Megan Seiter: Efflorescence

Megan J Seiter E f f l o r e s c e n c e

Megan J Seiter Efflorescense Dec e m b e r 1 - 14 , 2 0 2 3

Meyer Gallery

225 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.983.1434 www.meyergalleries.com

Megan J Seiter’s dramatic floral drawings represent grace, strength, and beauty with

startling realism and fine detail. Her stately still lifes contain soft layers of colored pencil and pastel, creating depth and vibrancy in a series that symbolizes emergence from darkness and culmination of growth.

“Flowers and fruits are so interesting and individual to me,” says Seiter, whose background in portraiture informs her approach to still life. “They can be charismatic as they change and move according to the light, and seem to have their own personality.”

Seiter’s technical prowess is also on display, as these pieces show dramatic contrast between light and dark along with varied texture and nuanced color. “I infuse many of my still life drawings with the same quiet intimacy that I did in my portraits,” states Seiter. “I’ve discovered that, like people, I can find surprisingly emotive qualities in inanimate objects.”

Seiter’s level of realism allows the viewer to witness the individuality of her subjects, while the emotional impact of the composition inspires personal interpretations. Oceanic, one of the first pieces created in this series, features a purple lily against a completely dark background, giving the flower a transcendent feel. Its stem is curved into a circular form – a universal symbol with many meanings. This composition came through during a time of personal hardship for the artist; for her, it symbolizes finding beauty and hope in darkness.

Originally from Rhode Island, Seiter received her BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, and in 2009 moved to California to pursue her career as an artist. Her primary medium is wax-based colored pencils and pastels, which are often layered with watercolor that adds depth and luminosity to the final work. When asked about her choice to focus solely on floral or botanical subjects rather than return to her initial interest in portraiture, Seiter references a quote she keeps posted in her studio that regularly inspires her: “When you recognize the sacredness, the beauty, the incredible stillness and dignity in which a flower or a tree exists, you add something to the flower or the tree. Through your recognition, your awareness, nature too comes to know itself. It comes to know its own beauty and sacredness through you.” -Eckhart Tolle

Efflo res c e n c e colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

17 x 13

A pple s colo red pen cil a n d p a s t e l

9 x 9

L ily o f th e I n c a s colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

17 x 14

Willo u g h by colo red pen cil, waterco l o r a n d p a s t e l

14.5 x 13

Dah lia colo red pen cil a n d p a s t e l

9 x 9

Han a colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

27 x 13

Ocea n ic colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

24 x 24

Gra c e colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

18 x 13

Jasm in co lored p encil an d p a s t e l

17 x 27

Daph n e co lored p encil an d p a s t e l

20 x 13.5

L ask a colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

20 x 10

A th e n a c o lored p encil, watercol o r a n d p a s t e l

14 x 21

Pem a colo red pen cil and p a s t e l

24 x 11

P r i c e list Efflorescence Apples Lily of the Incas Willoughby Dahlia Hana Oceanic Grace Jasmin Daphne Laska Athena Pema

Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil, Watercolor and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel Colored Pencil, Watercolor and Pastel Colored Pencil and Pastel

17 x 13

$8,100

9x9

$3,400

17 x 14

$7,900

14.5 x 13

$4,100

9x9

$3,400

27 x 13

$8,700

24 x 24

$5,800

18 x 13

$8,100

17 x 27

$9,000

20 x 13.5

$8,800

20 x 10

$6,700

14 x 21

$8,500

24 x 11

$8,500

S a n t a Fe , N M

Est. 1987

Meyer Gallery