5 Things to Know Before Trying Oil Painting

1. Oil painting can be addicting - For years I had many teachers and mentors tell me to switch to oils (and they promised me I would never go back) but I always made excuses on why I should stick with acrylics and pastels. I knew it was messier, more expensive, took longer to dry—-but what I didn’t know at the time was how much I would fall in love with them. They are so much fun to work with and make blending and layering so much more enjoyable. I dove in to oils a few years ago and haven’t looked back. I’m hooked. I’ll continue to try different mediums to keep things interesting but oils will always be my first love.

2. Oil painting does not have to be toxic - I avoided oil painting for years because I heard horror stories about the fumes and toxins. Cadmiums and powerful paint thinners often give oils a bad reputation but there are so many ways you can start working in them without the toxic side effects. For one, always try to be in well ventilated area or have a fan on. I work in my studio usually with a door or window open and when I worked in my attic I would run two fans. Avoid thinners if you can. I use walnut oil as both a thinning agent and a solvent. You can also use lavendar or citrus based solvents to clean your brushes but I haven’t found them to be necessary. I just soak my brushes (just the bristles) in walnut oil overnight so I don’t even have to clean them after each use!

3. Oil painting requires patience - while I absolutely love that oils stay wet longer (which is ideal for blending and layering), it does require a lot of patience if you are wanting to sell your art or need to complete it within a short timeframe. My paintings can take anywere from a few weeks to months to dry depending on how thick they are. I’ll occasionally switch to acrylics if I’m feeling impatient or need an easier clean-up some days but oils always pull me back in. I also wouldn’t recommend oils for anyone with really small children who may not understand they are not for them.

4. You don’t need a large quantity of brushes or paints to get started in oils - I started out using the primaries and titanium white and slowly added in a variety of other colors. Keep it simple when you are learning! Here are my favorite brushes.

5. Oil painting requires constant practice - When you’re just starting out, practice is key. I was told to paint weekly if not daily to build my skills. This seemed impossible at first as a working mom to three but I started really small and turned it in to a daily habit. Now I can’t imagine a world without oil painting and get excited thinking about all the possibilities of what I can create. I constantly dream about what I want to paint next and wake up every day excited to dive in to a blank canvas.

If you are curious about learning how to paint, please stay tuned! I’m hoping to offer classes soon and introduce others to a practice that has brought me so much joy and peace. I love teaching kids as well so let me know if your children are interested! I only teach acrylics and color theory with kids but will offer some oil painting workshops for adults soon as well. Just make sure you’re on my mailing list for more info!

A Love Letter to Raleigh

I moved to Raleigh in the 4th grade (born in Washington DC but moved from a little town in Connecticut). It was a big adjustment at first but having lived here for 20+ years now, I can honestly say it is one of my favorite cities. I was told I should work for the Chamber of Commerce because I’ve convinced so many friends to move here over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I love so many other places too (we also did stints in Washington DC and Charlotte, NC) but Raleigh has the best of so many things, I knew I wanted to return here to raise our family.

It’s been fun to paint some of my favorite spots in the city and beyond. I just released “City of Oaks” on my website—an abstract cityscape of our downtown. It’s a favorite of mine because it highlights the green and parks surrounding our downtown, something that I appreciate so much. I loved doing it so much that I’m working on other cityscapes in the coming months. I also have a few other small pieces inspired by the sunflowers at Dix Park, the Rose Garden, the NC Art Museum, and Lake Johnson where I have so many memories from.

People ask what makes Raleigh such a great place to live. Here are a few other reasons I love it:

• Quality of Living: Raleigh consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the US due to its high quality of living. With a strong job market, affordable housing, overall good schools, and a relatively low cost of living compared to other major cities, it’s a great place to raise a family. Even post-pandemic, we still are growing like crazy and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon.

• Food and Drink Scene: Raleigh has an amazing food and drink scene, with a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, craft breweries, and food trucks. From traditional Southern cuisine to international flavors, there is so much yumminess out there. I thought I would miss all the international food we used to have in DC but thankfully we’ve found just about everything here!

