Originally from California, Megan Belmonte studied painting, sculpture, and figure drawing at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco before pursuing a career in land conservation across the American West. She returned to painting full time in 2023 and now works out of her studio in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where she draws daily inspiration from the region’s coastal headlands, valley meadows, and cascade peaks.

Her oil paintings reflect an ongoing exploration of Western landscapes; particularly the light, space, and movement that define the Pacific coast and inland valleys. Drawing from California Impressionism and modernist color theory, Belmonte uses a vibrant, simplified palette to render open land and sky with clarity and emotional resonance.

Belmonte was a member of New Zone Gallery in Eugene, Oregon from 2023 to 2025, and her work is held in private collections throughout the Pacific Northwest. In June 2025, she was awarded First Place in the Open Division and the Artist’s Choice Award at the Willamette Valley Lavender Festival for her work “Where the Light Falls.” In September 2025, she was awarded First Place in the Oregon Society of Artists Oil Exhibition for her work, “Twilight Passage.”