Loosen Up Your Painting!

Hi there guys! This is just a quick note to say that I have a class this Saturday on loosening up your painting style, which I know is something a lot of people want to do. It’s 1-5 at the Corbin Art Center. I’ll be sharing all of my tips and tricks to loosen that death grip you have on your brush and let the paint fly with joy and verve. It’s going to be fun! You can sign up for it here: https://secure.rec1.com/WA/spokane-wa/catalog

It was entertaining to pick out example paintings that I felt were both loose but also have a fall vibe! I love fall (though not the season that approaches afterward) and I think Spokane has fabulous autumns. Currently delighting me are the changing colors of the leaves and the crisp morning air followed by the mellow warm ness of late afternoon. Oh and the onset of sweater season. I love me some soft, squishy knit sweaters! What are you loving about fall?

Finally, please read down to the end to get the deets on the 33 Artists show at the Hive-my one show for October and the second to last show I’m doing this year. It’s on the 26th. Hope to see you there!

A Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower), grown in my garden and painted BIG (17” x 17”-ish)

A pumpkin field painted at Siemer’s Farm up at Green Bluff a few years back on a beautiful autumnal evening.

A painting inspired by a drive home in early November where a rain/hailstorm lifted right about sunset and I saw this out my window and I immediately pulled over!

Oh and for those of you who read to the bottom-I’ll be at this show on the 26th at the Hive (a super cool library building on Sprague) and I’d love to see you!

Little Spokane River Show Saturday!

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been quiet here lately because I’ve been wildly busy. My husband and I bought a new house and are in the process of simultaneously settling in and trying to get our old house on the market. To everyone who has done this before-you have my sincere admiration. This has been incredibly hard work! We’re starting to make good progress and I’m so excited about the new place. It is beautiful with a year round stream and great views. I can’t wait to paint here!

In other news-my favorite show of the year-the Little Spokane River Artist Studio Tour is happening this Saturday and I am super excited! I’m at Collista’s studio, as usual-that’s the furthest north studio, on Panorama. There’s plenty of parking and the garden is always beautiful thanks to her husband’s green thumb. I will have a bunch of small unframed originals at a range of prices and I hope you’ll find something that needs to come home with you! See you there!

This is a demo from an urban sketching class at the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture. I loved the half moon deck arch and the two porthole windows below.

Back in August we made a quick trip up to rural Canada for a family reunion/funeral and, as always, I brought my sketchbook.

This is the view from up on the porch on the house seen in the above image. A lot of time was spent sitting here, drinking coffee and talking to people.

The farm is very near Lake Mara, which is a gorgeous lake with fabulous views. One evening, a group of us made a quick trip over there to wade.

The sunset that night was gorgeous! I raced to capture the light before it went. As a result, the people on the shore are blurred (my paint was not drying as fast as I needed it too and the temperatures had cooled to boot), but I really like the feeling of light and it brings back the memory of that night which is always the point of my sketchbooks!

Summer Sketching!

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Hi Guys!

I hope all of you have been bearing up under this crazy heat! I’ve been busy sketching all over the place-doing my best to stay out of the mid-day sun. Challenging, but worth it. I’m going to crack open my sketchbook below to show you what I’ve been up to, but FIRST!

A Conspiracy of Artists! I’m one of over 12 artists being hosted at the Jacklin Art Center. We’re having an opening this Saturday and there will be snacks, wine and AIR CONDITIONING! I hope to see you there.

Ok-back to the sketchbooks!

At the end of June I drove down to Boise for a family wedding. It was 8:00 pm when I sketched this and almost 90 degrees. Phew! The wedding took place at a venue that was decorated “historic western” and I really enjoyed this windmill.

Sketching in the Joel E Ferris Perennial Garden at Manito in the morning before it got too hot! This is a class demo and was a lot of fun!

For the 4th of July, I made my annual pilgrimage to my aunt and uncle’s place up at Priest Lake. I’ve been coming here my whole life and that era may be coming to a close which makes these sketches all the more precious.

