About Meg
What I Paint
I’m Meg Davies, an artist based in central Virginia and I paint the simple moments of everyday life - the details that are easily missed in our busy lives. I use contour lines, graphic shapes, and an earthy palette to portray the day-to-day as memorable.
If we let it…
Noticing an open field while running errands can turn into a serene landscape painting. Sharing in the marvel of bugs, rocks, and flowers that my kids collect can turn into nature illustrations. If we let it, we can see so much beauty in the everyday and find there’s so much in life worth appreciating.
I draw and paint as a way to hold onto what I’m grateful for, and – in the process – hope it gives others the same joy.
Where It Started
I come from a family of artists and creatives, and was exposed early on to a multitude of art forms.
My grandmother is an artist and I grew up with access to her home studio, professional materials, and a wide range of mediums early on. My grandfather worked at a local paint store and would occasionally bring me mis-tinted paint or expired wallpaper samples that were destined for the trash. To this day, I still use acrylic house paint as my main medium.
My mom is a singer-songwriter, and kept me stocked in supplies and inspiration at home. She encouraged me to make my own coloring books rather than buying them, bought me puff-paint and plain clothing so I could design my own attire, brought home cardboard boxes for me to build cities, and incorporated music into my life making sure I knew how to play the piano. She always let me know that it was possible to pursue the arts as a profession, regardless of the stereotype the world had.
While not artists, my dad and brother both play music beautifully in their spare time and, too, have encouraged my love of the arts.
Training and Work
I believe that training for a life as an artist looks different for everyone. While I don’t think an art degree is essential for pursuing a career in the arts, I am grateful for the opportunity to have received mine from James Madison University. If I could go back in time, I would do it again – however, I would tell my younger self to take business classes. (And I strongly suggest that to any aspiring young artist!)
Prior to starting my own business, I always worked under the arts umbrella. Through high school and college, I worked as a seamstress and design assistant at a children’s clothing company. After graduating from JMU, I traveled the world using my photography and art to share other people’s stories. Upon settling back in the US, I worked as an exhibit artist and designer at a children’s museum, eventually becoming a museum curator.
Every job has kept me close to making, storytelling, and building things by hand.
Why I Started the Business
I started my business in 2018. At the time, I was a single parent and I needed flexibility that traditional work wasn’t giving me.
I’m grateful to have started the business when I did, as a foundation was already laid when the pandemic hit. Though small and local, my established client-base carried my business (and consequently, my family) through those times. Not only was I grateful for them, but pleased to hear that so many fellow artists experienced an up-tick in business as people spent more time curating their houses into homes. It is a true testament to the importance of art in our lives.
Running this business and being able to create on a regular basis has truly made me a better person. I want my kids to see me in this way – in the healthiest version of myself that I can be – and I want them to know that they, too, can build the life they see for themselves.
Studio Life Now
I currently create from an in-home studio in Gordonsville, Virginia. Work is a bit slower these days with my two-year-old daughter at home, but I’m deeply thankful for this season (as I know it is fleeting). I am happily creating in the down time before this phase ends and I’m back to a fuller studio schedule.
I hope my art and approach to creating helps people slow down, notice what they too often miss, see beauty in the mundane, and hold onto the moments that matter.