• Community and Diversity: Raleigh is a diverse and inclusive city that embraces people from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. See photo above. :)

• Thriving Job Market: Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle Park (RTP), which is one of the largest research and technology hubs in the country. The presence of so many tech companies, research institutions, and universities creates a strong job market, particularly in industries such as technology, healthcare, and education.

• Education and Universities: Raleigh is home to great universities, including North Carolina State University (our alma mater), UNC Chapel Hill, and Duke which contributes to a vibrant academic community.

• Cultural Scene: we have a pretty vibrant cultural scene with museums, art galleries, theaters, and music venues. Events like festivals, concerts, and exhibitions offer lots of great entertainment thoughout the year. The NC Art museum is one of my favorite places and we love seeing outdoor concerts at Red Hat Amphitheater.

• Green Spaces: Raleigh is surrounded by a lot of natural beauty and offers plenty of green spaces, parks, and recreational areas for outdoorsy folks. We live down the road from Falls Lake and hike the trails pretty regularly.

• Southern Hospitality: Raleigh is known for its warm and friendly hospitality. While we have a lot of transplants moving to the area, I have found people are generally just really nice and welcoming here.

• Climate: Raleigh experiences all four seasons, providing a pretty diverse climate for those who enjoy a variety. I love that we have a mild winter and very occasionally get snow but our spring and fall is typicically beautiful. The humidity stinks in the summer (it’s hotter than Haiti right now) but I’ll still take it for a variety of seasons!

• Proximity to Beaches and Mountains: The beautiful North Carolina beaches and the scenic Appalachian Mountains are only a couple hours away, making them the perfect escape for a weekend or even a day trip. I also love our airport—easy to get in and out of and so many direct flights to amazing places (Paris, London, Montreal ect.).

Are you ready to move here yet? :) Or at the very least, please come in for a visit! XX

Megan

For Artists: Turn your original artwork in to fine art prints

Art prints now make up a large portion of my art business and I’m so thankful that I took the leap in to offering them. There is a bit of a learning curve and they require A LOT of patience but in my opinion it’s so worth it. Prints offer affordable ways for customers to own your artwork and provide an excellent opportunity to earn without burning yourself out painting all the time (as much as we would like to). The beauty of art prints are that they free up our time so we CAN paint more. I’m working on creating a wholesale business from my art prints and have found that a lot of boutiques and stores have interest in carrying them as well. I’m now on a mission to encourage other artists to do the same. One of the very best courses I took on how to turn my artwork in to prints is “Art to Print” by Laurie Ann Gonzalez. If you are interested in learning more, check out her website and consider signing up here:

“Art to Print” Course

I’m a 100% certain I would not have been able to leave my corporate job a few months ago if I hadn’t invested in this course and learned how to create beautiful art prints. Please reach out any time with questions and use the link above to sign-up if you are interested in taking the leap.

Happy Painting & Happy Printing!

Hang your artwork like a pro

Hanging artwork doesn’t have to be intimidating. Here a few tips that will help get you started:

Keep in mind the ideal height to hang artwork is generally at eye level. The standard guideline is to hang the center of the artwork at approximately 57 to 60 inches (about 145 to 152 centimeters) from the floor to the center of the artwork. Here's how to determine the best height for hanging artwork at eye level:

• Measure the height of the artwork: Measure the height of the artwork from the top edge to the bottom edge.

• Divide the height by 2: Take the measurement from step 1 and divide it by 2. This gives you the center point of the artwork.

• Measure from the floor: Measure up from the floor to the center point of the artwork. This measurement should be around 57 to 60 inches (145 to 152 centimeters).

• Mark the wall: Use a pencil to mark the spot on the wall where the center of the artwork will be.

• Hang the artwork: Hang the artwork so that its center aligns with the mark on the wall.

The eye-level guideline is a general rule of thumb and might need slight adjustments based on your personal preferences and the overall arrangement of your space. For example, in rooms where people often sit down (like a dining room), you may want to lower the artwork slightly to make it more visible from a seated position. If you have taller ceilings, you may need to raise the artwork a bit higher to maintain the right proportion within the room.

Ultimately, the best height for hanging artwork is what looks aesthetically pleasing to you. After all, it’s your house so do what makes you happy!