walk or drive. Perhaps during a meditation or while in the shower an idea pops up. Maybe you are brainstorming with a sketchbook and pen and the ideas flow to you. These ideas are meant for you!

3. Responding as making/translating: You hear the call of inspiration and you take the ideas you’ve been given and turn them into something tangible through research and sketches and the actual creation of the THING. It’s an evolving process that can involve experimentation, time, attempts, and effort.

4. Sharing: This is the step where you release your best finished work into the world for others to enjoy. Perhaps you share through a music site, or a gallery, or on social media. Sharing invites others to interact with our vision and our ideas. It’s crucial to the Circle of Inspiration.

5. Connecting: This becomes the spark of inspiration that occurs when others understand, value, and resonate with what you have made. It will not happen with everyone as it’s a special moment not meant for all. This almost “chemical” reaction starts the Creative Circle of Inspiration with a NEW person. And thus the process continues on and on like a spiritual game of telephone.

This is why creating custom commissions/works for hire for other people can be so challenging. It’s why copying other artists feels so empty. We are not entering our Creative Circle. We are translating the vision FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S Circle of Inspiration…our own wanting or vision is absent. We are not doing our own listening or connecting. We cannot really SHARE as it’s not our own unique vision. It’s not a mutual connection, and that MUTUAL connection is what artists are addicted to and NEED to feel fulfilled. The incomplete creative circle leaves the artist back at step one in a state of wanting.

If you feel stuck in your creative practice or feel lost and unfulfilled, look back at this list to see what steps might be missing from YOUR Creative Circle of Inspiration. You very might well be able to figure out what needs to be addressed.

The Yaaas Queen! solo show was a hit!

I’m pleased to share my month-long solo show at the Lawrence Library Art Gallery in Pepperell, MA was well received! It was an honor to show my work in such a beautiful historic space. It was exciting to be able to share my vision and my work with art lovers IN-PERSON. Most of the people I spoke with have been to Acadia National Park and were able to really see its influence in all the paintings.

Here is the description of the work, in case you want to know more:

In this stunningly unique series, Carty celebrates the majesty of Mother Nature with vivid colors and marks inspired by the great outdoors. Inspired by topographic maps, she folds and manipulates raw canvas into mountains, valleys, lakes, and rivers as if seen from a passing plane. The canvas is dyed using acrylic inks, acrylic paint, and pencil. As visual inspiration, Carty refers to her numerous travels to Acadia National Park, Maine and Portland, Maine where she grew up. She is moved by the numerous colorful eco-systems on display; from the tide pools to the fresh water springs and lush forests.

Thank you to the Lawrence Library Art Gallery for featuring me for February 2023, it was a lovely experience!

Save the Date

My opening reception for “Yaaas Queen: A celebration of Mother Nature’s majesty” is coming on February 4, 2023 from 11am to 1pm at Lawrence Library Gallery, 15 Main St. Pepperell, MA

All are welcome, I hope to see you there!!!!

My Abstract Painting Process

Artists make and create work for all kinds of reasons and I am no exception. It’s taken years of experimentation and deep introspection to figure out why I create and what it is all about for myself. This video above is a little talk about it all and I hope you come away with a deeper understanding in what I am trying to achieve and why.

Abstract paintings themselves can be confusing for a lot of people! I’ve found that some folks prefer the comfort of recognizing something in the piece…a representation they can understand to some extent. When someone is asked to simply experience a painting without having a subject to “understand” it can make them uncomfortable. My abstract work is meant to create an energetic connection…each piece is it’s own “personality” that you FEEL when you look at it. No two are the same! You will find that you may connect with one or two, but not the others. And that is true in connecting with other humans, isn’t it? Why do we feel a kinship with some people, but not others? Well, that’s an age-old question we can only propose theories about. But the same is true when we connect with art…something spiritual happens and we feel that special spark (or not!). That connection is what gives us meaning in our relationships and life in general.

A Little Bird Told Me...

Diptych coming soon! This one is untitled so far.

Have you ever looked at a bird close by outside your window; or maybe a bird swooped by so closely it startled you, that it made you think it must be the embodiment of a loved one who has passed on? 

Birds are a popular sign in the spiritual world that your loved ones are with you, watching you, and sending the message that you are loved and protected. 

Isn’t that comforting? 

Some popular symbolic birds people ask me to paint are the cardinal, the hummingbird, the bluebird, and the sparrow.

I love painting birds for their distinctly unique personalities, their jewel-like colors, and their spiritual symbolism. For me, they represent the idea of being our best selves and that we are perfect exactly as we are. They certainly don’t wake up and fret about their under-eye bags or streaks of gray hair. They don’t yearn for lip fillers or the newest hand-bag. They wake up and kick ass from the get-go. The early bird gets the worm! Let’s BE the bird and get on with it, shall we?

