Collage Artist Megan Coyle's Duck & Fish

One of the more inspiring and talented young artists to come along in Alexandria
in recent years is Del Ray artist Megan Coyle,

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - Perhaps one of the more inspiring and talented young artists to come along in Alexandria in recent years is Del Ray artist Megan Coyle, who has just recently finished writing and illustrating her first children’s book, Duck & Fish.

Duck & Fish tells the story of a mallard duck
who meets a flying fish at the beach.

Duck & Fish tells the story of a mallard duck who meets a flying fish at the beach.

The two animals tell one another about the joys of flying in the sky or swimming underwater. Once they go their separate ways, they get a chance to explore a new world, with Fish flying in the sky and Duck swimming underwater in the ocean. After living such different lives, can they still be happy?

Coyle created about 30 works of art for the book, each illustration made entirely from magazine strips. She manipulates recycled magazine pages in such a way to make collages that look like oil or acrylic paintings.

"I was once told that when I draw or paint, I shouldn't draw objects or people as I see them in my mind," Coyle said. "Instead, I should pay attention to every detail in front of me—focusing on the shapes of colors that make up different planes. Over the years, I've continued to follow this advice and it has become a central idea behind my work."

Although she was trained in painting, over the years she says she was consistently drawn to collage. "I believe that my attachment to the medium is rooted in the way I approach every subject as an artist," she said. "I'm constantly breaking down what I see into smaller pieces, piecing together each area bit by bit, occasionally stepping back to see the work in its entirety."

Coyle is an alumnus of T.C. Williams High School, where she took art classes every year. She also took classes at the Torpedo Factory Art Center where she recently returned as a Visiting Artist in 2010.

She graduated in 2008 from Elon University in North Carolina with a BA in painting and creative writing. Her work has been exhibited nationally in venues including the Smithsonian Ripley Center, Fisher Gallery, Krempp Gallery, Touchstone Gallery, and The Art League Gallery.

Her artwork has appeared in publications like The Washington Post, Papirmasse, and Somerset Studio Magazine.

Duck & Fish is currently available on Coyle's website: www.mcoyle.com/duckfish.