The lake house, looking back from the dock.

I recently scooted all the way over to Edmonds to participate in Sketcherfest-the USA’s first International Sketchbook Festival. I went last year but didn’t manage to secure a spot in a workshop (They sold out SO FAST). This year I was lucky to to take “Sketching the Whole Story” taught by Genine Carvalheira with a friend.

The learning goals for the this class are to arrange a variety of elements on the page to tell a story/create a timeline, leave white space (a big challenge for me!), and incorporate text.

I always have to remind myself when I take a class that I’m not here to make a good painting. I’m here to learn a new thing and in the process of trying something new, I’m going to make a mess. It’s a tough reminder but good for me as a teacher to be back in the student seat!

Little snippets. Not a good composition, but filled with delightful memories of the weekend!

Hoping you all are staying cool and having a fabulous summer!

London Part 3 + Summer Classes

This is the last of my posts about my trip to London! It’s been really fun re-living the trip with you guys!

This is a Thai restaurant where we had lunch toward the end of the trip.

I “collected” people on the Tube. I drew in the seat structures first and then I waited to see who sat down in front of me. This drawing was created over about 3 rides on the Tube and it was very fun-so many interesting characters! Almost everyone is on their phone and that goodness because that keeps them from spotting me (most of the time) even though I am just 3 or 4 feet from them!

The left side of the page here are a couple quick sketches from when we were at Kew Gardens-a giant Cyprus tree and a dragon guardian on their pagoda. On the right was the tableware at the Delaunay-an absolutely fabulous restaurant across from the theater where we saw “Tina Turner: The Musical”.

The stage curtain had Tina’s eyes (and hair) screen printed onto it. Very graphic and an interesting contrast with the green and gold baroque theater.

Mom sent over this photo she took from the 2nd floor of our flat of me sketching the Michelin Building. Can you see me?

I’m across the street from the frontage of the building on the steps under the red awning!

Here’s how one of those sketches came out!

I brought home Tunnock’s Tea cakes for my husband. Milk chocolate with marshmallow inside, they are too sweet for me!

Made it safely home! This is the view from my studio. Everything had grown in the 12 days I’d been gone-including the weeds and grass all over our gravel driveway. Still, it was good to be home and back in my studio. Hope all of you had a fabulous 4th of July!

London Pt 2 + June Shows!

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Hello everyone!

I had a great time at Manito Art Festival and it was so lovely to see all of you!

Before I get back to my London trip-here’s two cool shows here in town that include a painting of mine. First the 2nd Inland Northwest Juried Landscape Art Exhibition at the Jundt Art Gallery which runs until mid July.

“Jack Rabbit At Maryhill” is hanging in the glass fronted entryway of the Jundt Museum-last on the left side.

“Boating Bounty” is at the Spokane Art School for their Faculty and Student Show which runs until the 28th!

Our one jaunt out of London proper on this trip was a driving tour of the Cotswolds-a very picturesque section of countryside. The above sketch was done sitting in the large van we traveled in, just working in my lap.

We visited multiple towns, but never had more than 1.5 hours in each one so I did small sketches of elements that I thought were characteristic-rivers with swans, wisteria vines on honey colored limestone buildings, and fields edged with hedges and stone fences. The stone wall were dry stacked and had an interesting “cock & hen cap” meant to keep chickens from escaping.

I loved all the Queen Anne’s Lace blooming along the roads and among the stone fences. We got to the van about 10 minutes early so I managed to get this drawn out and then painted it later. A theme on this trip-getting things down in pencil and then running out of time and having to paint them later back at the flat (thank goodness they provided two tables!).

The GIANT Natural History Museum was in walking distance of our flat along with the Victoria and Albert. I did this drawing while sitting on the steps of row houses on the opposite side of the street.

St. Paul’s Cathedral Dome, sketched from a plaza after we stopped for lunch from nearby food carts.

