Dolphins at Dolphins Plus, Key Largo
As part of our daughter’s senior year thesis as an art major, she was required to do a series of paintings based on a particular theme, with a written paper that backed up the thesis. She knew she wanted her theme to involve dolphins, but floundered for months for a theme that spoke to her.
In January, she interned for a month at a dolphin research facility in Key Largo. Dolphins’ Plus has 13 captive dolphins and Megan came to know each of them well. During this month, she had a vivid dream about the fragmented ways in which people see each other and when she woke, realized she could use this fragmentation theme with dolphins.
Throughout the year, we had seen bits and pieces of Megan’s paintings. Back in February or March, we walked into her studio – a chaotic display of photos that had been sliced into precise strips, which she was using for her watercolors. I never understood how she kept these strips in any order and couldn’t imagine what the end result might be. But I delighted in watching her paint.
Earlier in the year, she showed us two of the paintings, which we posted here. We had a better grasp then of where she was headed with these paintings, but were still puzzled by what she was doing.
Megan, like the other art majors, had to create a statement for her thesis. Hers evolved over the months into its final form, a direct result of her dream:
“The art for my thesis represents dolphins in a manner that challenges the joyous, free image of dolphins in order to show the flaws in stereotypes. The dolphins are presented in a large scale format, with an anthropomorphic eye that inverts the gaze of the viewer. The negative space delineated from the fragmentation of the images creates the illusion of a grid system of bars or windows which persuades viewers to wonder: who is in captivity, the dolphin or the human? Through the use of these stylistic techniques, viewers are influenced to redefine their perspective of dolphins by looking past the stereotype to the real thing.”
The public opening of the exhibit is on May 19, in a gallery downtown. But on May 12, we were treated to the private exhibit, where her paintings were displayed on the walls of the art department and the exhibit was open to everyone on campus. It was astonishing to witness the evolution of that dream Megan had months ago to the final paintings, and to see them displayed in a place that begs for art work. We’ve posted just a selection of them here:
This one has been sold!
Seen close up, you’re fooled into thinking you’re seeing water, a mountain, an island, or something else. Then you step back, and you see it, the dolphin…
This one is surreal. I think of it as the atavistic dolphin, something that evolved in the early eons of this mammal’s existence.
The process of creativity always astonishes me. Whether we’re trying to figure out the theme for an art thesis or the plot of a novel or how to live our lives in ways that are more emotionally and spiritually fulfilling, our creativity enables us to tap into the deeper reservoirs of our beings. If we can dream it, imagine it, feel it, believe in it, then we can manifest it.
Way to go, Megger!
beautiful paintings, beautiful and wise narrative – i love the way the dolphin looks in, in to me, the viewer, suggesting indeed that I am the one who is captive, veiwing the immense freedom of this sea being with a kind of sadness. I know that she has a very bright career ahead of her.
She’s got talent alright!
Looks like Megan’s on the path to success in the art world.
Maybe she should sell prints on Etsy like artist David Lloyd does.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/lloydgallery
So us poor folk can buy a print,to hang on our wall .-)
I was going to wish her luck on her career path,but I can see she doesn’t need it.
But I’ll wish her good luck,anyway.
Thanks, Darren! I’ll past that link on to her, too.
I’m awestruck. How thrilling for her to actually sell one from her student work (which seems much more sophisticated than that label of it might imply.)
Much love to all three of you wildly creative and intuitive creatures, and to the dolphins, too!
Grad school in art? I hope so!
Megan will be thrilled that her aunt nancy sends her mucho amor!
Aunt Nancy is so proud of her!
Oh yes, indeed! Parents….all the joys and challenges that are born with those tiny beings as they enter the world and tie up our hearts with ribbons and bows. Never, ever forget the parents, regardless of circumstances, because our souls choose. Megan’s soul chose parents who couldn’t have been more perfectly supportive for the journey of her own life. Cudos to the MacGregor family. It’s a joint enterprise, our lives with our kids.
