Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Gregg.
Hi Meagan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember, but my professional journey really began while I was studying painting at George Mason University. I graduated in 2015 with a BFA and a concentration in painting, and after college I continued exhibiting my work while building a small art business on the side.
In 2018, I officially started taking commissioned oil paintings, primarily creating pet portraits and artwork for people’s homes. Then I became a mom—and, like so many parts of life after having children, my creative process changed, too. Oil painting requires a little more time and space than I often had with a baby and toddler around, so I began working almost exclusively in watercolor. What started as a practical change to keep creating ended up opening an entirely new chapter of my art.
Over the years, my work has expanded into custom home and pet paintings, wedding and event artwork, invitations, signage, and especially signature drink signs. I love that custom work allows me to create something that is connected to a person’s story, whether it is their home, their family, their wedding day, or a little detail from an important celebration.
At the same time, my faith has become increasingly central to both my family life and my artistic direction. I’m Catholic, and I’ve been feeling a strong pull toward creating more Catholic-inspired artwork—pieces that incorporate faith and symbolism in a beautiful, approachable way. I’m also slowly finding my way back to oil painting, which feels a little like returning to an old friend after a long time apart. I still love watercolor and plan to continue offering it, but I’m excited to see where this next chapter of my painting takes me.
My newest creative adventure actually came through homeschooling my children. Leading up to the beginning of my homeschooling journey, I started creating weekly plans, activities, crafts, faith-based lessons, and other resources for our own family. Eventually, I realized that other families might find those ideas helpful, too, and began turning some of them into homeschool guides. It has been such a fun way to combine my background in art and education with motherhood and my Catholic faith.
Today, Meagan Rose Design is really a reflection of all of those pieces of my life coming together—art, faith, family, creativity, and the beauty of everyday life. I’m still figuring out exactly what this next chapter will look like, but that’s part of what I love about being an artist. The work gets to grow and change as I do.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s always a struggle, but when you love something so much, you just can’t give up on it. There had been times where I just felt like my art was worthless and that it was causing more of a financial hurdle than anything else and I considered closing my business and just keeping my art as a hobby. But then I would get the commission request that feels like a reset button that I didn’t realize I needed.
My husband had a few job losses over the years (primarily due to current events), and that pushed me to market my art more. While sometimes it worked, other times it felt so forced that I felt like I wasn’t authentic in my artwork like I should be.
Time management has always been the hardest part of my business. I’m a full-time mom, and now homeschooling my kids, so finding the time to sit down and do art without my kids accidentally spilling paint on my piece, or them getting into the pantry without me seeing because I have to hide in a different room, just didn’t seem practical. So I was left to doing artwork at night… if I’m not too tired or busy tidying up the house. It’s the season of life that I’m in, but I’m starting to figure things out.
Thankfully, I was asked to be the art teacher for the homeschool group with my church and that has allowed me to make time during the day to be more creative with my kids with a focus. This has also allowed me to give myself permission to do my art and invite my kids to do art with me. This has really helped and I love having little cheerleaders by my side and complimenting me on my latest commission.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a fine artist and designer specializing in watercolor and oil painting, custom artwork, and creative resources. I create original pieces for homes and families, including house paintings, pet portraits, event artwork, and signature drink signs, while increasingly focusing my fine-art practice on Catholic-inspired work.
My background is primarily in painting, and after several years of working mostly in watercolor, I’m now gradually returning to oil painting while continuing to offer watercolor and custom pieces. I love creating artwork that feels personal, meaningful, and beautiful enough to become part of someone’s everyday life.
More recently, I’ve also started creating homeschool guides inspired by my own experience homeschooling my children. These combine my love of art, education, creativity, and faith in a way that is very different from my original work.
I think what sets me apart is that my work has grown organically alongside my life. My art isn’t separate from who I am as a mother, a Catholic, and a homeschooler—it’s shaped by all of those things. I’m especially proud of building a creative business that has allowed me to keep making art through different seasons of motherhood while continually finding new ways to use my creativity.
My goal is ultimately to create things that add a little more beauty, meaning, and joy to everyday life—whether that’s through a painting hanging in someone’s home, a custom piece celebrating an important occasion, or a resource helping another family create something meaningful together.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest piece of advice is to keep going and to create what genuinely inspires you, rather than trying to replicate what everyone else is doing. It can be really easy, especially with social media, to look at what seems to be working for other artists and feel like you need to follow the same path. But I’ve found that the work that feels the most authentic to me is the work I’m most excited to keep creating.
Something I wish I had known when I was starting out is how to properly price my artwork—and, more importantly, not to be afraid to charge what my work is worth. I think a lot of artists struggle with putting a dollar value on something that is so personal and creative. I’m still learning that one myself! But I wish I had understood earlier that pricing isn’t just about the materials; it also reflects your time, experience, skill, and the years you’ve spent developing your craft.
Pricing:
- 5×7″ Watercolor: $125
- 8×10″ Watercolor: $200
- 9×12″ Watercolor: $275
- Signature Drink Signs are $100-$200 depending on number of images
- Other pricing is based on request!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meaganrosedesign.art/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaganrosedesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meaganrosedesign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meagangregg/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeaganRoseDesign
