April Showers bring May Adventures!

I’ve been luxuriating in my studio this past month and planning my summer adventures! Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to!

A Riverfront Park painting based on a sketch made a year ago sitting on the grass. See below! It’s been too cold for painting outside lately still. I heard on the news that it was the coldest April since 2010!

This was made using watercolor and markers, whipped out between errands.

I’ve been diving into my giant archive of inspiration photos. I took a picture of this rose arbor down in Gearhart, OR two years ago. The shadow really caught my eye.

This is a Japanese Anemone that I photographed in the perennial garden at Manito last fall. I added some luscious colored pencils on top of the watercolors which was fun.

This painting was a demo for a Paint & Sip class at the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture last week. It was super fun to loosen up and paint big, bold, and expressively and my students were a delight!

I’ve been meaning to do stickers for ages and I’m finally getting around to it. Here’s my first design and my 2nd is below.

I showed this design to my mom and she didn’t know where it was from. She’s been coming to Spokane for almost 40 years to visit her sisters who live on the South Hill. Do you know where I got the inspiration for this sticker?

All of my May classes have sold out and my other classes are filling fast. I’ve added some new one-day sketching classes with Barn & Blossom in July and the Center for Children’s Book Arts (soon to open in mid-May) in August. If you’re hoping to take a class with me this summer, hop on over to my Events Page on my website and see what I’m up to. I’d love to paint with you!

Exciting News! Megan at The Hive

Exciting news everyone! I just got notified that I’ve been accepted into the Hive’s artist residency for 2022! The Hive is the Spokane Public Library’s art center down on Sprague. There aren’t any books or movies to rent in the building. Instead it is all about spaces-meeting rooms that can be booked for messy projects and artist studios for residency winners. I’m going to be in residence September to December 2022 and will be hosting two free workshops during my the time I will be there.

In my application for the residency I proposed working on a project I’ve been wanting to do for years. It is a series of paintings centering on the Pacific Northwest’s geological and mythical (Wild West, Tall Tales) past and the way that they interact with the present and will be a big push for me in terms of trying new media, subjects and scale. You, the public, will be able to come visit for open hours (Covid willing!). I’m hoping to talk to people about how they relate to our landscape and any family “tall tales” that they might have about living here and incorporate what I learn into the art.

It’s an honor to be picked and there’s an amazing array of artists scheduled to be there this year. If you want to learn more check out The Hive’s website.

Fall Art Classes with Megan

Hi Guys!

Here’s a quick update with the classes I’m teaching this fall at the Corbin Art Center and the Spokane Art School!

Garland Sketch Crawl

For students 14 years old and up

$20

Tuesday, September 10, 2019, 5-7 P.M.

Come sketch the fabulous landmarks of the Garland neighborhood with me. Learn to sketch on location and add color with watercolors, colored pencils or markers (your choice). Urban sketching is an art adventure!

Sign up here

Intermediate Watercolor

For adults

$120

Thursdays, 5-7 P.M.

September 12, 19, 26 and October 3, 10 & 17, 2019

Intermediate Watercolor Adventures!

Taken one of my classes or dabbled in watercolor before? This class will help you build on previously learned skills such as color mixing, making a wash, working wet in wet to help you capture subjects in an expressive, personal way.

Sign up Here

Daily Sketchbook

For adults

$80

Tuesdays, 5-7 P.M.

September 24 and October 1, 8 & 15, 2019

Want to have more creativity in your life? Learn tips and tricks for incorporating a daily sketchbook habit into your life. We’ll learn to compose on the page; draw from everyday objects and then paint in watercolors.

Sign up here!

And with the Corbin Art Center:

Drawing on Gratitude

10/03-10/24, Thursday

1:30-3:30 PM

$59

Read More Here

Introduction to Watercolor Painting and Beyond!

10/24-11/21, Thursdays

5-7 PM

$62

Read more here!

August First Friday

Hi Everyone! I know this is a bit last notice, but I’m the featured artist at Craftsman Cellars in Kendall Yards here in Spokane for the month of August and Friday the 2nd, I’ll be there from 5-9. I’d love for you to join me for a glass of wine and some live music (starts at 6:30) and don’t forget to grab an ice cream cone at Brain Freeze Creamery just down the street! Hope to see you there!

Portraits in Oil

My goodness, January just flew by, probably because I came down sick for about half of it, so I was only conscious for the other half! February is here and will be gone before we blink as well! It’s been a while since we’ve talked to I thought I’d get up a blog post and reconnect with you all!

So, I don’t know if you guys know this, but I also paint in oil paint as well as watercolors. I love the thick texture you can get with oil paint and the JOY of being able to put a juicy highlight right over a dark section of paint. Here are some paintings from several sessions last spring.

A tricky painting with cool light coming in from the window and hitting the edge of her profile while warm light from a lamp glowed on her shoulders. Also, an excellent lesson in how color bounces around!

