The work of Seven Ravens Studio focuses on threatened, endangered, and charismatic species in California. Inspired by the natural world, Meegan Painter enjoys telling ecological stories with her work and helping people make connections between organisms in a visual way. The name Seven Ravens Studio emerges from Meegan being “the 7th generation of my family to live in the collection of ecosystems we call California. Though I claim ownership of no part of it, California is everything I am.” Ravens are a constant in Meegan’s life, seeming to show up wherever she is; a testament to their adaptability in the face of human pressures. Ravens are also smart, creative, and curious, all qualities Meegan strives for.
Coming from a family of artists, Meegan was encouraged from a young age to pursue art. She took her first formal class at the age of 7 or 8 and has been drawing ever since. Meegan’s process usually starts with an experience, such as visiting a national park or helping out with a project like butterfly surveys. She then digs into research to learn more about how a particular organism fits into the bigger picture of its habitat and ecosystem by reading scientific journals, looking at observations on websites like iNaturalist or CalFlora, and talking to experts. Once she’s narrowed down the species she wants to include in a particular piece, she sketches them to figure out how they’ll fit into the composition. For this, she uses a sketchbook along with blue and graphite pencils and will occasionally do color studies with watercolor or colored pencils. Once the composition has been finalized, she makes one final drawing and transfers it onto a full sheet of watercolor paper using tracing paper. Meegan tweaks things a bit one last time at this stage, rearranging the composition, refining the drawings, or adding/removing elements. She then inks the whole thing and adds watercolor. The watercolor phase is her favorite part of the process. “I love working on capturing accurate colors and creating a compelling finished piece,” she says. “It's so satisfying to see if all come together.” Meegan estimates that with the time it takes to research, she spends about 80 to 100 hours on each piece.
With her collection of prints, tea towels, and totes you can see and learn how the various organisms in ecosystems work together and how we can better coexist with the natural world. “I like telling ecological stories with my work and helping people make connections between organisms in a visual way.” Meegan is currently working with Heyday Books on a book featuring her writing and illustrations; she hopes to share some new work from that project later this year. We carry Seven Ravens prints, totes, dishtowels, and stickers.