Megan is a multi-disciplinary emerging Canadian artist living and working in Glasgow. She creates both functional and non-functional art pieces which draw on her experiences to explore themes of connection, home, and play. Her practice incorporates a range of media, including textiles, ceramics, printmaking, and reclaimed materials, and her passion for learning and creative experimentation means she often combines materials and methods across disciplines. Megan’s style is vibrant and often abstract, with clean lines and bold use of colour. Out of her varied experiences, she has developed a love for collaborative projects and a strong interest in the role creativity can play in community building, mental health, and empowerment. Through her artistic practice, it is her desire to create moments of connection, joy, hope, or curiosity in those that interact with it.

See Megan’s work as part of our annual summer open call exhibition, Melting Point. While days grow long and shorts shorten, Six Foot Gallery is delighted to host twenty nine artists exploring art as an alchemical process; the heat of summer as an artistic catalyst, plus our Sextet listening station is back with twenty-one new pieces for you to spend some quality time with.

Hi Megan! How did your artistic journey start?
I have always loved being creative, and grew up in a home that nourished that in me. When I reached high school however, I gave up art classes because I wasn’t great at drawing or painting and I thought that disqualified me from pursuing art more seriously. Decades went by and I followed other paths, but creativity has always been a constant in my life. Over the years I have taught myself many skills and had many creative opportunities, but after covid I decided to reenter full-time education to study Applied Arts. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made and although I’m still finding my feet, I am grateful to be doing what I love.

How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
Life is rarely straightforward, and is full of unexpected twists and turns. Coming to terms with life’s challenges is what informs a lot of my work, as well as a pursuit of the things I love and value. This piece began as a playful exploration of colour theory and pattern shifting in collage form, followed by a curiosity about how it would translate as a screen print. The title ‘Offset’ simply refers to something being bumped out of alignment or compensating for something else, and so the theme itself is very open-ended but it resonates with me and is one of my favourite prints to date.

Are there specific advantages or challenges associated with working in your chosen mediums? Have you experimented with other mediums or techniques?
Because I work with a wide variety of materials and techniques in my practice, I enjoy being able to select an approach to best suit the project or idea, or to combine methods across disciplines. I absolutely love trying and learning new techniques and so experimentation is a big part of what I do, and is a constant source of inspiration for me. Continual learning, and having different projects to work on concurrently also keeps me motivated and interested in my work.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
I wish to evoke a sense of connection, playfulness, hope, or joy in those that experience my work. Most artists want people to connect with their work in some way and for me, depending on the project, I hope that mine brings a smile, or a sense of encouragement.

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work?
I adore bold colour, pattern, and geometry, especially when found in modernist design, furniture and architecture, or fashion and interiors. I am especially intrigued by other artists that use materials in interesting ways or to evoke a sense of wonder or whimsy, and I find huge inspiration in the vast artistic community online that spans so many forms of creative expression, both traditional and unconventional. More casually, I am influenced by my own everyday interactions with people, the unapologetic colours and shapes of plants and flowers, or found objects that cross my path.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your work or your experiences as an artist?
Starting a new path at any point in life can be very intimidating, but I believe that every experience can finetune your unique voice as an artist, and that there is always plenty to learn no matter where you find yourself. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by an encouraging artistic community, and I hope to be part of continuing that culture that uses art, creative spaces, and opportunities to lift each other up and to make space for positive connection. Thank you to those that continue to do this for me and for others.

Find out more about Megan’s work on Instagram. Melting Point runs at Six Foot Gallery until Thursday 9th July.