Meet Adam McQuaig | Artist, Painter

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

Hi Adam, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
This is an interesting question because it states a defined end goal. I think, as an artist, the path is more important. I create and learn each and every day and I’m really thankful that I can have a career that allows me to grow as a person. I suppose I would say that a short term goal would be to do my art (oil painting) full-time without the need to supplement income from other places. I imagine that this is the goal for a lot of fine artists as well. It seems to be quickly headed in that direction, though.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My path in art has been a rollercoaster mostly and it wasn’t the easiest path. It took a long time to get to a place where I started to feel “stable” and comfortable. I say that, and even now it feels like a precarious path to tread. I’ve dealt with rejection by the hundreds, a stint with substance abuse, and plenty of sweat and tears. All of these things have taught me to be stronger, push harder, and keep moving forward in the face of defeat. I’m proud of the work I’m creating currently, and I’m in between two different series of paintings at the moment. As always, I’m excited for what the future holds.

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?
Currently I live in Lancaster, PA, and it’s transformed over the past 15 years into something that is really quite exceptional in its own right. There are plenty of awesome spots in the city, including some restaurants like Double C, The Belvedere, Cabalar, and The Horse Inn to name a few. Gallery Row has a bunch of art galleries and shops with friendly, engaging owners. There are plenty of places throughout the county to go see as well. My new series is focused on bringing some of the beauty of how I see the area to canvas.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, this seems like it would be a long list so I’ll try to keep it short. First of all my parents, who were weirdly supportive of their emotional teenager when he decided he wanted to be an artist for a living. I had a few teachers in high school that really pushed me as well; namely Nancy Williams (who recently passed away unfortunately), and Bill Cifuni who I still see and chat with occasionally. My wife Korrine, of course, who deals with my relentless obsession with creating and clutter. Last but not least, my brothers, who are all very creative in their own right, pushed me in a sort of friendly internal competition.

Website: www.adammcquaig.com

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