Currently watching, Emily D. Baker

I often get asked “what shows do you watch?” or “what podcasts do you listen to?” and there are lots of random things I enjoy when I’m not working. I’ve decided to share my favorites in new categories here I’m calling “Currently Watching” and “Currently Listening.” For today’s post, I will share one You Tube channel I’m enjoying created by Emily D. Baker. She’s a lawyer who does DEEP DIVES into national headlining court cases. She lifts the mystery and gives the legal down-low on everything behind the scenes that the general media does not cover. It’s way juicier than I ever thought it would be and often have been SHOCKED by what she’s revealed in court documents. She breaks all the complex terms down so we “non-legal” folks can understand what’s happening. I’ve watched ALL her coverage on the Josh Duggar case and am completely stunned and horrified by the facts and evidence presented behind the scenes. If you are into True Crime, this is a great resource to delve into. Watch here.

An autumn walk in New England

I’ve really been loving fall this year in New England. I mean, I always love it! However, this year I’ve been taking time each day, in good weather, to indulge in a walk. And not just a normal walk along the streets and sidewalks; but rather, a walk along special trails on conservations lands, reservations, and associations. Trails amongst fields and forests filled with colorful foliage that whoosh with the sounds of the cool fall breezes. I walk, take photos and videos, and sit near babbling brooks to take in the sights and sounds of nature. I’ve found this to be so incredibly soothing and helpful for my anxiety and cluttered mind. It feels so indulgent and just for me. Another fun benefit is I get to gather so much visual inspiration for my paintings! I “collect” textures, colors, shapes, and lines that I can incorporate into my abstract work. My phone is absolutely full of beautiful images and videos that will serve me all through the winter when it is often too cold to enjoy being outside for too long. I figured I would share some of the images here so you can see what I mean and perhaps be inspired yourself! 

Places I like to walk in my area are:

Keyes Conservation area in Pepperell, MA

https://town.pepperell.ma.us/369/Keyes-Conservation-Area

Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, NH

https://www.beaverbrook.org/

Trap Falls in Ashby, MA

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/massachusetts/bewitching-waterfall-ma/

Heald Pond trail in Pepperell, MA

https://town.pepperell.ma.us/367/Heald-Pond

Mine Falls in Nashua, NH

https://www.traillink.com/trail/mine-falls-park/

Bancroft Castle trail at Gibbet Hill

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bancroft-castle

(These are all free places to go!)

A lovely place to go, but you need a membership or tickets, is Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA. https://www.towerhillbg.org/

It’s huge and amazing and full of all the wonders of nature. 

If you’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts or frazzled, I highly recommend taking a break and enjoying some time outside…it doesn’t need to be a huge hike (I’m not a hiker…I’m a slow meander-er, ha!) A half-hour wander in a beautiful spot nearby can be very restorative and a great healthy habit to develop.

Finding your own voice as an artist

Today I took down the landscape paintings section of my online gallery. It was such a hard decision as I put my heart and soul into those pieces! But, the truth is, I don’t want to make landscapes as my focus and having them in my shop was confusing for everyone. I was still getting requests for landscape commissions when deep down I don’t really want to be doing them in the future. They just don’t feel true to what I want to express deep down. Truthfully, part of me was keeping them up to show what my capabilities are…totally feeding my own egoic needs. I used to worry people would see my abstract work and think I don’t have “real” painting skills (the technical realism skills I learned in college and after a lifetime of practice). I figured if they didn’t see what I was capable of, then they wouldn’t believe I was a “real” artist. That was my own fear-based mindset talking! It’s none of my business what other people think or believe about my art and how I make it. I can’t control that. My job, as a successful professional artist, is to create work that is fresh, unique, and straight from my own vision. I have had to come to the difficult but valuable understanding that I cannot and should not please everyone. When we try to please everyone, we dull our shine. We become bland. And then NOBODY likes what we do! We have to stand for something and go ALL IN on it. That attracts the people who love what we do! If someone says to me “I don’t like or understand abstracts” I know not to take it personally. It has nothing to do with me or my work. It’s their own personal preference and there’s nothing wrong with that. I simply say to them in response: “That’s ok, I make my work for the people who love it!” It’s very disarming and makes them feel more accepting of what I make. It has taken me so many years to find my own unique voice and the bravery to express it and shine a light on it. I won’t take that for granted and it’s my job to carve a unique path that’s never been done before. I need to take the “weird” way. The one less obvious. The challenge in that is very satisfying and full of lessons.

