Drawing Inspiration from the Figure

Man at the Market by collage artist Megan Coyle
“Man at the Market.” Collage on mat board. 16″x20″
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June 3rd – 26th, 2011
Nicholas Colasanto Center; Alexandria, Virginia
Map and Gallery Info

Opening Reception: Friday, June 3rd
from 7:00 – 10:00p.m.

Megan Coyle’s “Man at the Market” collage was on display at the Del Ray Artisans’ “Drawing Inspiration from the Figure” group exhibition. The collage was made around the same time that Coyle worked on a series of portraits for her Art League solo exhibition.

For years artists have used models to understand proportion, structure, movement and expression of the human figure. These studies have paved the way for intricate and detailed works of art. For the Del Ray Artisans’ June exhibit, artists created works of art that reflected this inspiration that has been drawn from the human form. “Drawing Inspiration from the Figure” featured the work of local artists. It included figure drawings as well as completed works of art in a variety of mediums.

Paper Collage at Krempp Gallery

Here’s the postcard for my Jasper, IN show at Krempp Gallery:

Megan Coyle Paper Collage Exhibit

Front view

Megan Coyle Paper Collage Exhibit
Back view

The show went up on May 4th and will run until the 27th. It includes several of my animal, portrait, landscape, and cityscape collages.

Megan Coyle Krempp Gallery Exhibit

And here’s the Jasper Arts Center where the gallery is located.

Megan Coyle Krempp Gallery Exhibit

Unfortunately, I won’t get a chance to see the exhibition up. I only had time to deliver my artwork before heading back home. Hopefully the gallery director will take a few pictures of the installed exhibit for me.

Anyway, I’m off to begin planning another solo show that’s coming up in July.

Paper Collage

Leisure Day by collage artist Megan Coyle
“Leisure Day.” Collage on paper. 18″x24″
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May 4th – 27th, 2011
Krempp Gallery, Jasper Arts Center
Jasper, Indiana
Map and Gallery Info

Artist Workshop: April 30th, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
More Info

“Paper Collage” was Megan Coyle’s first solo exhibition in the Midwest. The exhibit showcased a variety of Coyle’s collages – including portraits, animal portraits, and landscapes. From scenes depicting everyday life to portraits of animals that were inspired by Coyle’s visits to the National Zoo in DC, the exhibit was a great opportunity to see a wide range of her work in person.

The show shared Coyle’s unique technique of “painting with paper.” It included works that were completed over the past couple of years.

Before the opening of the exhibit, Megan ran her very first “Painting with Paper” Collage Workshop on April 30th, 2011.

“Painting with Paper” Collage Workshop with Megan Coyle

Pelicans by collage artist Megan Coyle
“Pelicans.” Collage on paper. 12″x16″
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Saturday, April 30th, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Jasper Arts Center; Jasper, Indiana
Workshop is for Teens and Adults

Join collage artist Megan Coyle as she discusses different collage techniques. Coyle has worked with paper collage for over eight years. During that time, she has honed a technique that she calls “painting with paper” – where she manipulates magazine strips to create collages that look and feel like paintings.

Megan’s workshop will review several different paper collage techniques, including her “painting with paper” technique. Attendees will also create several small collages. The workshop is a great introduction to collage and will give more experienced collage artists a few tips and ideas.

This event is open to the public and costs $25 per person. You can register by contacting the Jasper Arts Center.

It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, But I Like It!

Megan Coyle's collage art

Yesterday I gallery sat at the Del Ray Artisans’ for their “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, But I Like It!” exhibition. The show features work inspired by musicians, bands, instruments, and anything music-related.

Megan Coyle's collage art

When I arrived at the gallery, I was pleased to see that my “Guitar” collage had sold. A local purchased it during the opening reception about a week ago.

Megan Coyle's collage art

It was dreary outside, but the gallery sure looked great.

Megan Coyle's collage art

And I was especially impressed by a hand-made and functional bass guitar that was on display. Any three-dimensional work I make seems to come out looking flimsy. I’m not accustomed to working that way, and I’m always in awe of those that can do a fine job at making sculptural work.Anyway, I hope everyone has had a lovely week. I had a chance to spend quite a few hours on my children’s book. I’m getting close to finishing it, but still have quite a bit of work ahead of me. I’m definitely looking forward to posting the cover art once it is complete.

It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, But I Like It!

Guitar by collage artist Megan Coyle
“Guitar.”
Collage on mat board. 7″x5″
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April 1st – May 1st, 2011
Nicholas Colasanto Center; Alexandria, Virginia
Map and Gallery Info

Opening Reception: Friday, April 1st from 7:00 – 10:00p.m.