Another portrait of my friend Sophia, rocking a gold suit against a maroon and cream backdrop. Once again, cool light on one side of the face and warm on the other. I love the pop of orange on the glasses!

Close up on a nice thick highlight!

I took this picture part way through the painting because I really loved how it was coming along and then I totally overworked it. MAN! But this is another friend of mine and she has offered to let me have another go at painting her in the future.

2018 in Review

It’s hard to believe it but 2019 is here. 2018 went by in a blur of painting, planes, and book printing! Thank you to all of you who have liked, shared, bought, and supported me on my art adventure. This is has been my best year so far! Let’s look back a bit on what I got up to!

From January to May, I completed the last 20 weeks of my Artist’s Eye on Spokane painting challenge. The Spokesman Review was a favorite painting!

In February, I did this painting for the Mayor’s Office and was invited to live paint at the Mayor’s State of the City address, a event that had my paintings of Spokane playing behind Mayor Condon as he spoke. His staff bought the original painting for his birthday!

In March, the Bozzis kindly let me paint on the outdoor patio of the Paulsen Penthouse, whose remarkable view and beautiful decorations dazzled me!

In April, I went on KXLY’s morning show, getting up at 4 am to do so! I painted at the station in between segments and had a lot of fun, though I don’t know how the news anchors are so cheery every morning (Coffee, lots of Coffee).

In May, I went to Japan. Visiting Mt. Fuji, Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, and Osaka and I have plans to return!

In June, I spent a short weekend with college friends in Leavenworth to celebrate our 30th birthdays. I did this sketch on the deck on a cold and windy morning, in love with the view.

Fourth of July was spent at my aunt’s cabin in Priest Lake. I’ve been going there since I was born and it has a special place in my heart.

In August, I jetted off to the UK-Ireland, England, and Scotland. I was thrilled by the rain and temperatures below 70 degrees. Travel sketching is always a challenge but the challenge of filling a whole sketchbook in the limited time really makes me get creative when it comes to filling the pages.

I taught several classes at the Spokane Art School and Corbin Art Center, including a couple sketch crawls through the Garland neighborhood throughout the spring and summer.

I made it to several live music shows (a goal for the year) at both the Fox and St. John’s Cathedral.

And the final, crowning achievement! I wrote and put together my book. It was funded on Kickstarter and it is now available for sale to the public at Pottery Place Plus here in downtown Spokane and can be shipped to people all over just by emailing me.

Plans for the future? Taking my book and myself to our sister city in Japan, Nishonmiya and bringing back sketches of that city to share with the people of Spokane. Perhaps a Spokane coloring book and lots of paintings to come. I still haven’t painted half of what Spokane has to offer! If you have any suggestion, don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know!

And in personal adventures: My husband and I am off to India in March. I’ll be bringing my painting gear, of course, so check back here for the colors and flavors of India!

Artist's Eye on Spokane Updates!

Lots of exciting news here in my studio!

The Artist’s Eye on Spokane Kickstarter is 71% funded as I write this and I have 12 days to go! Thank you to everyone who has supported the project whether that has been with money or sharing the campaign. I’m so excited, after a year and half of work, to put this book into people’s hands!

If you haven’t gotten a book yet and want one, CLICK HERE! I hope I can help out with the Christmas gift list for people this year. Know a friend or family member who loves Spokane? They’d love this book!

Here are some new spreads of Spokane neighborhoods that are going to be included in the book!

Perry Street Neighborhood!

Gonzaga!

Kendall Yards Night Market!

Holiday Shows

My work will be at the Urban Art Coop Holiday Bazaar November 30th-December 2. November 30th is an evening party with all the artists attending with delicious appetizers (I heard that there will be smoked salmon!) for a $5 donation and both Saturday and Sunday are free.

My Painting On the Inlander Cover!

Sorry for dropping off the radar recently! I’ve been in the UK, came down with a cold, and working away like mad. My painting on the cover of the Inlander was part of all that work! I was surprised to find that they published the Fall Arts Issue two weeks before October (Fall Arts month in Spokane), but it was a delight to see my work on the cover of the magazine. I always look forward to the Fall Arts Issue and am super honored to have been asked!

YAY!

Here is the original painting on watercolor paper which shows how much color shifts when printing, especially when you’re going from white watercolor paper to grey newsprint!

This is the cover of the Fall Arts Pull Out inside the newspaper. Surrounded by wheat and with the way the past few summers have been, it isn’t surprising that this is what came to mind when I thought of fall around here.

Live sighting last week at Spokane Art Supply!

Other exciting news: If you are going to be out and about for October’s First Friday (which I highly recommend!), I have four paintings in Terrain at the Jenson-Byrd Building (It’ll be like a scavenger hunt to find them in the hundreds of pieces of art showing!) and my painting of the Gaiser Conservatory all lit up with holiday lights will be hanging at the Chase Gallery All-Media Show in City Hall. If you want to attend Terrain, I highly recommend going early before the crowds get too bad or buying tickets to the Preview Night on Thursday.