A nearby church and one of the interior apses in St. Paul’s Cathedral. At the bottom is a person playing an organ with a black iron gate behind it and glass mosaics of Jesus on the cross. This was drawn, but not painted in the church.

This pub had interesting little private booth nooks with gorgeous stain glass which was a nice change from the usual endless wood paneling of traditional British pubs.

These drawings were both sketched while standing up, waiting in line-first to go for a ride on the Uber Boat (we went right under the Tower Bridge) and below-small elements from the incredibly elaborate front of Westminster Abbey.

I had a lot of fun wandering the local grocery stores (Sainsbury mostly) and looking for unique items. My friend Devin suggested this a Tunnock’s Tea Cakes are apparently what get put on your pillow if you stay in a hotel in Scotland. Milk chocolates with marshmallow insides-far too sweet for me, but I brought them home to my husband who promptly ate them all.

Part three of the London trip to come!

See me at the Perry Farmer's Market!

in ,

Hi guys!

Since I designed the poster for the Perry Street Farmer’s Market, I’ve been invited to have my work at the market this Thursday (tomorrow). I’ll be there 3-7. I’d love to see you!


Keep your eyes peeled. I’ll be sending an email update about my trip to London and all the sketching I did there soon!

Love,

Megan

Oregon Coast Painting Adventures

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I recently returned from a trip to one of my favorite places on earth-the Oregon Coast! This particular visit started in a town that I have been visiting for longer than I can remember-Gearhart.

Tillamook Head, hazy in the brilliant light on the beach.

We stayed at a house that was a short walk to the beach.This walk, through tall tawny grasses towards the embankment behind which the ocean awaits, never fails to make my heart ring like a bell with the many memories of the times I’ve walked here and all the people I’ve loved who have been here with me over the years.

After the long drive across the state of Washington, down, the Gorge, through Portland to Gearhart, it is such a relief to be out of the car with the sand between my toes, looking over the wide expanse of the sea, my eyes traveling for miles and the wind in my hair. Upon arriving at the coast, it is essential to go and greet the sea as soon as possible! Don’t you agree?

The dune embankment at the beach, hiding all but the highest houses from view when you are on the beach. I like to watch the clouds drift by, absent any distraction.

The house we stayed in was in walking distance of the beach but had no ocean view unless you count this sliver of beach, seen from the “tower room”. Along with the big sky and sliver of water, I also enjoyed the expanse of silvery roofs and siding-nothing weathers wood like living along the sea!

After spending four days with friends in Gearhart, I took off south with a companion-stopping at every viewpoint between Cannon Beach and Rockaway Bay as instructed my my aunt. We had ice cream and cheese samples at the Tillamook Factory (my first time visiting!) and then continued down to Depoe Bay (home of the world’s smallest harbor!) to stay. The following day we made the jaunt down to Yaquina Head Lighthouse-utterly charming and right near “Cobblestone Beach” which is covered in polished basalt rocks that clack in the waves. We arrived when the tide was out, revealing amazing tide pools and seals lounging on rocks in the distance. Yaquina Head is the furthest south I’ve ever made it on the coast and it was really fun to see so many towns and beautiful beaches that I’d never visited before.

Take a Class with Me!

Loosen Up Your Painting

May 18th 1-5 pm

Feeling like your paintings are stiff or too tight? Want to embrace the flow of watercolor paint and loosen up? This is the class for you! Megan will demonstrate how to make your paintings full of energy and freshness, giving you quick and easy exercises to uncramp your style!

Sign up here!

Color Class & 33 Artists

in

Hi guys!

Just popping in quick to let you know about two things I’m up to this month.

There’s still some spaces available in my two session class about color with the Spokane Art School if you’d like to come paint with me and my first market of the year is on the 23rd at the Wonder Building if you’d like to come do some shopping. I’ll have prints of many of the paintings that I had on display at my Terrain Group Show-Listening for an Echo for the first time!

Running errands around town yesterday, I ran into construction on 4 streets, all in different neighborhoods-so I guess it’s spring!