New Abstract Expressionist Paintings by Megan Carty

We all know I have a huge love for color (hello, floral paintings!!!!). I also love working quickly with lots of movement and gesture. This is why the style of abstract expressionism is so appealing…the spontaneous mark-making…the color combinations…the line-work…the freedom…

In addition to my floral collection, I’m ALSO creating a large collection of abstract pieces that allow me to go wild with color and loose brushwork. I’ve been finding inspiration on Pinterest in the fashion boards. There are so many unique color combinations that are exciting in the world of luxury fashion and I’m taking my favorites to translate to canvas. I’m bringing fashion to the home!

It’s no secret our clothes help us express who we are and how we want to show up in the world and I’m taking that same feeling and applying it to my paintings. We can feel fierce and chic and badass in our homes too!

New Abstract Floral Paintings by Megan Carty

I’ve been refining my abstract floral paintings to have more layers, depth, and abstraction. I’m focusing on larger sizes for them as well, which has been a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The process has forced me to slow down, be more deliberate and to think ahead. Rather than feeling arduous, this feels very therapeutic and cathartic on completion. I’ve been using darker background colors to add drama that makes it more fun. Going forward I plan to do a big collection of these and my other body of abstract expressionist works. Both subjects bring me so much joy and excitement! Which is your favorite of mine: Florals or abstracts?

My Joybird sofa arrived!

Our new Joybird sofa has finally arrived and I decided to pair it with my abstract painting titled “Evolution from Decay.” (available here). It’s an apartment sized sofa, so it is a bit sorter than the full-sized version which is perfect for our smaller den. The length is still plenty long enough for lounging! The fabric is Royale Peacock and is a lush soft velvet…we are really happy with it. And look at those beautiful legs and the shiny feet!!! It’s the couch of my dreams, Ha! I’m excited to be able to show my paintings here in this space…what a blessing! Thanks to Joybird for your quality craftsmanship and style! It’s the perfect compliment to my artistic style!

Megan Carty and Honey and Fitz collaboration

Guys! I’m so excited to finally reveal I’ve completed 32 paintings EXCLUSIVELY for Dina Holland’s (of Honey & Fitz) curated online shop the Honey & Fitz Collection! They are to be released for sale Sunday, September 8th 2019 at 8:00 pm EST. If you want to follow along and learn more about it, go ahead and follow Honey & Fitz and the Honey & Fitz Collection on Instagram! We are having a LIVE q&a conversation on Instagram there this coming Thursday evening at 8:00 pm. Join us for the fun!!!

Mark your calendars for Sunday…you do NOT want to be late to the game or they will all be GONE!

Custom Wedding Bouquet Paintings by Megan Carty

I have had a busy summer creating custom wedding bouquet paintings for my amazing clients…what a fulfilling job I have! I’ve also been doing custom floral painting commissions for stylish decorators who want unique bright art for their discerning customers. Click the link to learn more about the fun wedding bouquet painting commission process! I look forward to working with you!

Affordable Fine Art Prints

Hey!!! Do you have a bald spot on your wall that needs love, but you need a specific size? Did you know I have a wide variety of beautiful prints on flat canvas offered in my online gallery? They look AND feel like the real thing! The sizes range from 8x10" all the way up to a large 30x40." The prices range from $40 to $340 for the largest size. Here is the specific link to peruse the variety of florals, landscapes, and abstracts available thus far...perfect for freshening up your home, office, or even your dorm room! If you love supporting independent artists like me, please like this post and share it with a friend who these might be perfect for. Thank you sooooo very much for your support! http://www.megancartyart.com/prints

Art for the eclectic home

My friend Kris let me come over to her beautiful eclectic home and photograph it for my art. She’s got amazing taste. It’s the perfect sort of boho-chic style that goes so well with my florals and abstracts! I’m so thankful for friends like her!

Studio scenes

This is the corner of my studio where I do computer work or make small paintings. It’s across the room from where I like to paint the larger works. My desk is a dining table we used in the kitchen at our old house. As you can see, I like a lot of visual clutter…eye candy and little collections. The studio is the perfect spot for all my little delights and they make the space feel cheery. I may be a pack rat, but only here and only my favorite bits!

Abstract floral painting on paper

Today I am mothering and painting…painting and mothering. Do you like my hiding spot? They will never find me…

I’m working on a huge series of abstract floral paintings for a collaboration I can’t reveal yet. Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to learn all about it when the time comes!

Floral Painting Notecards by Megan Carty

After long wait, I have finally gone ahead and made a set of 5 blank notecards featuring my beautiful floral paintings on the front! They come with coordinating envelopes and are FREE domestic shipping! After printing (using fade-proof inks) I score and hand-fold them myself! Snag them for yourself or as a gift here!

I know what I’M using for thank you notes now!