Megan Lawlor is a classically trained American painter whose work bridges portraiture, figurative art, and plein air landscape painting. Born in Teaneck, New Jersey and raised in the coastal town of Manasquan, Lawlor’s connection to nature was imprinted early. The rhythms of the Atlantic shore — from the movement of light on water to the texture of sand and dune grass — continue to influence the sensibility of her artwork today.
Lawlor’s formal training began at Moore College of Art & Design, where she majored in Fashion Illustration. Her studies deepened at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, where she focused on representational techniques in portraiture, figure studies, and plein air practice. This solid educational foundation in anatomy, observation, brushwork, and color theory informs every aspect of her artistic approach.
A Painter Rooted in Observation
Lawlor’s artistic process is grounded in direct observation and emotional response. Whether she is painting a figure, a face, or a windswept field, her goal is to capture not only what the subject looks like — but how it feels. Her oil paintings reflect a balance between technical control and intuitive interpretation, allowing each brushstroke to serve both form and feeling.
From the golden light cast across a riverbank to the subtle expressions of her portrait subjects, Lawlor infuses her work with a sense of presence. Her paintings convey mood, atmosphere, and often a kind of reverent stillness — inviting viewers to linger within the space she has created.
Awards and Artistic Recognition
Megan Lawlor’s work has been recognized by many of the most respected art institutions in the country. She has received awards from the American Tonalist Society, the Hudson Valley Art Association, the Portrait Society of America, the California Art Club, the Philadelphia Sketch Club, and the historic Salmagundi Club in New York City — where she is an Elected Member.
Her work has been exhibited widely across North America and Europe, and is held in both public and private collections. She is represented by Main Street Gallery in Manasquan, New Jersey and by the Salmagundi Club in New York.
A Love for Nature and Landscape
While Lawlor’s skills in portraiture are highly regarded, her love for nature often draws her outdoors with a paintbrush. She is an avid plein air painter, regularly setting up her easel in gardens, riverbanks, or along the coastline. Her landscapes are not merely scenic views; they are meditative interpretations of nature’s complexity — alive with subtle variations in color, light, and atmosphere.
This connection to the natural world is a recurring theme in her practice. Painting en plein air allows Lawlor to work in shifting light, capturing the immediacy and impermanence of the landscape. Each of her outdoor works serves as both a study in observation and a reflection of her deep emotional response to the environment.
Artwork Focus: City Dwellers
A perfect example of Lawlor’s ability to find poetry in everyday settings is her painting City Dwellers. The work began with a spontaneous moment while she was on her way to the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.
In City Dwellers, Lawlor captures a tender, fleeting moment of nature inhabiting the city — a group of small birds resting amidst a backdrop of urban architecture and soft sunlight. The juxtaposition of textures — weathered metal and delicate feathers, manmade structure and evergreen boughs — creates a layered, painterly tension.
Though the composition includes significant detail, the painting never feels busy or overworked. Instead, it reflects Lawlor’s commitment to observational depth and her painterly skill in rendering complexity with grace. The balance of temperature — cool lamppost tones against the warmer birds and foliage — invites the viewer to feel the sun, hear the ambient city noise, and appreciate this quiet intersection of the natural and built environments.
Portraiture and Figurative Work
Beyond landscape, Lawlor’s portraiture carries a similarly quiet intensity. Her representations of the human figure are neither idealized nor performative. They aim to reveal something subtle and real — a contemplative glance, a relaxed hand, a breath caught between moments. These works draw on her classical training while allowing space for narrative and personal expression.
Whether portraying family members, commissioned clients, or anonymous figures, Lawlor approaches each subject with care. Her figures are grounded, emotionally resonant, and portrayed with thoughtful brushwork that brings skin, fabric, and gesture to life.
Living and Creating in Pennsylvania
Now based in North Wales, Pennsylvania, Megan Lawlor continues to paint, exhibit, and grow her body of work. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the mid-Atlantic region, she finds continual inspiration for both her plein air and studio-based paintings. With a commitment to craftsmanship and an eye for both detail and emotion, she invites viewers into moments of stillness, observation, and beauty.
Her journey as an artist — shaped by classical training, deep observation, and a sensitivity to her surroundings — has positioned her as a voice of quiet power in contemporary American painting.