Color Beyond the Color Wheel-Spokane Art School

For students 14 years old and up

$48

Wednesdays, March 20 & 27, 2024

6 – 8 p.m.

Learn practical color theory-how do you mix colors to warm, cool, dull or brighten your painting? Learn about working your way around the color wheel to make color decisions as well as how to pick a unified color scheme and modify it intuitively on the fly.

This is one of the references we’ll be painting from for the color class!

Art Here, There & Everywhere

in

I’ve been cozied up in my studio for all of February, staying warm and dry and painting away. This time of year is quieter for me and I relish the chance to catch up on inspiration from past years’s adventures. Below are a selection of paintings inspired by trip to the west side of the state (where I grew up).

A few years back a friend and I hiked Naches Trail on Mt. Rainier during the wildflower season and it blew our minds. The day started out misty and ominous but ended with gorgeous blue skies. The wildflowers were incredible!

When I visited the tulip fields up in Skagit a few years back with my parents, it was an absolutely frigid day with lots of wind, but the gorgeous color of the tulips made it worth it. That and going to get soup in a bread bowl in La Conner afterward!

Ferries are a big part of life on the Puget Sound. My parents’s house has a view of the Sound and my childhood is full of memories of seeing the moon shine above the dark water as ferries and cargo containers sail by.

Incredible sunsets are another memory of childhood. Someday I’d like to live on the water.

I’ve got paintings hanging in galleries all over the place currently. This painting is up at Trail’s End Gallery in Chewelah for a couple more weeks.

“Boating Bounty” will be up with a bevy of glorious art at Barrister Winery for the month of March. The opening is today for First Friday! Stop by and check it out. Barrister on a First Friday is always a great time.

“Heaven’s Icy Splendor” went on a long drive with me to Twisp, WA to the Confluence Gallery where it will be until mid-April. The show info is below and looks amazing! Have any of you been to Twisp? It’s a cute town and the whole Methow Valley is beautiful.

I'm on PBS's NW Profiles!

in

Hi Everyone!

I’m just popping in to say that you can catch my NW Profiles feature on PBS this Thursday (the 25th) at 7 pm and again on the following Sunday at 3 pm. If you miss it, you can always go to the NW Profiles section of the PBS website because they’ll post the episode there after it goes live.

Watching the KSPS crew calibrate their very fancy cameras in my studio before filming.

Here’s a little snippet of the “B-Roll” (fancy filming terms-so fun!) from filming with the crew. We filmed in my studio and at two different locations in Spokane. I can hardly believe that it took SIX HOURS of filming to get my full NW Profiles feature completed. The film crew certainly works hard!

Megan Perkins B Roll Film1 PBS NW Profiles

In other news, my group show “Listening for the Echo” is still open until the 27th, so if you haven’t made your way down there you still have a chance They are open Thursday-Saturday, 4-7 pm and it is the Terrain Gallery on Monroe next to Birdie’s Pie Shop!

And in February I’ll have two pieces up at the Trail’s End Gallery in Chewelah, a first for me! I’ll be up there for First Thursday.

See you around friends!

Merry Christmas!

This season as you travel in darkness, literal or metaphorical, may luminous skies dance above you, kindling wonder at this numinous world. May there be starlight singing in the night, moonshine dancing on the snow, and sleigh bells ringing in the sky guiding you safely all the way home.

Making light in the darkness & wishing you the same,

Megan

Off the WaitList, Into BRRRZAAR!

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Yes! Terrain decided to expand Brrrzaar to an extra room at River Park Square so I am off the waitlist and going to be at Brrzaar 10-8 THIS SATURDAY! Here’s the trick though-I and about 10 other artists are all going to be tucked away in the Kress Gallery. That name may sound familiar and that’s because it is the room just past the food court next to the bathroom on the 3rd floor so we’re definitely a bit out of the way. Still, I’m staying positive-people always need to use the bathroom so there should be steady traffic! This will be my last holiday show (FOR REAL this time!) of the year so if you’re looking to get puzzles, prints, calendars or art directly from me, now is the time! See you Saturday!

