NAME: Meg Morrow-Rainwater
LOCATION: Austin, TX
Sum up your creative process in one word/phrase, and explain why.
Evolving. As I change as a person, the way I express myself also changes. I experiment with different artistic mediums the same way I experiment with what God gives me on a day to day basis.
Were you always an artist, even as a child? What was your path to becoming an artist?
Yes, I was always an artist. My older brother once told me ever since the day they busted out markers/crayons in preschool I never seemed to stop creating. My brain works quickly picking up patterns and details that a lot of folks probably don’t notice/or can ignore. I on the other hand have always been very sensitive to my surroundings and I like to express what I sense through the art that I make. I always excelled in art class while in primary school and decided to go to design college to get a “marketable” art degree in Visual Communication Design. But the month after I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in design I decided what I really wanted to do was have my first solo painting exhibit. So I painted 22 paintings, wrote 22 accompanying poems for each painting, built an installation, and made a video for a solo show all in one year. I sold my first painting at that show, and the rest is history!
What is your medium of choice and what drew you to this particular medium?
I am a mixed-media artist who uses spray paint, watercolor, gouache, color pencils, markers, acrylic and oil paint, magazine/paper collage, and various inks and powders. I started experimenting with a mix of media about 5 years ago and realized that I could express myself more clearly by using multiple media at the same time and it also added lots of interesting shapes and textures. It’s all about them colors and textures for me!
Is there any particular experience, person, place or thing that inspires you to create? Tell us about that.
My biggest inspiration is God Almighty! He has blessed me with all these gifts and I find great joy in expressing myself with my hands. I have a line of work coming out sometime in the future that is inspired by all the rich imagery I have discovered while deeply reading through the Bible this past year.
What is it like showing your work to people and what do you hope people take away from it?
It is really interesting showing my work to people and seeing how they interact with it and answering the questions they have about my process and techniques. I hope that people experience joy and curiosity while looking at my work since those are the two emotions I enjoy experiencing the most!
What did winning the Award for Excellence mean to you?
I was really shocked and honored that I won the Award of Excellence! It caught me off guard, I wasn’t expecting it! I enjoy having my award on display in my art studio for my guests to see.
What advice do you have for other artists who may be looking to get their work exhibited?
I would suggest getting a large body of work together, just crank out the work for days and months and then figure out the pieces you like best. Maybe choose pieces that all seem to carry the same central theme. Lay them out in front of you and see how they all look side by side. Also make sure to get yourself some business cards made and even some high-quality prints made since a lot of folks might not be able to afford your original pieces but love your work and wouldn’t mind spending $20 to take a print home with them.
