Daily Inspiration: Meet Maeve Croghan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maeve Croghan. 

Maeve, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Maeve Croghan. I am an oil painter, focusing on painting nature in her many manifestations. 

I have had a retail Art Gallery, Maeve’s Art, on Mackinac Island since 1986. 

I have loved making Art since being a young girl. At an early age, I realized pursuing my Art gave me great happiness and meaning. I painted my first full paintings in high school and realized then I wanted to pursue Art as my life path. 

However, being able to do this endeavor was not exactly easy. 

Our family had an old family home we were able to use on Mackinac Island. Every summer my mother and my siblings, with my father visiting as he could, spent the summers on the Island. 

We lived out of town, near the woods and forests, spending much time in Nature growing up. I learned to love Nature on Mackinac and realized how important it was to have Nature in my life. 

Growing up spending the summers on Mackinac, I worked many different summer jobs in small Island businesses. Over time I became the manager of a couple of these different businesses, learning the ins and outs of small business. 

While doing this, I realized having a small business myself could possibly enable me to pursue my Art more freely. The beauty of a small business on Mackinac is that it is a very intense 7-day-a-week job, with very long hours each day for the 5 & 1/2- 6-month season, but then one is off 6 months. There are still business affairs to attend to in the off-season, but one does not have physically be working in a retail shop/gallery. 

Obtaining retail space is very competitive on Mackinac, and new spaces are rare. But a downtown building on Main Street had just been renovated to accommodate new retail spaces, and I, fortunately, was able to obtain one. My location was in the back of the building, looking out at the water. It was beautiful space to be in, but many customers never found my Gallery. 

In 1986, at age 27, I opened my first Gallery ‘Maeve’s Art’ on Mackinac. 

Being a small town, I was also able to obtain a loan from our local bank, which knew retail business on Mackinac was usually a good investment. I also had savings from working and still living at home, saving money for this possible investment. 

And most especially, I was able to be living on Mackinac – the place I had grown up on and dearly loved. 

So – Maeve’s Art was born! 

My concept for the business was to offer lovely handmade quality items made by real artisans and artists for the public and tourists on Mackinac. 

This was a novel concept at the time, as most every retail shop offered very touristy items for sale. 

Being a young artist, I did not have the confidence to just feature my Art and be able to make a living off of selling my paintings. 

So, at this time my gallery featured many handmade items besides just my Art. 

Being an artist myself, I deeply appreciate the time, energy, and love that goes into creating a piece of Art, whether it be an oil painting or a handmade mug or other craft art. For the business to be successful, I needed to have lovely handmade items at all price points. Selling a handmade ceramic mug or silver earrings for $25-$30 was much easier to achieve than selling an original oil painting for much more. 

Four years later, another location in a much better location appeared. But for this opportunity, I was going to have to ‘buy’ the current business’s stock in the building at their asking price. The business for sale was a touristy shop and their merchandise was not what I sell. However, I made an offer that they accepted, and was able to move into this much larger retail space in the middle of Main Street on Mackinac and was able to get a new much larger loan to do this. 

I ended up selling most of their merchandise to one of the other retail shops on the Island for about 1/7 of what I paid for the inventory, but at least I had received something to help offset the costs. 

I continued to feature my own Art and paintings at this new location, however of having the larger retail space and having much greater expenses for rents and the loan, I branched into selling hand-crafted clothing – much of it made through fair trade organizations from Indonesia and Guatemala. 

Selling clothing proved to be a terrific method to add to the gallery’s revenue. Customers are able to rationalize wearing something much more quickly than buying a piece of Art. 

During the winters of these years, I continued to pursue my painting and Art, taking classes and enriching my art-making practice. 

In 1990 I moved to Northern California for the ‘winters’ to go back to college. I had not graduated from college earlier in my life, and I felt it was necessary for me to do. I wanted to continue deepening my art as well and found a College in San Francisco, New College of California, to attend. 

I was able to get student loans to do this. 

After 4 years of attending one semester a year – the winter semester, I was graduated in ‘Art and Education’ in the Art and Social Change program from New College. I spent most of art making during this time making community murals in San Francisco. 

However, I felt I needed to continue diving deeper into my Art, so in 1995 enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute, taking 2 or 3 classes a semester for one credit each – which lessened the financial costs – but enabled me access to fantastic professors. I continued with my ‘winter schooling’ for 4 more years and learned and grew tremendously as an artist. 

I was finally able to have my own independent Art Studio in 1999. I obtained my first Art Studio in San Francisco at Hunters Point Shipyard Artists Studios and felt I was finally a ‘real artist,’ even though I had been painting for many years. 

Over 250 Artists have studios in this complex; it being one of largest Studio complexes in the country. I currently have my winter studio at ‘The Point’ and have Shows, offer Studio appointments, as well as use it for my painting. 

After 15 years of Maeve’s Art being in the larger Main Street location, the owners sold the building and I had to move. I was not ready to give up my business and fortunately found a location on Market Street, the street parallel to Main Street on Mackinac. 

At this new location, where I have been for 18 years now, my Art and Paintings have been the major focus of the Gallery. I do still offer lovely other handmade artisanal goods. Local ceramics, jewelry, and other local craftwork, as well as fine craftwork from artisans around the country. 

Approaching my 37th year in business on Mackinac amazes me. It’s slightly unbelievable it has been this long! Yet the spirit of the business – to bring lovely handmade craft and Art with integrity to Mackinac – continues to inspire me to do the work. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My business has had many challenges over the years. 

