About

Artist Statement

One of my professors moved to the United States from China when he was a child. He had trouble learning the language and being in a place he didn't understand. He told us it was only after he took a visit to an art museum in his new country that he found that he did understand after all. As humans, we are all connected in our humanness. Visually we can understand some things that are inexpressible through words. Here is a feeble attempt to translate my work into words:

 Everything in this life will eventually wear out, break, or fall apart from being used, forced, or aged. I believe there is something beautiful, even magical, in that. When all the physical has withered away, what is left? What is the measure of the experience? What would youth be without aging? Where would joy be without the pain? And hope without despair? Life’s oppositions support the value of their counterparts–without one, the opposite ceases to exist, and the value also diminishes with it. 

I explore these themes in my work by painting and drawing people, places, and things in the realism style in worn or broken settings. I focus on the beauty these hold in an interplay of opposites in my technique: smooth and rough textures, the portrayal of worn and new, lights against darks, and shimmer amongst muted colors in cooperation to create a scene for the viewer to contemplate: What holds real value and why?

Resilience. Finding meaning in all things. Gradually, building the foundation that gets me through everything imaginable. That's what I am. It's what I was yesterday, but I didn't know it. I was afraid. It hurt. I thought I wouldn't get through. But then I did. That's what I am. And that's why I am what I am. It's the path and its intrinsic value that I didn't see before. But if I saw it then, it wouldn't be. And the hard that was yesterday's hard isn't the same as today's hard. It's the juxtapose of pain and joy culminating into what should be. I heard in a dream once that everything is as it should be–that life is to be enjoyed, not to be frustrated with. This is my house and work of resilience.

Artist Bio

Megan Schaugaard grew up in Northern Utah on a farm. She relished the time as a child with the freedom of space around her to explore, watching the sheep graze, finding kittens in the hay barn, and building forts in the abandoned garden. When she wasn't exploring, she could be found capturing the scenes around her with a pencil and paper and would often lose track of time just drawing.

She grew up in a family without much financial stability, but it was the grounds for which she learned to create. She admired watching her mother sew–making something new out of small pieces–the magic of making something exist. Megan still loves this concept today and finds joy in many creative outlets. 

She and her husband graduated from Utah Tech University in 2008 with their first child on the way. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies: Art and English. While attending Utah Tech University, she learned to love oil painting, studying under Del Parson. After graduating, she was a stay-at-home mom to her children while pursuing photography as a side job and painting in her spare time.

The family moved to Northern Utah in 2017 for her husband to pursue an MBA from the University of Utah. She started to paint more and became familiar with the community of artists in the area. After her husband's program, they moved back to St. George, UT, and she started teaching art as an adjunct at Utah Tech University. 

When their youngest was old enough to be in school full day, Megan explored the idea of taking a more serious study of art. Her specific interests compelled her to apply to the New York Academy of Art because of its intense focus on technical skills and figurative work. Her husband worked remotely, enabling the whole family to head to NYC if accepted. She was accepted into the program, but then COVID hit. Classes would still be in session and extra precautions taken by the academy with smaller class sizes, etc. After much contemplation, she decided to head to NYC alone and travel home when able to. It proved to be more difficult to travel than expected, and she cherished those moments when she did get to see her family. 

After some hard work and tears from being away from her family, she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art in 2022 and reunited with her husband and 3 kids in St. George, UT. Together, they love spending time outdoors and working on the next new project for their home.

She is involved in the art community in St. George and frequently shows her work in shows locally as well as across the nation. You can see her work in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Realism Today, in numerous collections, including that of the Lunar Codex (being sent to the moon) and the collection of Brooke Shields.

Read Megan's story of pursuing an MFA in NYC during COVID HERE.

Summarized Artist CV