Pax
12×12″ oil on panel
I’m very honored to have Pax accepted into the Oil Painters of America 31st National Juried Exhibition this year!
Oil Painters of America National Exhibition
Category Archives: Business
Norwescon
Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table and who bought cute things to take home! I appreciate you all. Sorry I lost my voice and could only croak. Time to restock for my next show, Oddmall!
The Lull
I have returned intact from the workshop, and now I’m so stuffed with knowledge I can barely move. Thanks to Kate for putting up with us and sharing her top secret techniques. I look forward to using her painting method on some upcoming still life practice.
Cervid I by Meg Lyman
8×10″ oil on board
In honor of still life, here is a skull I painted. Before the workshop. Not only did I not use Kate’s technique, I painted it over an 8-year-old gouache painting on gessobord that was one of my very first paintings and was consequently horrible. Turns out you can use oil over gouache quite easily, although I know nothing about its longevity. All that aside, I believe it is a mule deer, advertised on Etsy as a found elk skull. People are really bad with taxonomy. I love identifying found skulls, but I admit I might be in the minority there.
Also, the first plug: come to see me at Emerald City Comic Con this weekend in Seattle! I’ll be at table LL-13. I may try painting between now and then, but these past two weeks have been all about learning and business.
Last few sale hours!
Just a reminder that there are a few hours left in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale in my Etsy shop! Use coupon code IAMAWESOME to save 15% on originals and calendars.
Also, I recently received some squee-worthy sculptures from Kara, who makes them herself with love and clay. Here is a gift she sent – an octopus hugging a beer bottle! Now it is my most favorite mascot and it helps me clean my tablet and reminds me to drink when I paint. I tend to forget.
If you’d like to purchase one of her excellent creations yourself, she has some available. Pepper her with ooohs and ahhs at princessridiculous at gmail if you’re so inclined. Thanks, Kara!
Sale!
I have a Black Friday sale going in my Etsy shop! Use coupon code IAMAWESOME to save 15% on originals and calendars through Monday, Dec 2, 2013. I just put up a bunch of new art as well.
Thanks for being awesome!
Meg’s Etsy Shop
I finally did it! I know I mentioned it before, but here’s the official announcement. I have both originals and prints for sale, so go check it out!
Let me know if you have suggestions for art – especially prints – to post there.
2013: The Art Plan
Daruma by Meg Lyman
5×7″ gouache on matboard
SOLD
‘Tis the season to plan art activities for the upcoming year. Late last year, I made grand plans for 2012. I went half time at work at the end of January, and created a plan for the year that may have been a bit too ambitious. But I did make a lot of art, learned a thing or two, and ended up moving across the country for a different full-time job in September. In all, it was a fantastic experience and I was extremely fortunate to be able to do it. However, I didn’t have nearly as much time as I thought I’d have, and as a result neglected a few of my 2012 goals. Now I’m setting out to make more realistic ones for 2013.
The paint-a-squishy-cephalopod-doing-something-cute meme has worked fabulously for me. It is what people expect of me, and the ideas keep spewing forth, both from my brain and from creative fans. The execution has become easy for me to do. Too easy. I never do backgrounds or really challenge myself. I want to challenge myself next year. To me, that means:
- Paint enough cephalopods to fill a 2014 calendar, and try to throw in some backgrounds once in a while, jeez
- Practice painting still lifes (lives?) and landscapes, and take a class
- Explore my artistic passions, which wander into decidedly non-cephalopodish genres
To help all three goals, I made my own daruma doll. Darumas are traditional Japanese toys that bring good luck and help accomplish goals. They come with blank eyes. When the goal is set, the first eye is painted. The second eye isn’t painted until the goal is met, and looking at the lopsided, unfinished doll always reminds you of your goal. Here’s to 2013 and painting that other eye!
Commissions
I am open for commissions! These are all paintings, made with gouache and ink. Here’s what I’m offering:
1. “Cephalopod” your character
—ACEO: $20 (example)
—5×7″: $45 (example, example)
—8×10″: $65 (example)
—11×14″: $85 (example)
2. Angry Derp badges
—standard badge size with plastic holder and clip
—$15 (examples above, featuring Painted Dog and Likeshine)
3. Non-cephalopod critters
—ACEO: $15 (example, example)
—5×7″: $35 (need examples!)
—8×10″: $55 (need examples!)
E-mail me if you’re interested!
Prices include one character, no background, any hair/ears/accessories/markings you want. Additional characters and backgrounds are extra. I sketch until you’re happy. Once you approve the sketch for painting, changes are extra, unless they’re easily fixed (keep in mind this is actual paint). I require payment up front, or for commissions over $50, half up front and half upon completion. Prices do not include shipping the original – I can deliver it at a con or ship in the US for $4 for 8×10″ or smaller – ask about larger sizes or outside the US.
Happy 2012!
Party Crustaceans by Meg Lyman
The big news for 2012 is that I am planning to go part time at work to focus on art. The idea is exciting and terrifying at the same time. I have so many ideas, so many paintings I want to do, but not enough time. I plan to use my part time schedule to implement these ideas and do a lot of painting practice. I blame this entirely on my dear art friends Tony Steele (Our Hero) and Jeff Carlisle. Let the fun begin!
Larry’s Painting Class, Take 2
Larry’s Warrior painted by Meg Lyman
12×18 ish oil on masonite
I attended another of Larry Elmore’s painting classes in September. We all used the same drawing and he showed us how to paint it. Mine isn’t great – there are a few things I’d like to change – but I learned a LOT. It was so fun to be with other artists, painting 10-12 hours a day, learning, and having a great time. It was great to see how much I’d improved from the first class, and how much easier I find oils now than I did then. Much less frustrating. Fun, even! I itch to do larger, grander paintings, and gouache doesn’t do well with large, expansive areas.
This class also got me thinking about my career and life. More on that later.
Thanks, Larry! Also, critiques welcome.