Artistic Style: I can probably boil it down to flat, graphic shapes, with a heavy emphasis on texture. It
sounds like that could mean anything, but in my previous life, I had a long-standing love
affair with abstraction and monochromatic color, and it’s carried over to my illustration.
Hometown: Holly Springs, and San Francisco, CA.
How long have you lived in Oxford? Roughly eight years.
Early art experience: As a kid, I was always in some kind of art class. But honestly, I was slow to catch onto
the lessons, and I rarely won anything. I did finally win something in highschool with a
piece that went into my college portfolio, and that aligned with the time I started taking
art more seriously.
Favorite visual artists: Joan Mitchell, Roman Muradov, Gizem Vural, Sophie McPike, Sally Mann, Saul Leiter.
Art school? Academy of Art in San Francisco. I graduated in Fine Art, but (technically) have a minor
in Illustration… I’m old, though. If you’re a student considering art school now, it’s a
totally different game. There’s so many free or very affordable resources now that I didn’t
have back then, and I’m so jealous of you guys. These days, I “take” a lot of courses on
Skillshare and Domestika, as well as back other artists on Patreon, so I can learn from
them. Never stop learning!
Favorite book or author: Bunny by Mona Awad, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, Tales of the City by
Armistead Maupin, Just Kids by Patti Smith.
Favorite quote: I’m sure I’ll think of a good one two days from now. I have a lot of favorite swear words,
do those count?
Do you work out of a studio? Nooo.. not anymore, no. I was a gallery artist for several years and that sh*t’s expensive. I still have most of my old supplies and easels around the house, but these days I do
everything on the iPad Pro, or in my sketchbook.
How many hours do you spend in your studio each day? One to two hours per day, unless working on a project. I have a Goodnotes tracker I keep to make sure I do a little every day of the month (trying to compete with myself from month-to-month), but the rule is: even a half-hour is a win – it’s still moving forward.
Most productive hours Any time after my noontime coffee, but for art, it’s often after dinner.
Favorite project you’ve completed: For the past three years, I’ve committed to doing Inktober (an annual art challenge that takes place throughout October), and I LOVE it. It’s so helpful for pushing you to think fast, beyond your comfort zone. I look forward to it every year now.
Three ideas you want to explore in art: Right now, it’s more like “what do you want to do more of?”. I really want to do more life drawing, more storytelling pattern design, and more illustration for articles. But I’m
spreading those goals out across this year – so not everything all at once!
Where can we see some of your art on display? I recently put together a website. You can find it at: www.meganwolfeart.com
Do you have a “day job”? If so, where? My husband and I own a store and deli in Taylor, MS called Offbeat in General. I’m there five-six days a week cashiering and making sandwiches, and I also do remote graphic design work for a logistics company in Memphis. I’m not going to lie, my jobs can be overwhelming in the Spring and Fall, but having my life laid out has let me do art at my own pace without financial pressure… which I wasn’t able to do before.
Favorite music/bands: Mostly jazz: John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and of course, Miles Davis. But I like 90’s rap too.
What are some of your other hobbies? When I have extra time, I like to play indie games on my Steam Deck. Currently, I’m playing Crime Scene Cleaner and Graveyard Keeper.
Where do you hang out in Oxford? For nights out, I’m all about City Grocery Bar, Boure, or The Blind Pig.
Aspirations: I have a few “middle-aged” aspirations like “have a retirement fund”, or “finally landscape
the front of our building”, but for art, I try not to push big goals onto myself. It was toxic
for me in the past. As long as I focus on doing a little every day and I keep learning, I’ll
stumble onto cool projects (like this!).
About the Author
