Profile

Megan Eckman is an illustrator and writer of children’s stories. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, she subsequently moved to flatter and flatter places, ultimately ending in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she received her BA in art and creative writing from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2009. She currently resides in Fargo, North Dakota, where she runs a freelance business, Studio M.M.E., which sells prints and originals of her work. She also writes freelance for the High Plains Reader, a local alternative newspaper, and such national magazines as Backpacker, MN Trails, and North Dakota Horizons. In her free time, she reads children’s fantasy books and explores the photographic possibilities of antique cameras.

Awards

Cross Pen 2008 Pen and Ink Contest: judged by members of the Solomon R. Guggenheim, MoMA, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the Danziger Projects Gallery, 1st place for “Flight of the Crane” to be used for marketing purposes

Shows

Annual Juried Show, George Bowes as guest juror: MSUM gallery, 2009

Reflections: Minnesota Center for Book Arts, 2009

AOPX, T.L. Solien as guest juror: Plains Art Museum, 2008-2009

Give Way Scotland 2008: MSUM gallery, 2008

The Big Art Show 2: Hjemkompst Interpretive Center, 2008

Drawing Guild, myself as guest curator: Plains Art Museum, 2008

Studio M.M.E. Illustrations - Profile

Pens I Use

Rapidograph: I took me years to move up to these pens. They are, to me, the best technical pens on the market right now. They don’t clog, drip, or dry up. They are also refillable, which is always convenient. Most of my pieces were made using Rapidograph pens on high-quality Bristol paper. The variety of sizes offers a lot of different line types. The ink is acid-free, light-safe, and archival-safe.

Zigg: These pens are nice for smaller pieces, since they are not refillable. They draw with a consistent line and are fairly inexpensive, compared to the Rapidograph pens. You can find them at any craft store. They come in a variety of colors and are acid-free, light-safe, and archival-safe.

Artist Statement

Imbued with Old World style, my pen and ink illustrations narrate my own tales as well as classic European fairy tales. A sense of humor and an eye for detail lightens the otherwise densely cross-hatched pieces I create. I give the viewer something to find in each and every one, whether it be the Van Gogh painting on the wall or the spinning wheel beside Sleeping Beauty. The Victorian and Edwardian periods continue to fascinate me with their outlandish outfits and moral rigidity. Using the traditional black and white medium of that time, I feel a connection to that time period, although I certainly don’t feel a need for the wardrobe.