If you’d like to keep up with me more regularly and you do the social media thing you can follow me at Artist’s Eye on Spokane on Facebook (as well as Megan Perkins Art) and as @artistseyeonspokane and @perkins_megan on Instagram.

Take a class with me!

Daily Sketchbook with Megan Perkins

$60

Tuesday 5-7pm

April 24 & May 1 & 8, 2018

Want to have more creativity in your life? Learn tips and tricks for incorporating a daily sketchbook habit into your life. We’ll learn to compose on the page; draw from everyday objects and then paint in watercolors.

Class held at the Spokane Art School, 811 W Garland Spokane, WA

Travel/Vacation on Sketchbook
4 weeks | Ages 16+ | Megan Perkins Learn how to document your upcoming summer vacation through sketching and quick, easy watercolor paintings. I will give you tips for capturing moments in your vacation down time and show you how to convert your vacation on experiences into art that evokes the time you spent there. At the end of the class, you’ll be ready to create an artistic keepsake of your own vacation. Supply list included upon confirmation of registration. Class held at the Corbin Art Center, 507 W 7th Avenue.$50
39789 Thurs. 4/12-5/3 6-8pm

Drawing on Gratitude
4 weeks | Ages 16+ | Megan Perkins We are surrounded by wondrous beauty in our everyday lives, but are frequently too busy to fully appreciate what we have. Use drawing and sketching to meditate on the things, places, moments, and people that you are grateful for. Beginners welcome! Supply list included upon confirmation of registration. Class held at the Corbin Art Center, 507 W 7th Avenue. $50

Tues. 4/10-5/1 2-4 pm

Intro to Watercolor Painting & Beyond

4 weeks | Ages 18+ | Megan Perkins Come and learn the basics of watercolor, mixing colors, choosing the right paper, brushes to use, and how to transform a value sketch into a watercolor painting. If you have already taken a watercolor class before, the instructor will help you go on with what you want to accomplish. The instructor will provide photos for you to work from but feel free to bring your own to create your own fabulous works of art. Supply list included upon confirmation of registration. Class held at the Corbin Art Center, 507 W 7th Avenue. $50

Mon. 4/9-4/30 2-4pm

Take a Class with Me

Hello Everyone! 

I can't believe that it is already October! The days are just flying by! I had a great time at Lucky Vintage Fall Festival. Thank you to everyone who stopped by!

A lot of people had questions about whether I teach classes and since I have quite a few coming up this fall, I thought I would share them here. They are all coming up fast so if you want to learn about making art this fall with me check out the Corbin Art Center website.

Intro to Watercolor & Beyond

Ages: 18 Yrs. and over

Fees:
- Fee $69.00

Description: 
6 weeks | Ages 18+ | Dian Zahner Come and learn the basics of watercolor, mixing colors, choosing the right paper, brushes to use, and how to transform a value sketch into a watercolor painting. If you have already taken a watercolor class before, the instructor will help you go on with what you want to accomplish. The instructor will provide photos for you to work off but feel free to bring your own to create your own fabulous works of art. Supply list included with registration confirmation. Class held at the Corbin Art Center, 507 W 7th Avenue. $69 

M          10/9-11/13           2-4pm

Sign up here

Colored Pencil Techniques

Ages: 18 Yrs. and over

Fees:
- Fee $59.00

Description: 
6 weeks | Ages 18+ | Dian Zahner Coloring books for adults are all the craze these days, but what if you want to practice the techniques of layering many colors to produce richer values, texture and depth. The Instructor will provide drawing for you to color and help you with adding shadows and leaving highlights. These colored pencil pieces of art will be so vibrant and 3-dimensional looking that you will want to frame and display proudly. Supply list included with registration confirmation. Class held at the Corbin Art Center, 507 W 7th Avenue. $59 

Th         10/12-11/16         12-2pm
Sign up here

A Creative Habit: Every Day Art

2 weeks | Ages 16+ | Megan Perkins Life is filled with beauty, but often we are too busy to slow down to appreciate it.  Sketching and painting bits of your life like; the view out of your window, your morning coffee mug, or part of your summer vacation.  These are all ways to memorialize little moments in time and bring some creativity and art into your life.  Get tips on drawing and painting parts of your life in a low pressure encouraging environment by making objects and scene sketches part of your day.  Supply list included with registration confirmation.    Class held at the Corbin Art Center, 507 W 7th Avenue.  $39

 W            10/25-11/1           6-8 PM

Sign up here

See my Art in Person!

October is Spokane Art Month and there is a ton of amazing exhibits and events going on! I can't wait to go explore all the amazing things going on in the creative community in Spokane! I am extra pleased to have this painting on display at Terrain October 5-7th at the Jensen-Byrd building! See you all out there!