AN INTERVIEW WITH MEADOW GIST

Written by Kim Weeks from her interview with Meadow Gist

11/01/24


It is not just paint, canvas and talent that lead to unforgettable paintings. Very often, finishing a remarkable piece takes, among other things, planning, sweating, waiting, posing and sketching. And in the case of Western painter Meadow Gist, her portraits have also involved sewing, building, collaborating and photographing. Meadow’s paintings are often the result of curated spontaneity that leads to extraordinary portraits with a bonus outcome of costumes, props or scenes that are works of art in themselves.

 

Raised in Southern California, Meadow was creative from an early age. She was constantly making things from a variety of materials and found that expressing her creativity was less of a desire than a need. 

 

“I was always a pretty, maybe you'd call it hyperactive kid, who needed to do things to stay busy, otherwise I would get in trouble,” she said. “I was most happy when I had something artistic to do, whether I would be putting pieces of wood together, building a little cityscape, or working with clay or whatever. I don't think my parents really knew what to do with a kid that needed to stay occupied with art. So it was a little bit challenging, I think, for them.”

 

For a brief time, Meadow’s grandfather worked as a set painter during World War II, and years later, her father made his living as a carpenter, both of which, she says, likely contributed to her artistic interest and talent. However, despite her constant need to create, her family was somewhat skeptical of the idea of art as a career.

 

“I was definitely raised in a home where art was appreciated, but it was something that people did a long time ago. And I don't think it made them very comfortable to think that their child would go into the arts, because it's a little bit more of an unknown in terms of going to school and getting degrees and things like that,” Meadow said. 

 

So, Meadow took a practical post-high school path and enrolled in Palomar Junior College in Encinitas, near her hometown of Ramona, California. However, she ended up taking mostly art classes, much to the chagrin of her advisor, who told her that she would likely not have enough credits for a transferrable associate’s degree. During that time, she also worked at a specialty grocery chain and, thanks to an understanding manager, was able to flex her creative muscle there as well.

 

“They started having me do all their sign and window painting, and I had a really good boss that kind of saw that doing that made me happy. He would assign me things to do in the store that were more art related. So sometimes I was building things like boats and stuff like that to make a display out of,” she said.

 

She performed so well in this job that Meadow was offered a management position, but her heart was set on art, so she made the decision to pursue her lifelong passion. She enrolled in Watt’s Atelier of the Arts (WA) in Encinitas and found she was immediately drawn to the school’s dedicated, traditional, and disciplined approach to art.

 

“That type of training is more aligned with old master's techniques … so it's very fundamentally focused. Whereas when I was at junior college, I'd go into a class and there'd be a model there, and you kind of got to do what you want … and it was not really instructive, necessarily. It was kind of a free for all,” she said. “And [WA] was a completely different, very structured, very disciplined, more of a mathematical approach to drawing. And I really liked it because I felt like it kind of opened up a lot of doors for expressing yourself in a way that had good construction behind it.”

 

She started with one class, then two classes, and within two years, Meadow was offered a teaching position at WA. So, she took classes and taught classes, and 25 years later, she is still there. After a few years, though, her mentor, atelier founder Jeff Watts, asked her what she wanted to do with her skills, and after considering more commercial applications, Meadow said she preferred to stay with oil painting and gallery work. So, Watts told her, her next step should be to start building a body of work to showcase to galleries.

 

“That takes a lot of time, I think, to build up confidence because it's going to be most likely a rejection process. It's just something you have to get used to. You have to make the right fit for the galleries you go into,” she said.

 

Meadow began by assembling a collection of still life paintings and soon began visiting galleries throughout the area. She was able to get some work into a small gallery in Northern California, which ended up being ill-suited for her. She responded by expanding her collection to include more portraiture and figure work. In the meantime, WA opened a small gallery for students, so Meadow displayed and sold some of her paintings there. This is where she began to create, not only the paintings, but the costumes for the figures in the paintings.

 

“I sold a few paintings through that and had a little show there where I decided to do an 18th century theme. So, I sewed costumes for it. And then I did paintings of the models in the costumes, and then I exhibited them together at the show,” she said.

 

It was through both the power of her determination and the power of the internet that Meadow learned to sew and create these detailed and specialized costumes for her paintings. She invested money and time collecting historically accurate fabrics, trims and notions to complete her costumes, which she used only once and would then sell to cosplay enthusiasts. 