When I was pregnant, I asked for a dream about past life megan, rob and I had shared that pertained to this life. I dreamed I was in a warehouse, went into labor, and gave birth to Megan. She looked at me and said, “Iceland.” For years, this puzzled me. A life in iceland? Then a few years ago, a medium told us that we had shared a life in a northern european country, that the weather was bitterly cold, and that Megan was our aunt and surrogate mother, who made sure we were fed, clothed, and well taken care of. It was not a fun life, the medium said, there was lots of hardship. It resonated for me with that iceland dream.
very weird just now as i’m about to zap you a little flashback i had when i read your iceland dream story again – the male lead character on the mentalist said “it’s esperanza” – i digress but thought it interesting – in my flashback when i re-read your iceland comment, i visualized a dream of my own from some while back – which you may remember – in the dream, i was living in another time, in a very very cold/frigid place where survival was a struggle – the landscape was barren – and life was etched from whatever little could be hunted/gathered – in any event, my dream came from out of nowhere to an intense visualization upon reading your comment –
I remember that dream – romania, right? With those wonderful photos by mario….?? Wow, what was your visualization?
oh, the romanian memory-dream or whatever it was! and marius had the photo! i definitely remember that one, but i’m referring to another dream of some time ago, but since the romanian dream – i think i tell about it in a comment to one of your posts – anyway, in the dream/memory [almost], i am living in another time [again] but this time, the area if just brittle and cold – frigid – and very barren – and i’m there, with others who live in this village of sorts – some women are sitting piecing together animal hides of some sort into clothing – others are around gathering bits of vegetation growing between the boulders – very bare existence – and as i was reading your story of iceland, i was just zipped back to that dream experience except this time it included you all there – well, you and megan – i didn’t see rob – but sensed he was there somewhere – i mean, i was, like, “there” again – and so were you all – in that frigid dreamscape!
I don’t remember this one…sounds dismal! Cold, no food, animal hides…
All I can is that Megan has great karma – fabulous parents, talent and to be about to be with the dolphins! Awesome!
We’ll be sure to tell her that part about her parents!
Beautiful work, Megan. Very moving and thought provoking.
Spectacular beyond description or expression. Simply stunning. Mind-shattering, to study these in minute detail. So much is there. So much that at first isn’t “seen” or preceived. What a gift. Breathless.
Wow, guys, I think Megan should quote you all in her portfolio!
absolutely magnificent! all of them! as is her own story of how these beautiful paintings came about – many congratulations to megan for her incredible project which speaks to us all!
about your comment of not being able to part with a painting you’ve done, trish – you know, for me, too, with my paintings, that is definitely so, if it is a work created without the thought of it being a gift for a particular person or without the thought of it being a piece to be sold from the beginning – they are just such a part of me it’s all very difficult –
anyway, again, a fantastic feat of megan – and i’m so sorry i won’t be able to witness them all in person – congratulations on an incredible project/show, megan!
She’s so very talented…love her work. Congrats on the sale at the gallery…that’s wonderful. I bet it’s hard to part with these pieces when sold.
Thanks everyone. I’ll make sure Megan sees the feedback!
Don’t think I could part with a painting I had done. At least with a book, you end up with copies of the book.
Dolphins are so fascinating, and this process has captured something about them that is usually missed. I think Megan is very talented, and I think her parents have done a great job in helping her open up to her own creativity! Way to go, everyone!
Utterly beautiful.
I have a feeling that someday I will be purchasing one of Megan’s creations as a gift for my oldest daughter, who has more than one dolphin in ever room of her home.
She has gotten a lot of positive feedback from the faculty and other art students and is thinking about grad school. We’ll see!
A.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y F.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c!!!
I love them, you both must be very proud.
Congratulations Megan, they are just beautiful.
They are fantastic! Congratulations, Megan!!
You hit the nail right on the head with the process of creativity, and Megan has it down. Soulful. I can’t wait to see more.
Thanks, Nancy! We love what she has done.