Moving my retail Gallery to 3 different locations over the years, and even with advertising, customers often do not find my Gallery. I have been in my present location 18 years now. People still walk in and say, ‘gosh I used to shop with you 25 years ago; I thought you had closed!’ 

My present location is only one block behind my former location, but as it’s not on Main Street, many people do not find it. 

Artistically I have a very solid direction in my Art. I know what I want to paint about and love the subjects I paint. It is often exciting to revisit a former theme with a new interpretation of the subject. 

Yet, my subjects are not the typical tourist subject. I have no fancy Victorian Hotels, bicycles, or even horses and carriages in my Art. My Art speaks to what I believe is the soul of Mackinac – its integral natural beauty and spirit. 

Some people do not connect with this concept, as they only know the downtown commercial districts. Making a living off of my painting in a tourist destination, yet not painting ‘touristy’ paintings can be challenging. 

Fortunately, there are those that do connect with and love my Art. I am so very grateful for this. 

Running the summer Gallery 7 days a week, 5 & 1/2 months straight can be quite a challenge. The summer months we are Open 10 hours a day. This is a long time to be ‘on’ and aware of everything that is happening in a business. I do take days off and work on my painting, which is wonderful. However, by late October, I, and most everyone who has worked all season on the Island, is ready for a very big rest. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been painting since I was 15. At this age I learned that this is what I loved and wanted to pursue in my life. However, I felt my painting needed to be more than just an attractive painting. I wanted my Art to direct people’s attention to the subjects I paint. 

Many years ago, I focused on painting Nature. I chose this subject, and this is what I love and felt this is what we humans need to recognize as being vital to save – for all of our lives, for future generations, and for all the other creatures that inhabit our planet and have just as much a right to live as we do. 

I am an oil painter, loving this visceral organic medium of paint. 

As a Nature Painter, I begin my paintings outside, en plein air, to paint directly from Nature. I bring all my materials with me – my paints, canvas, brushes, easel and more and set up outside for an afternoon or day. 

I will paint for a number of hours, covering the canvas that day with my initial composition. This is the beginning of my process. 

The painting I begun outside then goes to my studio, where I continue to work on it over time. 

This may be for a few weeks or months. At this point, I am only working for my memory and feeling about the site and subject I have painted and don’t work from photos. 

I have concentrated on painting old trees for many years, loving the organic twisty shapes of an older tree. The Lake and water are also major subjects for me. Being on an Island, everything is affected by the Lake. The Lake is its own spirit, and I hope to reflect this in my Art. 

Fields, wildflowers and grasses are also my subjects. I love the openness of a field – the expanse of wild grasses and wildflowers, similar to the openness of the Lake – being able to have a relatively unobstructed view and feeling of space. 

I have painted grape vineyards for many years and am quite proud that 4 of my paintings have been chosen for different wine labels, both In California and in France. This came about through competitions – and I was fortunately the Artist chosen to grace these lovely wine labels. Castoro Cellars in Templeton, Ca. and the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau feature my paintings on their wine bottle labels. 

My paintings have been chosen for exhibits at the Matsumoto Museum and the Omachi City Museum in Japan. This was a very exciting achievement. I was invited to Japan for the exhibit and treated like royalty – it was quite amazing! 

It has also been wonderful to have my paintings exhibited in the Mackinac Island Richard and Jane Manoogian Museum, as well as numerous other American Museums over the years. It feels to be a real achievement having my paintings featured in Museum showings. 

My paintings are in numerous important private collections, including the Manoogian Collection of American Art. 

Quite recently, my paintings were chosen for a Michigan based literary journal – ‘The MacGuffin’ published by Schoolcraft College. My painting is featured on the cover, as well as throughout the Journal. 

Having my own book of my Art has been a wonderful aspect of my career. ‘The Essence of Nature ~ Maeve Croghan’s Exploration in Paint of Mackinac Island, California & Beyond’, Published by Mackinac Memories has been an achievement I am so very proud of. 

Hopefully a new edition is now in the works as well! 

Very recently I was asked to design and paint a 3-panel 45-foot-long mural in the City of San Francisco. This project lasted about 3 weeks and was extremely exciting and fulfilling, as well as quite challenging. My Mural, ‘North Beach’ is located on Columbus Avenue near the Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach neighborhoods in San Francisco. I was able to paint about some of my favorite subjects there – the stunning views from the hilltops, and the famous wild parrots. I worked with numerous volunteers who helped make this wonderful project come to life. 

My teaching has been an integral aspect of my Painting life as well. I very much enjoy sharing my knowledge of Art and painting. Having been painter for a long time now, I have a lot to share! I teach with the Mackinac Arts Council on Mackinac Island, MI, the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, Ca. and offer private lessons. 

On Mackinac I have been a part of a wonderful group of fellow Artists called the ‘Mackinac 7’. We have been showing together at the Mackinac Library, and other venues for over 25 years. It is inspiring to be with fellow creatives and share our work with one another. 

In California in the winters, I created a group called the Mendocino Eco Artists. This group of Artists has shows to benefit local environmental groups on the Coast of Northern California. This has also been a wonderful creative, yet supportive to Nature endeavor for me. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I believe being true to myself, and my own Art has been my life lesson. Learning how to honor myself and follow a new direction in my Art. This is not always easy as I will not necessarily know the outcome, but it is something I need to do. 

And as a self-motivated entrepreneur, I have had to learn my limitations and what I am capable of, and when I need to rest. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maevecroghan.com
• Instagram: @maeve_croghan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maeve.croghan.5/