Daily Inspiration: Meet Maggie Keane

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Keane

Hi Maggie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always drawn and painted and even got my hands into some sculpting, mostly as an enjoyable pastime growing up and going to school in Holmdel, NJ. I did a lot of sketches of people and friends began asking if I could draw them, their pets, etc. After graduating from St. John Vianney high school, I was hired by Great Adventure Amusement Park in Jackson, NJ as a portrait sketch artist. I also became intrigued by court sketches I would see on tv.
I moved out to Tucson in 1975 to attend the University of Arizona majoring in Fine Art.
I graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree and contacted local tv stations about becoming a courtroom sketch artist. I was hired by KVOA TV and got to work right away on the Don Bolles murder trial. In the 1980’s, cameras were finally allowed in the courts, restricting sketching to the Federal courts only.
Other freelance jobs included newspaper advertising and catalogue illustrations, portraits of tourists at Old Tucson , and restoration of several of the animals on the antique carousel there.
I spent the summer of 1981 sketching portraits in Central Park, then returned to Phoenix and was hired as a pictorial billboard painter reproducing photographs in oil on massive 14 x 48 feet panels.
During the late 80s, I became involved in the restoration of the Le Grande Carrousel of Lake Havasu City, and the Encanto Park Carousel in Phoenix. I spent several years restoring many horses.
In the 1990s, pictorial billboards were replaced by printed vinyl wraps, A new technology appeared in the transit industry covering the windows of city buses with a film that could be painted on, but was still see-through from the inside. I was hired to do this painting. The Phoenix Suns were the first to use painted buses. Shortly thereafter, these would also become vinyl wraps. Years after painting those buses, the England based company Contra Vision, that invented the window film held a worldwide “wrap contest” for anyone or any entity that made use of the film. The winners were to be announced at an event in New Orleans with all other contestants from around the world in attendance. I was invited and flown to the event. My painting of the Charles Barkley bus was the first place winner. I will never forget what an honor and fantastic time that was.
Since then, I have been a mural artist, immortalizing such icons as David Bowie and Prince. One of my mural clients is the Shining Light Foundation, which produces murals of famous and not so famous unsung black heroes of the world. I have travelled to Atlanta to paint some of these murals, and have also spent time in Los Angeles painting murals for Lore Media and Arts.
In 2017, I was recruited to train as a facilitator for the World Academy for the Future of Women travelling to China to engage the students at Sias University in a mural painting project.
In 2019 I was presented with the Mayor’s Art Award by Mayor Kate Gallego.
In between all of this, I try to do my own canvases, and, as a flexible schedule will allow, I still work as a court sketch artist when I am needed.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a relatively smooth road as my work speaks for itself, but there have been situations in certain work environments that produced a few bumps along the way. I was the only female working as a billboard painter, so there were some times when I was on the receiving end of some unfortunate misunderstandings due to my mere presence.
Once in a while I would encounter the occasional discomfort of someone else taking credit for my work, and the awkward confrontations that followed when trying to correct the misconception.
I think the worst thing to have happened is outright theft. One of my paintings was stolen out of a gallery 10 years ago, and still remains missing. Another of my commissions was never paid for, so I considered it theft. Luckily, it was found and I managed to get it back, but not without some unpleasant interactions.
All in all, if I just keep doing what I do to the best of my abilities, I can make sure the road ahead stays smooth.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve worn many art hats, but my favorite, and what really seems to be a visceral need for me is painting. When I’m painting, I really feel as though I am doing what I was meant to do. I specialize in photo-realism, of any subject or object. Since I’ve done so many portraits of people, I’m called upon to paint faces more than anything. I am most proud of the two Prince murals I’ve painted in Phoenix and Atlanta. If there is anything that I think sets me apart from other artists who do what I do, it is the precision in achieving an exact likeness of a person, and the extra steps I take in blending colors to create a truly photographic three dimensional rendering.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
If I see a need that I can fill that will improve something such as an old building that needs a mural, an old carousel that needs restoring, I will go to whatever lengths to talk to whomever would be in the position to make the decision to give me the opportunity to fill that void. However, during a spate of what could be considered bad luck, when my engagement was broken off by my fiancé and I needed to immediately find a new place to live, etc, I decided to share studio space with someone who was friends with a salesman for a billboard company. He put me in touch with the man who ultimately hired me as a painter. That one event truly changed my life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @maggiekeanezart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggie.keane.16

Image Credits
Jens Larson
Stephanie Nichols-Young
Louise Reilly