This Is My Self’s Song A Portfolio of Paintings
Meghan Sullivan
Copyright Notice All images appearing in This is My Self’s Song, A Portolio of Paintings are the exclusive property of Meghan Sullivan and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without written permission. All rights reserved. All images are copyrighted Š 2008 - 2014 Meghan Sullivan.
This Is My Self’s Song
A Portfolio of Paintings by Meghan Sullivan
This Is My Self’s Song
Biography Meghan Sullivan was born and raised in Sacramento, California but has lived throughout the state and even in Rhode Island. Meghan began her career as a scientist. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2003, and a Masters in Environmental Science and Management from the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2008. After leaving Santa Barbara, Meghan moved to Rhode Island and began her first forays into art studies by taking classes at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. Upon her return to California, she continued to explore new subjects like Applied Arts at Sierra College. Despite working primarily within the realm of environmental policy, Meghan has still managed to pursue her creative interests and has exhibited in the SMUD Art Gallery and the Woods-Gerry Gallery. Meghan continually pursues a variety of creative endeavors and maintains involvement in the artistic community through regularly volunteering at the Crocker Art Museum and belonging to several art organizations and galleries in the region. iii
“I exist as I am, that is enough.” Walt Whitman
‘Song of Myself’
from Leaves of Grass
iv
Table of Contents Biography iii Preface iv Artist Statement
1
Selected Works Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life
3
On the Beach Alone at Night
4
Hawaiian View
7
Nevermore 8 Sun 9 Space 10 Mandala 12 Iron Heinrich
17
Curriculum Vitae
19
“I will therefore let flame from me the burning fires that were threatening to consume me.” Walt Whitman ‘Starting from Paumanok’ from Leaves of Grass
Artist Statement I’ve been drawn to and inspired by the works of Walt Whitman before I even consciously realized it. Growing up, I loved the movie With Honors. It wasn’t until more recently that I consciously connected the dots and realized the things I loved most about that movie were either references to Whitman’s life or dialog drawn directly from his texts. Over time, I’ve discovered that on any given day I can find a line within Whitman’s texts which relates how I am feeling or what I am experiencing. Perhaps it is no surprise that a man who wrote freely about nature, the environment, and his own place within and relationship to the natural world inspired me to step away from my scientific background and choose art. I have spent a career working with science, natural ecology and environmental policy, but I’ve found it no longer fulfills my soul the way I need it to. As a result, I began exploring my creative side to soothe the ‘burning fires’ in my soul. And now I choose art. My scientific background and my fascination with Walt Whitman play a role in the art I choose to create. My art frequently explores the intersection of the written word with visual imagery; I am stimulated by words, whether they are lyrics to a song or prose from literature. My art attempts to bridge the gaps between different mediums to tell stories and capture emotions or moments in time.
S
ea-lettuce, vast lichens, strange flowers and seeds, the thick tangle, openings, and pink turf
D
ifferent colors, pale gray and green, purple, white, and gold, the play of light through the water, With these lines of Walt Whitman’s, I can’t help but envision the sea floor and the variety of creatures and the multitude of colors and I want to share a representation of that imagery with the world. I relish in the experience of mixing the acrylic paints to just the right value and hue and feel an immediate sense of peace pulling the perfect shade of paint across a large canvas with a brush. I tend to mix various mediums – heavy gels, pouring mediums, modeling paste, natural sand – to get just the right texture to enhance the visual representation as well as the sensory experience. Occasionally, when I want to highlight a specific text, I will work in mixed media layering acrylics with printed paper and other materials to emphasize the spirit of the work or simply to just share beautiful writing in concert with analogous imagery. Through my work, I attempt to relate a story that captures both the literal imagery and the figurative experience of universal emotions, particularly as those emotions relate to the natural world.
