In a process she calls painting with paper, this artist creates collages that look like paintings.
I’ve always been a fan of collage work. The combining of disparate images to form whole new realities fascinates me. It’s that one art form that when you say the name, a specific style comes to mind. Recently I discovered the work of Megan Coyle and it completely upended that perspective — in the best possible way. Based in NYC, her work is beyond unique. It shines a whole new light on what can be defined as a collage.
Her base materials and processes are the typical fare. Upcycling old magazine content by cutting them up and combining them into something new. However, the final product is far from typical. She calls her process ‘painting with paper’. She takes strips cut from magazine pages and creates works that look remarkably like oil paintings. These are more interpretive still life than abstract obscurities normally associated with the form.
I won’t lie; I had to look very closely to see the true nature of the medium. Where there seem to be brushstrokes are in fact layers of paper. I’d have to read the descriptions of each piece to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. Well, I guess they kinda were after all. The time and discipline it takes to conceptualize and create such detailed pieces is astonishing. The talent behind them is most impressive.
Coyle’s work has been shown at the Ward Museum, i.d.e.a. Museum, Smithsonian Ripley Center, Art League Gallery, Krempp Gallery, and other galleries around the country. She’s been featured in major international publications including The Washington Post, Somerset Studio, and Papirmasse.
In addition to being an artist, Coyle is a writer and educator receiving a degree in Painting and Creative Writing at Elon University in North Carolina. Are you a teacher or student who wants to learn more about collage art? Coyle offers free resources to help bring creativity into the classroom. She also offers free activities for kids including collage pages, connect the dots, matching games, and puzzles. Go to megancoyle.com/learn for details.
In 2011 she wrote and illustrated the children’s book ‘Duck & Fish‘. It’s a story about a duck who meets a fish and they tell each other about the joys of flying in the sky and swimming underwater. In 2025 she released her second children’s book ‘The ABCs of Food: A Variety of Foods from A to Z‘. From Avocados to Zucchini, this alphabet book introduces children to a colorful world of food through playful, eye-catching illustrations. She’s also published a collection of her work title ‘Megan Coyle: Collage Artist‘ (2022) and a ‘Daily Gratitude Journal‘ (2023).
Please show your support for Megan Coyle. You can buy her original pieces on her website as well as prints on Redbubble. Her books are available on Amazon.
Cheers!
Stephen
Website -> megancoyle.com
Instagram -> instagram.com/megancoyle.art
TikTok -> tiktok.com/@megancoyle.art
