Artist Megan Moore Paints Deep
The serene tree-and-moon image that graces the cover of the new issue of MOQ was painted by Minneapolis artist Megan Moore, who grew up in the winter-deprived South. She moved to Minnesota just over six years ago to join the man she has since married. Moore studied illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. You can see more of Moore’s artwork on her Web site, www.meganmoore.com, and by visiting Studiopolis, the studio she shares with other artists in the Northrup King Building (studio 423), on the first Thursday evening of each month.
Please tell us about our cover image.
Winter Tree is one of the first paintings I did after moving to Minneapolis. I lived very close to Lake Calhoun at that time. It’s an oil painting on canvas. When I paint on canvas, I like to use a deep, or thick, canvas and have the image continue around the sides, a detail that is lost when viewing a reproduction. I like that it is something you only know if you see the original. This piece sold a few years ago, but it’s one of my most popular prints.
It appears that you do a lot of book illustration.
I typically do a couple freelance illustration projects each year. I have done one complete childrens’ book, Count Your Way through Afghanistan. I’ve also done some spot illustrations for books and magazines. I work four days a week doing graphic production for Minnesota Public Radio. I devote my extra time to my artwork and doing art fairs. I take illustration projects that come my way but have not been devoting much time to seeking them out. I hope to move more in that direction over the next couple of years.
What is your preferred medium to work in and why?
I work in acrylic and oil paints. Acrylic is great for illustration work because it is very efficient — dries quickly and is easy to clean up. I like using oils for projects that I have a longer time frame to work on. The colors seem to have a richness that I don’t find with acrylics.
Do you have any upcoming shows this winter?
Winter is the quiet season for art fairs. I try to use that time to get new work done and increase my inventory for shows throughout the summer and fall. Probably my first show of the year will be Art-a-Whirl, which is in May.