Megan’s still life collage, “Guitar” was on display in the Del Ray Artisans’ “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, But I Like It!” group exhibition. The show was held at the Nicholas Colasanto Center, and featured the work of local artists.

The exhibit focused on the theme of “Rock n’ Roll,” with artwork that depicted bands, musicians, instruments, songs, and other music related imagery. The exhibit was inspired by and paid homage to all things rock n’ roll. Those who had a chance to stop by the exhibit saw numerous works of art, each crafted in a different style with a different interpretation of the topic of rock n’ roll.

Beyond Form: Expressing Art Exhibition

Beyond Form Megan Coyle Exhibition

Yesterday I did some gallery sitting at the Del Ray Artisans’ “Beyond Form: Expressing Art” group exhibition. Two of my latest abstract collages were in it – a non-objective piece and an abstract landscape one.

Beyond Form Megan Coyle Exhibition

The exhibit showcases a variety of abstract artwork done in all different mediums by local artists. The show opened on March 4th and will run until the 27th.

Beyond Form Megan Coyle Exhibition

Above is an image of a section of the gallery space. Yesterday was such a beautiful day – the lighting from outside was shining in through the windows, making the place look all the more beautiful.

And now I’m off to finish up some work for a new section of my website. I’ll add a blog post when everything is up and running.

Beyond Form: Expressing Art

Landscape by collage artist Megan Coyle
“Experiment 2: Landscape.”
Collage on paper. 7″x5″
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March 4th – 27th, 2011
Nicholas Colasanto Center; Alexandria, Virginia
Map and Gallery Info

Opening Reception: Friday, March 4th from 7:00 – 10:00p.m.

Two of Megan’s latest abstract collages, “Abstract Landscape” and “Experiment 1,” were on display in the Del Ray Artisans’ “Beyond Form: Expressing Art” abstract art exhibition. The show was held at the Nicholas Colasanto Center.

The exhibit showcased the abstract artwork of local artists in Alexandria, Virginia. There was a great range of mediums featured in the show, including painting, photography, drawing, and mixed media collage. The work focused on the use of color and form. If you enjoy the expressive qualities of bright and colorful nonobjective artwork, then you would have enjoyed swinging by the Nicholas Colasanto Center to catch the “Beyond Form” exhibition.

Nature’s Human Exhibition

Today the exhibition “Nature’s Human” opened at Eastern Kentucky University’s Giles Gallery. Two of my pieces are currently on display there – “Into the Woods” (pictured above) and “Riverside Loungers” (see below). Both pieces were initially created for one of my solo exhibitions last year – “Stories in Paper.” The artwork in this national juried exhibition comes from a variety of artists and was created from quite a range of materials. All the pieces focus on the theme of humans and nature.

A couple weeks ago I made the trek to Richmond, Kentucky to drop off my collages. I wanted to check out the gallery space and get a feel for the area. I’m glad I did, but I’m also glad I made arrangements to have the work shipped back to me after the show. It was a fairly long trip after all.

I was a little nervous about making the arrangements for shipping since I’m always concerned about the safety of my artwork. My “Nature’s Human” collages are the largest size I currently work in – both are 18″x24″ – and I have never shipped a piece that large before. However, after dropping by the UPS store, buying lots of bubble wrap, and getting a prepaid label that included insurance to cover the value of the collages, I felt a little more comfortable.

Nature’s Human

In the Woods by collage artist Megan Coyle
“In the Woods.” Collage on paper. 18″x24″
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January 24th – February 18th, 2011
Giles Gallery; Richmond, Kentucky
Map and Gallery Info

Opening Reception: January 27th, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

“Into the Woods” and “Riverside Loungers,” two of Megan’s figurative collages, were on display in the EKU Chautauqua National Exhibition “Nature’s Human” in Giles Gallery. Eastern Kentucky University’s Chautauqua Lecture Series and the Department of Art & Design jointly sponsored the juried art exhibition on the theme of humans and nature. Ann Tower, a professional artist in Lexington, was the juror of the exhibit.

The exhibit featured the work of artists around the country and their interpretations of the theme “Nature’s Human.” Megan’s “Into the Woods” and “Riverside Loungers” both feature figures in a natural environment. The fragments of paper used to construct each piece initially came from images of models and natural landscapes in magazines. By cutting up magazine pages, Megan has pulled the pieces of paper away from their original context while creating scenes where the human form and natural landscape are major components of the finished work.