Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Wheelock.
Hi Meredith, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always been a huge fan of the arts and I knew from an early age that I would end up in a creative field. I was introduced to Pen and Ink work when I was in school and the medium stuck with me, eventually this medium became a concentration of mine in college. I was also heavily involved in the theater program in high school (although I was always behind the scenes doing set design and stage crew instead of standing in the spotlight) so in hindsight it was only a matter of time before I saw an opportunity to blend these interests. I graduated with a Fine Arts degree from Towson University and became a bartender to pay the bills and have used the unique flexibility of that job to work on art in my off hours.
However, the business I run now is only about 7 months old and I owe a huge portion of my success to my good friend Jessica who helps run my business. I never could have done this without her. The piece that started it all was originally a birthday gift for her (she’s a huge Broadway fan) and when she casually posted it to some friends online, the post blew up and people were asking if I sold prints. And just like that, the idea was born. I am a bit of a collector myself and always love to support small artists. When I saw that there was a way I could bring joy to people who love things as hard as I do, this fueled the whole operation. I started creating more and more and tried to find more people like my friend who wanted portraits of their favorite actors and performers and then tried to represent their faves in a way that made them feel the way they felt when they saw them on stage. And now I feel like my renditions of performers have their own voice and can function as a reminder of the beloved stories they told on stage.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As much as I’d love for art to pay the bills, when I’m not drawing I’m bartending and that has been my primary income for 10+ years. Somewhat unfortunately towards the end of December, the restaurant I worked in shut down due to an accident. What was supposed to be a couple-week long closure for reconstruction turned into an involuntary three month sabbatical. It was fun at first – to have endless time to draw and create and travel to see shows on days that previously wouldn’t have worked in our schedule – but it became apparent that my primary income was going to be frozen for some unknown amount of time and I was going to have to figure something out if I wanted to pay my rent.
I took a huge risk and leaned heavily into my business, roping my friend Jessica in as well. I worked really hard on finishing more pieces and she helped me market them. We spent time designing a brand and trying our hardest to build something from the ground up (I don’t think either of us slept for weeks.) We attended BroadwayCon and found success there that honestly saved me from going under. We met some really cool people and paved a bit of a path in the space we wanted to be in. It was extremely hard work but it paid off and looking back now I’m grateful I was able to spend all my time putting love and attention into this blossoming thing that brings me so much joy to be a part of. It never would have happened if my job hadn’t closed and although money was tight for those three months, I still managed to stay afloat on my art alone. I was really proud of that.
The hardest part about being an artist is trying to get people to see your work. Half the battle of selling artwork is the marketing aspect and obviously getting people to buy non-essential items in such tough times is challenging. But I learned so much from the three months that I spent doubling down on my business and in the end I wouldn’t be as successful if I hadn’t gone through that experience.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in Ink drawings – mostly portraiture – generally of Broadway actors and occasionally other public figures. I do a combination of digital ink drawing and traditional Pen and Ink drawing.
Although I can draw portraits of any celebrity or actor, I gravitate towards Broadway because a huge piece of the medium is all about being in the moment and relying on memory to relive the experience you’ve seen on stage. I often incorporate sheet music into my pieces because the connection between a song that brings you to tears and the person who delivered the emotion alongside it is so special. I have always admired the way live performance can bring you chills or how it can give an entire room that feeling of collective effervescence. It inspires me as an artist to try and capture that feeling on a single page.
Although the thing I’m most known for is portraiture, I am most proud of the Pen and Ink illustrations I’ve done of the stages and sets these moments happen on. I spend hundreds of hours on these pieces as they are tedious and extremely detailed. But when I finish one I feel like I’ve poured my whole soul into it. A drawing of a set, even though it seems simple, can be its own form of portraiture. The stage is its own character and tells a story even without the actors standing on it.
At the end of the day, I am creating work for people just like me. People who love stories and the people who make them come alive. I am creating the art that I want to see and unsurprisingly I’ve found community doing so. I love being able to connect with someone – whether they are in the production or just a fan – over a moment in time that meant something really special.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I spent so many years of my life saying “I haven’t really done anything with my art degree” and a few months ago I said that out loud and realized that wasn’t true anymore. Not only am I doing something with my degree but I’m living a dream I had no idea I’d had. I’m remembering why I went to school for art in the first place. I love drawing and being creative and feeling inspired. I love being surrounded by people who feel the same way. It’s part of why Art School is so magical. I wish I had the knowledge or the people in my life to make this happen sooner – but then again, I wouldn’t be here if not for the serendipitous circumstances that allowed me to go down this path at this time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mvwcreates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvwcreates
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MVWCreates
