Want to learn how to paint with pulp?
Before/After
Living with art you love brings you happiness. An original work of art creates the focal point for your space that design alone cannot fulfill. Contact me to discuss your design project and I will help you complete the picture.
Welcome to Meg Black Studio
Viewers often comment how much they love the texture in my artwork. My subject matter is nature, which is full of texture and color. These qualities create the emotional pull nature has on us. The medium I use is abaca, an organic fiber in the form of beaten pulp. When mixed with vibrant pigments, it allows me to recreate the many textures and colors of nature.
– Recapture the Emotion of Nature
Featured Artwork
My Pulp Painting Process
Why paint with pulp? And what is pulp-painting anyway? The ”Pulp” I use is abaca, a fiber from the inner bark of the banana tree. It is extremely strong, acid free, and holds color beautifully. Another use for abaca fiber is to make rigging for sailing vessels and tea bags (ever wonder why yea bags don’t fall apart when dipped in hot water)? If you paint with oil on canvas, there is a good chance you are using abaca. Commercial canvas of the highest quality includes abaca fiber to ensure it is strong enough to be framed without glass. But why bother using this material when commercially made paint is available?
The answer is simple: texture. Nature imagery is my primary subject. And nature is full of texture. By using abaca that has a textured quality, I am able to recreate the many textures of nature in my work. From still ponds to crashing shorelines to fields of wild flowers, abaca allows me to recreate these textures on a 2D surface. My slogan “recapture the emotion of nature” comes from using this wonderfully textured material as my painting medium.
News from the Studio
Free Lecture, Just What is Impressionism Anyway?
Thursday, July 24, 6:00 PM, Flint Public Library, Middleton, MA. New Englanders love Impressionism. And no wonder, when the Museum of Fine Arts has one of the world’s most impressive collections of Impressionist art. In this 60-minute lecture, Topsfield resident and art professor Meg Black, Ph.D learn more
Summer's End to be featured in Fiber Arts Magazine
Summer’s End has been accepted into Fiber Arts Now “Paper Made II” exhibition. The painting will be featured in the fall 2025 magazine and in an exhibition in early 2026. The painting is made with pigmented abaca and cotton pulps. If you’d like to learn my pulp painting process, join me at Arrowmont School of Craft this fall for my pulp painting intensive workshop. Learn more.
About me
I grew up in the 1970’s, a time when kids entertained themselves by spending hours outside, riding bikes, playing pick up games in local parks, and swimming in open streams. Spending so much time outside gave me an appreciation for nature. The emotional pull nature has on us, the organic shapes, variations of colors, and its endless array of textures; the magic of it all. Learn more
Testimonials
Private Collector
“Meg’s ability to capture the beauty of this sunrise location overwhelmed me. The joyful and calm feelings it evokes can’t be overstated. Masterful.”
Amber, Private Collector
“Elegant, Delicate, and tranquil is how I would describe Meg Black’s paintings. Upon viewing Meg’s work I was encapsulated and was immediately brought to the moment portrayed in the painting. The realistic nature scenes are absolutely magical. Any room can be uplifted with the positive energy of her pieces, they are breathtaking to say the least. The aura behind her work leaves you with a warm feeling and truly makes me feel peaceful and relaxed.”