I’ve also been busy working on paintings for my group show “Listening for an Echo” at the Terrain Gallery-the theme is farming and rural subjects. Above is a just finished barn interior. Below is a study of a neighbor’s corral at sunset.

Put Friday, January 5th at the Terrain Gallery on your calendar to come see this show-there will be two painters (myself and Karen Mobley) and two photographers who I have only recently met: Abigail Evans and Pam Deutschman. I can’t wait to see what the other women have made!

Thankful For You!

in

Thank you to all of you on the other end of this email, cheering me on! You mean so much to me-it is still so amazing that so many people like my work and I’ve met so many wonderful people on this art journey that I am glad to have in my life so thank you!

Wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season!

Happy Turkey Day!

I'm in TWO magazines!

in

I’m extra literary this winter! First off, I have a painting featured in the current Art Chowder magazine in an article by Tom Quinn about the history of travelers documenting their adventures in watercolors.

My piece is the one in the lower right corner-a painting of the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica!

Trending Northwest is a fancy new Pacific Northwest featured magazine and I am lucky to have gotten a multi-page article about my work, inspiration, and upcoming adventures!

Reading the title of this article, I wonder if I should add “Creative Visionary” to my business card! Makes me sound so fancy!

Thank you to Melissa and the whole crew at TNW for the fabulous article!

Read the whole article online for free HERE! There will be even more photos!

I don’t have any more holiday shows on the calendar for the rest of the year so I would like to invite you guys to check out my online shop HERE where you can get puzzles, calendars, prints (including my painting of Sunset Hill in the dark and snow-seen below) and a selection of small nocturne paintings. You’re also welcome to make an appointment to come out to my studio to do a little shopping! I’d love to show you what I’ve been working on!

You can also find my work at the From Here store in River Park Square and at Pottery Place Plus in the same building as Auntie’s Bookstore (also an excellent place to do some shopping!).

8” x 10” painting of the Govan School House in Central WA

Inspired by a grain elevator I spotted outside of Pullman.

“All the Way Home”-prints available in my shop and at From Here. This painting will be my Christmas card this year! If I’ve sent you a card in the past and you’d like to get one this year and you’ve moved, please send me an updated address!

Safe travels if you’re traveling in the upcoming holiday week. Spokane will be there at the bottom of the road to welcome you home when you return.

Art & Maple Leaves

in

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to pop in and update you all on my various upcoming on on-going shows as well as show you a couple photos from my recent adventure to Seattle to see the Hokusai Exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum!

I’m excited to be at this show on SATURDAY ONLY at the HIVE (Emphasis added to hopefully prevent confusion!). I’ll have puzzles, Christmas cards, and calendars! I just heard back that I got waitlisted for my usual December show (Brrzaar). They had so many people apply that they could only accept 36% of the artists to the show, so if you’d like to come visit me at a show before the end of the year, this is it! However, you can always make an appointment to come out to my studio any time for a little shopping adventure! These are always very fun because I often also show my sketchbooks and works in progress if people are interested.

This show opened in October and is still running through December 9th. It’s a fabulous show in a historic building on Washington with a view directly onto the elevated train tracks.

This is one of my pieces in this show.

This and the two other night sky pieces below are all 3” x 5” paintings that I framed up and took to the Spokane Art School for their Holiday Small Works show. The Art School will also have a show (Yuletide) happening during the weekend of the my show at the Hive and is just 5 minutes away so I highly recommend visiting both shows!

I made a very fast visit over to Seattle to celebrate my and my mom’s birthday with my folks and to see the Hokusai exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. I am a huge Hokusai fan (I have the Great Wave off of Kanagawa printed on my phone case.) and the exhibit was FABULOUS.

Silk painting of a beautiful lady at the exhibit, which contained both many works by Hokusai and by his students, contemporaries, and the people who were inspired by his work.

