Hello all!  I made a new artist friend online, Tangerine Meg…and I’d like to share her bright, colorful, fun artwork and attitude with you.  So, here it is without further adieu– 5 questions, asked by me, answered by Tangerine Meg (with illustrations of course!):

1. What prior art education have you had?  How do you feel about art classes/degrees in general?

My parents sent me to children’s art lessons when we first moved to Adelaide – I was 7 years old and I drank it up! I continued at Ruth Tuck’s nurturing, modern influenced drawing and painting classes through all my schooling and as an adult. At some point Ruth asked me to help teach the little kids. I began by emptying the young ones’ paint water, over the years gaining the skill to plan and run classes. Besides that long-term foundational art education, I studied Graphic Design (twice)!

There are many stories of ‘art education’ crushing people’s spirits. I think classes and lessons are good if they are good! For children’s lessons they must be with an experienced children’s teacher, child centred subject matter, and with great quality students materials. I also think that one can also become a good artist in the absence of formal influence if one is obsessed and teaches oneself.

2. Which do you enjoy more: The making of the art (process) or the completion – showing, selling, and sharing your work (end result)?  Why?

Great question! Hard to answer, too… I adore making art, and up to a few years ago I would’ve said without hesitation that the making was my favourite aspect. I’m coming to understand that friendships with like-minded souls are a mutual joy, and that the end result (showing, sharing and selling) lifts both my artist’s soul and my confidence.

3. What has been the best experience you’ve ever had involving your artwork? I made a 1 minute animation of a cut out dragon for a special project in my final year of school, and unexpectedly won a certificate of merit at the screening! What a boost!  And it’s always an honour when someone I like and admire hangs my artwork in their space.

4. How much does your environment play a role in inspiring the forms and colors of your art? Utterly. It’s a 2-way thing, though … I choose the colourful, patterned elements I like to look at for my environment. Just add cats or fresh farmers market produce for extra inspiration!

5. How has being an artist changed your life? It helps keep me both happy and purposeful, and creativity is a great way to process the various juggles of being human. When I got the news that my thyroid was malfunctioning… the only way I could think to process that was to make art: self portrait photos with temporary tattoos of a butterfly on my neck (where the thyroid gland is), then a lino print – and even a short video of the making of that lino print! I also turn to art when I am bubbling with joyful garden imagery or bursting to try out a new colour combination.

Tangerine Meg bio

Hi, I’m Tangerine Meg! Delighted to meet you! My thing is Bold Art for Bold Souls I’d love you to join me… come visit my website and take home free art stuff! There are bright bookmarks and a Reading Girl Bookplate PDF available for download this very moment!