During her time at WA, Meadow met and married fellow artist Erik Gist, an illustrator who also teaches at the school. Erik encouraged Meadow to continue painting figures, because she was good at it, and because they could enhance her offerings to viewers and galleries beyond the school. 

 

“I was a little hesitant about doing it, in the sense that maybe you have a smaller audience that isn’t going to gravitate towards buying [portraits of] people they don't know … But then I thought about it and I thought, ‘I love a good portrait painting. I don't care who it is,’” she said. “When you go to a museum, that's typically what people are really drawn to. … Plus, I think it's kind a snapshot of time. In the end, we like to kind of glorify ourselves and have a written and painted record of our evidence in the world. So that's kind of what the artists can do is provide that.”

 

Initially, her portraits tended to reflect 18th century European subjects, but Meadow eventually began shifting her focus to Native Americans, specifically Plains Indian women. She says she wants to portray these historic subjects doing everyday tasks, because she finds beauty in those day-to-day moments, and because she is moved by their strength and ability to create beauty in the harshest conditions. 

 

“I tend to really prefer the things that you don't really see in a history book. The female perspective. The daily goings on, how [they] survive, and just the power structures of the female point of view. I find that much more interesting. So that's usually what I like to paint,” she said. 

 

Because of the artistic intricacy of the historical clothing and the sheer time and energy it took to sew costumes, Meadow began to use Native American models in authentic historic dress. She said it’s important to find subjects that not only help her transfer her ideas to canvas, but also to learn from them and establish a relationship.

 

“It's not just how somebody looks, it's also how you interact and your relationship with the model while you're working. [That’s the] key to getting a good reference [photograph]. And you want to be respectful and have a relationship where you feel really comfortable with each other,” she said. 

 

She found that people in the West and Southwest, responded to these Native American images, and she began to find representation in more galleries throughout the area. Several years ago, Montana Trails Gallery owner Steve Zabel noticed Meadow’s work on social media and reached out to her to see if she was interested in representation. At the time, she did not feel that she had enough work to offer, so she declined. After some time, though, Steve reached out again. 

 

“He asked about a painting I did recently, and so we kind of reengaged our conversation. In the last few years, I've dedicated a lot more time to full-time to painting, and I've just gotten my work more consistently finished, which is something I'm really proud of … I'm just a more proficient painter now,” she said.

 

Maintaining a balance between painting and other responsibilities has been key for Meadow’s continued success as a painter. To do this, she has scaled back her teaching commitments at WA and stopped spending time on costumes, so she can focus primarily on painting. Her one side hustle, Meadow says, is her online shop in which she sells her curated supply of surplus antique sewing notions. Meadow also continues to share her expertise and experience with students and encourages them to maintain perspective and, regardless of how difficult it gets, just keep painting.

 

“Sometimes [your paintings] are pulling on your heart and putting you through the ringer, and then other times they're just a breeze. And that's kind of why you keep doing it. It's for that high you have when a painting goes really well. It's like the carrot, but most of the time it's the stick, and it's just beating you over the head,” she said. “You have to be realistic about your ability versus your training. And I think there's endless amount of training that we can acquire. As an artist, you never reach perfection. It's endless. So you grade yourself based on what you've put into it.”

 

Meadow has put a great deal into her art for many years, and she will continue to teach, learn and create, not because it’s her job, but because it’s her life. And she’s truly appreciative for the support she receives from galleries, collectors and students.

 

“I know art is a choice. It's not a necessity. And I am absolutely just honored and grateful that people choose to help me by buying my work and keeping me doing it. I hope in the process that they get something out of it as well,” she said. “Art is the thing that kind of measures a society and it makes you feel like your society is worth being a part of. And I'm super excited that I get to do that, too. I get to be part of that.”

 

It seems that Meadow will be artistically documenting our society regardless of her circumstances and available materials. Whether it’s paint on canvas, thread to fabric, or hammer to board, she will continue to create and provide tools and motivation for future artists. 

 
 

 

COPYRIGHT MONTANA TRAILS GALLERY 2024

GET IN TOUCH

SUBSCRIBE

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the GooglePrivacy Policy andTerms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025, Art Gallery Software by ArtCloudCopyright © 2025, Art Gallery Software by ArtCloud