Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Pailin
Hi Megan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Texas born and raised! I’m an Art Education graduate from Texas State University and former middle school art teacher for Bastrop I.S.D. During 2014, while teaching, I was approached by the percussion director to paint a drum head for his personal drum kit. This commission turned into a hobby which eventually became a small business. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to paint for a lot of drummers and musicians worldwide.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been both! I was lucky enough to have had a great connection to the music and drumming world which lead to a lot of artistic opportunities early on. Starting up was the honestly the bumpiest part. I was balancing a full time teaching career with the side hustle of being a commissioned artist. It was time consuming!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in hand painted drum heads which I’ve been creating since 2014. I’m known for being able to paint many different subject matter, however my landscape and star design paintings are the most popular on drum sets.
I work with acrylics mostly; it’s important for the paintings to dry quickly. Sometimes a band will roll through Austin and ask if I can paint a drum head in 24hrs!
I’m most proud of having the opportunity to use my creativity to mix the worlds of visual arts and music. I would have never thought some of the artists/bands I grew up listening to would eventually be asking me to paint for them!
I believe what sets me apart from others is my versatility. Having been an art education student, I had to learn a little bit of everything in order to teach it all properly. Teaching kept me actively drawing, painting, and sculpting 8 hours a day. That built up my skills a lot in a very short amount of time. I’m very thankful for those years.
I’ve also recently been dabbling in the world of murals. Paint big is fun too! I’ve had the opportunity to observe some great muralists, live paint, and personally assist in some murals thanks to local Austin mural company Mural Supply Co.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
A lot of opportunities I had were a mixture of good luck and hard work. The hard work was learning how to be an artist who paints well and is also a business woman. The luck being “people you know” or being in the right place at the right time.
I was born in 88, the Year of the Dragon, apparently we’re lucky.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MeganPailin.com
- Instagram: MeganPailin
- Other: www.meganpailinart.wordpress.com
Image Credits
Kill Tony Show photo- Mike Gonzales