With the glass over the prints, taking a decent photo was hard, but here is a beautiful planter that I would very much like in blue!

Continuing the theme-this is the Kubota Garden in the south end of Seattle-a 20 acre walking garden. I enjoyed its multiple ponds, great tree shaping and many stone lanterns, but I have to admit-I think our Japanese Garden has a better fall foliage display and is much prettier (though much smaller also, I must admit).

Did have fun with the amazing curving branches of the many trees-there might be some paintings coming inspired by my trip!

I’ve been delivering calendars to customers and I just wanted to pop this flip through of it into this email because I think this is my best calendar yet! If you can’t make it to the Hive on the 4th, just reach out to me and I can get you set up! We gotta get organized for next year! :)

You can buy it on my website HERE!

Happy Fall, y’all!

Fall into the Arts !

in

October is Arts Month in Spokane and there is so much going on! I’m in two shows! I’ll be at Terrain’s Artist Preview Night (ticketed, the free event is on Friday) and at the Gonzaga Urban Art Center (on Washington, parking in the back) for the Watercolor Invitational Opening 4-7 on Friday! Where are you guys going for First Friday? There are so many good shows-I’m making a list so I can visit through the rest of the month!

I have one piece in this giant show-something unusual for me-see below!

This is Dr Ph Martin’s watercolors with collage and inspired by the little greenhouse my in-laws have that my father-in-law has turned into a tool shed. Walking by it at night is fun!

Have you been to the Gonzaga Urban Arts Center? It is really cool! An old brick building on Washington, it over looks the elevated train track so you’re eye level with the trains-really neat!

This is one of the five paintings I will have at the GUAC show.

Thank you to everyone who came out to see me at the Little Spokane River Artist Studio Tour! It was so great to see you all and share the many starry night paintings I made!

Govan Schoolhouse

Finally, I have just two more art classes on my schedule, both in October, before I go on my winter break. I’ll start teaching classes again in early spring in 2024.

Next Monday, my Landmarks Accordion Book class at the Corbin Art Center starts. It is the first time I’ve offered this class. If you’d like to join, but are worried about your drawing skills, I’ll have templates to help with drawing the architecture as seen above!

For more information on what I’m up to, check out my Events page.

2024 Spokane Calendar & Little Spokane Show & Free Urban Sketching!

in ,

Hello everyone!

I’ve had a few new people sign up for this newsletter so I wanted to pop in to update you all about upcoming things! Make sure to read all the way down to the bottom details about a free fun adventure!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

First off I have my 2024 calendar in stock in my online shop-you can buy it here and at the From Here store in River Park Square in down town Spokane starting on Thursday the 21st. I had previously said I would be taking pre-orders at the Little Spokane River Artist Studio tour on September 30th, but the rules concerning what reproductions have been clarified to me and it turns out I will not be able to do that so if you’d like a calendar please buy one through my website and we can arrange local pick up! I’ll also have them with me at 33 Artists on November 4th if you’d like to buy directly from me in person!

Here’s a video flip through of the calendar!

The Little Spokane River Artist Studio tour is happening on September 30th. I’ll be at Collista’s studio. I’ll have a bunch of new paintings with me including a special series of mini-paintings inspired by the night sky out on the Palouse. Scroll down to get a sneak peek. These little guys (3” x 5”-5”x 7”) will be a great way to get a piece of original art at a great price!

Steptoe Stars

Govan Schoolhouse Stars

I also had a great time teaching urban sketching at the Northwest Museum and Culture recently. We painted the white mansion at the end of the block. Thanks to all of my lovely students!

If you would like to take a class with me, check out my events page for upcoming classes!

Finally the thing you scrolled down all the way to the bottom for! All of you are invited to come sketch in Riverfront Park with me on Saturday the 23rd 4-5:30. We’ll meet at the Rotary Fountain. There won’t be any instruction, nor supplies provided but I thought it would be fun to gather as a last hurrah of the plein air season! Hope to see you there!