The Fire Behind The Tears:

Artist Statement

I was raised in a very artistic family, and during my childhood there were plenty of opportunities in the arts all around me.  However, I was a little older when I started taking art seriously, after some life-altering events changed how I viewed everything.

In the summer of 2004, I left Los Angeles to move back home to Ohio, and I entered a treatment facility for an eating disorder.  I had struggled with bulimia since I was a young teenager, and I was finally ready to face it.  I spent 5 weeks at the facility, where the days were filled with group therapy and supervised meals and snacks.  There was a lot of down time, so I carried a sketch book with me where ever I went.  I was constantly drawing and people were starting to notice my work.  It was a great outlet for me. 

After being discharged from the treatment facility, I continued seeing a psychiatrist and was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.  I have experienced manic highs, depressive lows, paranoia, and hallucinations.  Once again I turned to art as an outlet, but this time I was creating brightly colored paintings.  I also began to show my work.  The first art show I participated in was “Function and Expression” at Anderson Creative Studio in Canton, OH.  People around me can look at my art and for the first time be a part of my world.  This makes me feel less isolated and better understood. 

 While many of my paintings deal with the subject of mental illness, my work is also influenced by nature.  Nature is a big part of my spirituality.  One of my favorite memories of my childhood in rural Henry County, OH is watching summer storms roll in from miles away over the wheat, bean, and corn fields that surrounded our little house.  I was in awe of their power.  I also remember playing among irises, daisies, and a lilac bush around my childhood home.  I often paint flowers.  They are how I connect nature, spirituality, and recovery.  Flowers represent growth and beauty; two things I have also found in my recovery from mental illness.

Currently I reside in Perrysburg , Ohio with my husband Jason.  I paint primarily with acrylics because they are really user-friendly and I am too impatient to paint with oil color. I enjoy using bold colors to represent how dramatic life has been with schizoaffective disorder.  My hope is that my paintings and the stories behind them can bring understanding.  I see my art as not just an expression, but also a call for advocacy for others affected by mental illness.

Check out this interview with Megan on the D-Weed Show!

www.donkeyweed.net

December 2009: Megan's work at Art and Soul by Phoebe Gallery in Muncie, IN.

Check out Megan's new Etsy shop!

meganreneerahm.etsy.com

Megan's work at Anderson Creative Studio in Canton, OH.

I hope you enjoy my website!  Please use the tabs to the right to see recent works, review my resume, and to read about upcoming events. Thanks for visiting and please feel free to email me with any inquiries or comments!

-Megan 

Megan in Chicago by her work in Effe Leven Gallery.

Please check out my blog for updates!

thefirebehindthetears.com/blog

I also have a Cafe Press shop where you will find my original abstract artwork featured on products like note cards, T-shirts, hoodies, water bottles, and totes!  Thanks for shopping! www.cafepress.com/meganginter