Excited to hold our office open again on First Friday May the 5th!
Please join us as we celebrate the night in our new downtown office and come meet our featured artist. You can purchase her works. We’ll have refreshments, swag, and friendly faces.
Stop by our Downtown Bend office to see some amazing art by Megan Marie Myers!
Megan Marie Myers
WEST + MAIN HOMES
750 NW Lava Rd. Bend, OR 97703
5.5.2023, 5-8pm
Meet Megan!
I am a painter, illustrator, and native Oregonian. My favorite projects are inspired by the outdoors and the connection we have to our natural surroundings and to each other.
My vision for my artwork is to cultivate connection between all people and nature through art.
A few of my clients include: Hydro Flask, Outdoor Ukulele, Mt. Bachelor, Visit Bend, Summit Medical Group, 1859 Oregon's Magazine, and Vooks.
Learn more about Megan in our Q+A!
What is your studio like? Where do you create?
My studio is walking distance from downtown Bend and it is in my yard across from the house. It was formerly a spider-filled toolshed! But we upgraded it before I moved in, so it’s got a nice north-facing window, lights, drywall, plenty of shelving, and a heater for the winter. It’s not beautiful; nothing like what you would see on Pinterest! It’s pretty bare-bones and definitely a work space. Paint is all over the floor. All the fixtures are hand-built and unfinished. I’ve got an area dedicated to shipping, and I have a large plywood easel for my big paintings. My splurge on the studio was a dutch door, which I painted teal, so in the summer, I can swing the top of the door open and get a nice breeze.
What makes Bend’s economy work for you to set up shop here?
At the time, I don’t think I fully realized what an ideal time it was to start working on something like this in Bend. I personally feel like there are a number of contributing factors to why the work has done well here so far. First, Bend residents LOVE living here and are very proud of our city, our outdoors, our people, and our active lifestyle. Residents seem to be very intentional about supporting local businesses and artists; they love to see work that reflects the unique qualities we love about this place. I felt like the most important thing I could do for my life and my business in Bend was to make connections as a resident sharing the values of my community. I spent a lot of time making artwork that was inspired specifically by places in Central Oregon. I listened to people when they’d tell me why they loved living here and I listened to myself about why I loved it here. These sentiments became the heart of my work. For me, making art is about connection, so in a lot of ways, I just think it hit a nerve because people who choose to live here all want to feel a connection to place, nature, and each other in this tight-knit community.
Your art is very nature oriented. What inspires that?
When I’m not making artwork, I’m trail running, hiking, camping, or just staring up at the trees. The work is nature oriented because that is where I feel most at home, most exhilarated, and most inspired. And actually, I would say that while the work is nature-oriented, it is foremost about relationships: our relationships to nature, our relationships to each other, and our relationships to ourselves. That’s why I don’t typically paint landscapes alone; there are always characters in my work. By including them, a relationship is created. The characters function as our guides into the natural settings and I think that’s what makes the work feel approachable. So, I wouldn’t say that my initial intent was to find a hole in the market. It might have been something I stumbled into just from listening to people and what spiritually fills them up. It’s been really cool to find that it’s resonating and I feel like the sentiment of the work sort of compliments the outdoor industry in an interesting way and it’s starting to get recognized for that a bit. Like, the idea that being an outdoors-(wo)man isn’t necessarily just about being a badass or winning races or whatever. It’s about doing something that fills your heart and connects you to the natural world and your community. Whenever I get a chance to collaborate with the outdoor industry to help build the connections between people and place, I’m always excited for the opportunity. Zooming out, I also really hope that my work can do a small part to build healthy relationships between people and nature. If the work does anything to help create reverence for our planet, it may encourage each of us to do what we can to preserve and protect it..
Do you have a day job or is your art your full time work now?
It’s full time. Haha – beyond full time. And I can’t remember how I ever did it without putting in so many hours. But creating art is only half of the work and running the business is the other half; sometimes more. There is ALWAYS stuff to do. The last few years have been a real lesson in trying to find balance between creating, business, and having a life and staying healthy. I just hired a part time employee this year which has made an indescribable difference. I’ve also taken some important time to read more business books and learn more about workflow, which has helped a lot.
Do you have words of wisdom you would like to share with aspiring artists ?
When I was in school, it never occurred to me that if you decided to make art for a living, then it is a business. And you need to know about business just as much, or more, than you know about art. That said, foremost, I would advise anyone starting out to take business classes alongside your art classes if you’re serious about making a living at it. I can’t believe that business classes aren’t required in an art program. There is nothing wrong with making art as a side-gig or hobby, but if you want to go full time with it – learn everything you can about business and know that at least half of your time will not be creating. A harsh reality! But don’t get down on the business side, because it is SO fulfilling and you get so many friends along the way. I would also encourage aspiring artists to have mentors. And collaborate as often as you can with other artists or businesses. Connect with other creative entrepreneurs (in person, not just online!) and talk openly about your struggles, triumphs, and be generous in sharing information. We can learn a lot from each other. Every huge leap I’ve made in my business was because another generous business owner shared their knowledge with me. And of course, cheer others on in your community and in your industry; a rising tide lifts all boats.
Some questions were originally shared in an interview on Southern Oregon Business Journal here
If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Greg Fischer at greg@westandmainoregon.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!