This Is My Self’s Song
po·et \’pō-ət\ n 1. a writer of poetry 2. a creative artisit of great imaginative and expressive gifts and special sensitivity to the medium [Old French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poiētēs “maker, poet”, from poiein “to make, create”]
2
Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life, mixed media on canvas, 11 x 14 inches, 2014
Meghan Sullivan
3
This Is My Self’s Song
On the Beach Alone At Night, mixed media on canvas, 11 x 14 inches, 2014 4
Meghan Sullivan
Walt Whitman (1819- 1892) was an American poet whose quintessential life’s work, Leaves of Grass, grew and changed over time as his own experiences shaped him. Whitman’s work frequently generated controversy and publicity for its frank discussion of various topics, including sexuality and politics. But Whitman’s work is also an honest examination of life and death, nature and humanity. Ebb’ d with the Ocean of Life and On the Beach Alone at Night are samples from a body of work inspired directly by his words.
5
This Is My Self’s Song
be·gin·ning \bi-giniNG\ n, adj noun: beginning; plural noun: beginnings 1. the point in time or space at which something starts <he left at the beginning of February> 2. the first part or earliest stage of something <the ending of one relationship and the beginning of another> adjective: beginning 1. new or inexperienced <a beginning gardener> 2. introductory or elementary <the beginning guitar class>
Hawaiian View, acrylic on canvas board, 8 x 10 inches, 2010 6
This Is My Selfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Song
Nevermore, acrylic on canvas board, 8 x 10 inches, 2010 8
Meghan Sullivan
An artist must begin their journey somewhere. These pieces represent the beginning of my journey as an artist and the first times I experienced the pure joy and release of applying paint to canvas.
Sun, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches, 2008 9
This Is My Self’s Song
10
Meghan Sullivan
Space, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, 2008 11
This Is My Self’s Song
12
Meghan Sullivan
man•da•la \’mand ələ, ‘mən-\ n 1. a geometric figure, usually circular, representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism 2. a symbol representing the effort to reunify the self
Mandala, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2013 13
This Is My Selfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Song
Mandalas have been used for centuries as explorations of the self and as aids in meditative practices. As such, this piece was designed to capture three distinct aspects through symbolic representation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; seasonal color schemes; the four basic elements (earth, air, fire, and water); and a central focus to unify myself and my spirit. The animals (Octopus, Owl, Shark, and Raven) depicted at the corners of Mandala are representations with symbolic meaning to my self and my spirit.
14
Details from Mandala, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2013
Meghan Sullivan
15
This Is My Self’s Song
fairy tale n 1. a simple children’s story about supernatural beings – also called a fairy story 2. a made-up story usually meant to mislead
Each of us is probably intimately familiar with at least one common fairy tale. Fairy tales have been shared and adapted to all mediums many times over. The tales are told so frequently we assume we know all there is to know about them. And yet, there are elements to almost every story that are not so common. Iron Heinrich is the first in a series of paintings highlighting lesser known aspects of widely told fairy tales. While everyone knows the story of the frog transformed back into a royal via a kiss, not everyone is aware of the Frog King’s faithful servant, Heinrich. Heinrich had three iron bands placed around his heart “to stop if bursting from grief ” when he learned his master had been transformed into a frog.
16
Iron Heinrich, mixed media on canvas, 16 x 20 inches, 2014
Meghan Sullivan
17
This Is My Self’s Song
18
Curriculum Vitae Meghan Sullivan, (b. 1981, California)
hello@mesu lli.com | www.mesu lli.com | 916.365.2879
Education
2015 (pending)
Cert of Achievement in Applied Art & Design Illustration, Sierra College, Rocklin, California
2014 (pending)
Cert of Achievement in Applied Art & Design Multimedia, Sierra College, Rocklin, California
2008
Masters of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara
2003
BS in Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz
2003
BA in Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
2009
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Selected Exhibtions
2014
SolArt, SMUD Art Gallery, Sacramento, California
2009
Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, Rhode Island
Related Experience
2010 - Present
Volunteer at Crocker Art Museum
Awards
1999
UC Regent Scholar
2006
James S. Bower Foundation Fellowship
Memberships
Blue Line Arts Crocker Art Museum Monterey Bay Aquarium Verge Center for the Arts
19