Meet Margaret Chiaro | Artist & Art Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Margaret Chiaro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Margaret, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in York, Pennsylvania. My parents provided a loving and supportive home and taught me to value integrity, work ethic, kindness, and strength. My mother was a teacher and my father an artist, furniture designer, and real estate agent. They were both the first generation to attend college in their families and worked very hard to provide my brother and me the ability to explore different interests and encouraged us to pursue being our best self in anything we tried.

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with making art. My father would assist me in turning a project in any school subject into an artistic endeavor, such as sculpting a large clay dolphin and casting it in plaster. My parents took us on trips to every free art museum near us. My creativity and imagination were the driving force in everything I did.

I did not seriously consider pursuing art as a career until it came time to apply for college. I have had a job since the age of 14 and learned how hard it was to make a living. Being an artist had always been my dream, but it seemed to be just that, a dream.

When it came time to applying and choosing a college, my amazing family believed in me enough to encourage my pursuit of a career in the arts. I went on to major in the arts and attain my cum laude BFA from the University of Arizona and then my MFA from the New York Academy of Art.

I am now a working artist and art instructor thanks to my work ethic, stubbornness, and ability to reach for my dreams, which are all due to my amazing parents.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Pursuing a career in art can be intimidating. There are so many choices one can make between mediums, subject matters, and techniques. The studio process is like inventing a language and hoping it can be translated universally. After years of experimenting with every media I could get my hands on, exploring a multitude of techniques, and gaining enough introspection to know what I want to say with my artwork, I have found my pictorial language.

I use figurative painting to invite the viewer to enter a unique world or moment. I love duality and opposition, balance over symmetry, and the idea of shared energy. Spending hundreds of hours on a single piece, painting everything by hand in traditional techniques, I obsessively render my subjects, caught in moments when they are open and expressive. Through my chosen genre, Magical Realism, I fuse reality with imagination to create a visceral new “world” for the subject to dwell in and the viewer to observe.

I am currently working on a series called “Nephology” that depicts people living in cloudscapes. “Cloud 9” is a sub-series portraying the inner child. “Head in the Clouds”, another sub-series, dabbles in psychological metaphors.

While I revel in the creative process, the product side is another daunting task. Marketing, pursuing exhibition venues and sales, and administrative tasks add more difficult layers to time management. I don’t think there is a specific formula that leads directly to stable income and shows, but I do know there is a niche audience that one needs to find. I don’t really have any down time, but I love what I do and am so grateful for every day I get to paint and every student I get to assist. I do hope to eventually have all my time dedicated to my painting if only to be able to see what comes from uninterrupted studio time and meditation with my ideas. I don’t think, even if I was able to, I’d ever stop teaching as I love helping people find their artistic voice.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have hosted many friends and family from the East Coast and, as most of us are nature lovers, my recommendations are based on the diverse landscape of Southern California. Near the urban areas, I would suggest Balboa Park, where the gardens and museums make for a wonderful day. I also suggest Torrey Pines, which I feel is the best hiking near the coast.

For more adventurous types (my husband and I love camping), I would suggest driving up to Palomar Mountain, Cleveland National Forest, Idyllwild, or Anza Borrego. You can see the ocean, the desert, and the mountains in a day’s drive.

As far as food, I love to cook from scratch, but when we want a night off from cooking we love Wrench & Rodent
Seabasstropub for delicious, creative, and beautiful sushi.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that have made small and large impacts on my life. I even have gratitude for those who made negative impacts, as I learned more about myself, to trust my instincts, and to look for those who pursue kindness above all else.

First and foremost, I thank my parents for being my guiding light. They have always provided love and support, even when I have not been my best self.

Thank you to my amazing husband, who has always been so encouraging, helpful, and supportive of my artistic pursuits. I love and appreciate you so much.

Thank you to Steven Assael, Randolph Lee McIver, and Wade Schuman for making such an impact on my creative process both during and after attending New York Academy of Art. Randolph Lee McIver, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your teaching assistant in Artistic Anatomy. You have given me a wealth of information and your kindness will never be forgotten. Steven Assael, thank you for graciously sharing your wisdom and mastery of paint. Wade Schuman, thank you for your supportive instruction, levity, and many talents in art and music.

Thank you to Julia Fister, owner and director of Studio ACE. You are an amazing woman who has provided access to the arts to everyone in the community. Thank you for providing venues for me to teach and interact with so many budding artists. If anyone is looking to donate to an art-based non-profit that truly makes a difference, please consider supporting Studio ACE, in Oceanside, CA.

Also, thank you to Chris Clevering, an incredible human being and donor that provides scholarships for art students that would otherwise not have access.

Finally, thank you to all my students. You have helped me to become a better teacher, artist, and human being. It is my privilege to assist your artistic journeys.

Website: https://www.margaretchiaro.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaretchiaro/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretchiaro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/machiaroart/

Image Credits
Studio Portrait Photos by
PRISCILLA IEZZI PHOTOGRAPHY

Artwork Photographed by
MARGARET CHIARO