Meet Megan
The artist and designer behind Summit Shore Creative
I’d like to tell you that I was born with a paintbrush in my hand and have been creating since diapers, but that would just be lying. However, my parents confirmed an early flair for the arts when I was in kindergarten, after discovering my talents for coloring within the lines. So, we’ll count it.
Nowadays, I paint, design, and hand-letter from my home in beautiful Golden, Colorado, where I live with my husband Derrick. We originally hail from New England, and it’s these two contrasting homelands that inspired the name Summit Shore Creative. Both for Derrick’s love (and obsession) of the mountains and my love (and obsession) for the sea.
When I’m not creating, you’ll find Derrick and I exploring the Rocky Mountains on foot, skis, or in our Jeep Wrangler, Eddy. I’m also a new follower of Yoga (on YouTube) and will never say no to a craft beer on a sunny roof-top patio. I value simplicity and am terrible at being too-busy-to-function. If there’s time to relax, you better believe I’ll take it!
It’s called BaLaNcE and it’s a beautiful thing. I believe success is finding it and keeping a firm grip.
The adventure that started it all…
August 6, 2016: Married my high school sweetheart on Peaks Island, ME!
Okay, our wedding WAS an amazing adventure, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I just couldn’t help but share that photo because it features most of what makes my heart happy (and this is an ‘about’ section, after all).
However, the adventure I’m actually talking about started right after we got hitched. And I’d be remiss not to mention such a defining experience as it relates to my life today.
I’m talking about THIS adventure - our round-the-world trip! | Athens, Greece
It was the summer of 2017 and Derrick and I had sold most of our possessions, put the rest in storage, and hit the road for a year of international travel. Yes, we’re Millennials. Moving on…
To save money while traveling, we chose to house/pet sit in exchange for free accommodation around the world. This opportunity led us to beautiful places like British Columbia, Ireland, and Germany, and allowed us to travel for as long as we did. Luckily, I’d brought a watercolor palette with me and started painting portraits of the homes we stayed in as thank you gifts. And holy sh*t I loved it.
My first house portrait, painted for the owners of the Anamcara Homestead (Gaelic for “Soul Friend”) in Donegal, Ireland.
Traveling the world taught me a lot about how I wanted to live my life when we were no longer on the move. It made me realize that nothing was more valuable than freedom of time and that art could no longer be a negotiable in my life. My paintings made me, and the recipients, so undeniably happy that when I returned home it was no longer a matter of if, but how, I’d turn art into a livelihood.
So, I kept painting houses. I used our travels to inspire most of the art you see in my shop (and still do). I watercolored on weekends and started sharing my designs online. I don’t know where this will take me, but I have big goals for Summit Shore Creative and to pursue them is going to be my greatest adventure yet.
If you’re still reading, be sure to connect with me on social media by clicking on the familiar icons below. I promise plenty of painting time-lapses!