Inspiration in Motion: Megan Nedds ’16 Creates “Enchanting” Sculpture

Season four of the Enchanted Brush exhibition at the Dudley and Mary Marks Lea Gallery in the Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion at the University of Findlay is an artistic celebration called “Maidens of Myth” focusing on heroic females that shaped the plots of some of history’s most beloved tales.
Included with these special ladies is a beautiful horse, one that Megan Nedds, a 2016 graduate of UF, created by the process of sculpting using a needle and wool. Poking the wool with the felting needle, Nedds explained, turns the wool into felt.
The sculpture in the exhibit was created specifically for the show. “My inspiration for this sculpture came from a horse named Rain in the 2002 movie, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” said Nedds. “Even though she is not human, Rain is a strong, confident character and she is willing to risk her life to save the ones she loves, which is why I chose her as the inspiration for my sculpture for the Maidens of Myth theme.”
Nedds added that she also tried to convey Rain’s “sweet and sassy” personality in the sculpture while still maintaining realism. “I was in second grade when I first saw this movie, and I was fascinated with the animation of the horses’ movements,” she said. “I loved watching how the horses moved, especially when they were running. To this day, I am still fascinated with how animals move and the anatomy behind their movement.”
Nedds confessed that she does not believe she would be where she is today without UF. “Not only academically, but I also learned life skills that have been crucial to running my business,” she added. “All of my classes and experiences at UF, even those not related to art or business, added to my growth as a person. I cannot think of any class or experience in which I did not gain something crucial.”
The exhibit closes on August 10^th, so plan a trip to the University of Findlay soon to catch Nedds’ work along with others’. It’s sure to leave you feeling enchanted!