Artist Interview: Meet Megan Hogeman
Who are you?
I am Megan Hogeman, aka @meganhogeman on Instagram
Where are you from?
Harrisburg, Pennyslvania
What is your medium(s) of choice?
I do a healthy mix of alcohol inks, acrylic paints, and mica powders.
How did you get started in your craft?
Well, first I was sharpening my skills at pyrography/woodworking and began to tinker around with creating things out of super random mixed media-type Dollar Store treasures. Then, my super talented, artsy friend Amanda (@mosaicmontage on Insta, omg check her out, her mosaic skills are INSANE!) and I threw these crazy ideas at each other all the time and she had some Art N' Glow resin in her studio that she wanted me to come over to experiment. She quickly showed me the mixing technique, some Josie Lewis videos, and I was IN LOVE with every last drop of it all. Before I knew it, I was ordering by the 2 gallon kit & the rest is history!
If you could give one piece of advice to all up-and-coming artists, what would it be?
Two very important things to always practice is experimentation and just have fun!!! I have made every mistake in the book with undoubtedly, way more to come. Also, my general mantra when it comes to exploring your craft is to just enjoy yourself to the fullest and who cares if you make a mistake. One person's mess up is another person's masterpiece!
Most people in my town have known me as their bartender. I was your friendly neighborhood drink slinger/restaurant manager for about 15 years.
If your art was edible, what do you think it would taste like?
I love this question. Every once in a while, I would playfully make these little resin "gourmet donuts!" I decorate them with little embellishments like resin icing & berries, glitter, real sprinkles, the list goes on....So, I guess I'd have to say it would taste like a 5-Star Hotel Room Service Dessert? Haha!
What is your scariest experience as an artist?
Well, I tend to be a bit accident-prone when I get to crafting. Through a plethora of (no hospitalization needed) puncture wounds and countless burns on my hands and legs, I'd say it was when I almost caught my kitchen on fire. The one and only time I ever experimented with a super cheap, kind of shady brand of resin, as a beginner, I mixed way too much together and did a super large and deep pour. Needless to say, ALWAYS read the instructions, wear your protective gear, research your product and make sure to have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers close by at all times!
Did you ever feel discouraged? How do you work through slumps in creativity?
I've never been discouraged by art. I have been discouraged by being an adult human being, though. Through dark times, I turn to art to help me work through life's crazy obstacle courses that were obviously designed for American Gladiators. I go to my little studio, meaning....the tiny, little outcove in the back of my kitchen, turn on Tycho Radio on Spotify and I disappear into my magical little world that I call my "Happy Place". It absolutely grounds me and I couldn't be more appreciative of the fact that I found this in my life.
What is your dream project?
I'd have to say.....designing and making an entire dream kitchen all resin river table-style. Sounds crazy but, any of you resin obsessors out there would be in heaven!
I'd have to say the best part is being able to express myself in the best way that I know how. I frequently trip over my words but art comes to me very fluidly. I guess the only difficult part is having to charge people money for it! In a perfect world, I would just give it away but, we all know that we haven't discovered money trees yet.
