Omaha artist Megan McLeay’s passion and talent are just two of the many reasons we fell in love with her and her artwork. An artist and instructor for the Joslyn Art Museum and universities, Megan is an expert at her craft. This week Megan shared with us some insight as an artist and how she creates her beautiful pieces. You can find her oil paintings and prints (made from different materials she collages) in our shop!
What do you love about being an artist?
Megan: I love everything about it. Being able to create in general is an awesome feeling and then teaching some of those skills to others is wonderful. I also really love that you never know the direction your art will go... There are lots of paths an artist can take, and I love the excitement of that. I love that being an artist brings me new experiences and new people.
How would you describe your artwork?
Megan: I would say that it’s expressive. I like to work with a lot of new ideas. I'm always searching for different ways to do different things. I like to work in different mediums. I love that feeling of working from instinct and choosing materials that I like at the time, whether it’s color, material, texture, or form.
What inspires you?
Megan: I'm inspired by all things. I don’t think there's one thing that's my main source of inspiration. Since I work abstractly, it comes intuitively. I'm inspired by things I see, and I add that into the artwork, whether it’s people, patterns, or nature. I pull from all different sources depending on my feelings toward something.
What is your intention with your art?
Megan: My intention is always that the art can be appreciated in some way- I think that can take on many different forms. The real hope always being that it can be shared, that someone else will connect with the art or find something in it they appreciate. I think as an artist you are always just trying to communicate some message or idea, and you’re hoping that idea carries some significance. For me it has always been about creating something meaningful.
You can check out McLeay's artwork in our shop here and find her on Instagram at @mcleaymeganart