MEET THE ARTIST, MEG SMITH

I’ve been doodling ever since I can remember—getting lost in my art is my favorite way to “disappear” (in the best possible sense). After earning a BFA in graphic design, I spent 15 years making things look sharp in the commercial world. But eight years ago, I dove headfirst back into personal creation, and I haven’t looked back. Now, I’m a full-time artist working from my newly built home studio in Alaska, blending realism, drawing, painting, and illustration into a style that feels like a remix of everything I love.

I draw deep inspiration from experience. I feel lucky to have lived many rad adventures now, and I carry them like a reservoir I can dip into whenever the urge to create strikes. Mountains have always held me—they call me in. That’s part of what led me to Alaska. Deep snow, flowing water, the mood of a place—those sensations move me. What really inspires me is trying to capture that feeling a place gives, to bring it alive again on canvas.

I soak up everything from an experience — jagged peaks, golden light, glaciers, crisp lines, soft gradients, flickers of light (all the light). I scribble it down: maybe in a sketchbook, maybe on whatever’s handy — a flight map, a bevy box, that weird napkin in my pocket. Back in my studio, I weave all those bits into my paintings and mixed-media pieces. Sometimes I arrive with a sketch already in hand; other times I build the sketch right on canvas. Then comes color mixing — choosing tones that feel right. Once I begin to paint, I don’t entirely know where it’s going. I get lost… in the best way possible.

Right now, I’m all about big-mountain skiing, ripping trails on my dirtbike, and flying my bush plane across wild Alaska. But I’ve spent 18 years kayaking whitewater, 30 years skiing & snowboarding—and I also can’t get enough snowmobiling, mountain biking, surfing or just going wherever something calls. I came up to Alaska on a ski trip and never left; the moment I looked out over the vast endless mountains, I cancelled my return flight.

What draws me to all these things isn’t just the thrill (though make no mistake—they’re fun as hell). It’s the places they take me. Kayaking has carried me into tiny remote towns around the globe, into landscapes so off the beaten path I wouldn’t have found them otherwise. Dirtbiking leads me through forests, and suddenly I’m looking out on a vista I can’t stop staring at. Flying in my bush plane gives me access to the places few ever reach—landing on glaciers and beaches, hiking through untouched terrain, foraging in wild pockets of nature. And if you ask me, there’s no better way to live.

“Live More Now” really hits home for me. It’s about being present. Truly living in the moment. Doing what you want today. I had two dreams — to be a professional artist and to fly bush planes. So I made them happen. Now I fly my plane not just for the view or to get to the rad places, but to deliver my artwork to remote galleries and lodges across Alaska.

I am not super into blue.

Pennywise was my favorite band growing up.

I sneak a handful of chocolate chips into my day, almost everyday.

And I LOVE thunderstorms.