MEG RICKS

Artist Statement

 

 

My studio is my playroom, my laboratory and my office. While I am best known
for abstract and expressive landscapes, curiosity and challenge lead me to explore
portraits and still life—whatever captures my eye.
The landscapes I paint I blend realism and abstraction as I try to capture the feeling
of a place at a specific moment. It delights me when others resonate with my
pieces, not just recognizing a view but feeling a shared human connection with
nature’s moods, whether serene or wild.
Currently split between the sun-drenched coasts of California and the scenic hills
of Massachusetts, I find inspiration in every corner. My recent three months in
Paris at the Ecole de Beaux Arts and my time painting in the south of France have
deepened my craft.
With a heritage rooted in conservation—my great-grandfather founded the Trustees
of Reservations—I am dedicated to preserving open spaces. In Santa Barbara, I
collaborate with SCAPE (Southern California Artists Painting for the
Environment) to protect our beautiful landscapes. Living on the Central Coast,
where nature and art intertwine, is a daily joy. My studio embraces the outdoors,
allowing me to create amidst the splendor of the world around me, fostering a
profound connection between art, nature, and the human experience.

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Bio

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Also known as Peggy, full name Margaret, Meg has enjoyed drawing, painting and exploring art history since childhood.  She was lucky to have great art teachers in school and college, where she studied with Joe Stefanelli, an abstract expressionist who taught her figure painting.  A lifelong student of the arts, she most recently took courses at the hallowed Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.  Meg is known primarily for abstracted and expressive landscapes, in pastels, oils and acrylics.

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Awards:

Recent awards include Westmont Tri County Show 2nd honorable mention prize for "Unveiled", juror Robin Ely, 2nd prize for "in H. F's Studio", juror: Susan Bush of Sullivan Goss, Juror's Purchase Award for "Violets", Juror Nancy Giffords, Juror's Choice for "Cliffs at Sunrise", with Marcia Burtt juror, for "Worship" with RIck Stich, juror, and for Eric Merrill awarded her honorable mention for "Sunrise Cliffs" at the Wilding Museum show in 2016.  "Nojoqui Trickle" with David Gallup, juror 2014 as well as numerous Jurors Choice awards with the Goleta Valley Art Association.  Eric Merril awarded her honorable mention for "Sunrise Cliffs" at the Wilding museum show in 2016.

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Shows:

Meg takes part in a few group shows a year in Santa Barbara and Massachusetts, New York and New Hampshire.  In recent years, she has had solo shows at the Faulkner Gallery East, and the Goleta Library.

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Current solo shows include "Two Rivieras: France and Santa Barbara", at the University Club, Santa Barbara, Green Room, and "Landscapes: Endangered and Preserved", at Galerie Martineau, Montague Center, Massachusetts.

Her Paintings are in collections in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

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Memberships:

Meg has served as board member and officer at the Abstract Art Collective, SCAPE (Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment) and is a member of the Mesa Artists Studio Tour, THe Goleta Valley Art Association and Carpinteria Plein Air Painters.