Artists do a kind of gymnastics with their creativity to produce works that are meaningful and stylistically unique. But John Meehan III, a full-time artist in his mind, he said, also coaches actual gymnastics “to consistently pay my bills.”

The Chester County, Pa.-based oil painter is known for his plein air and studio paintings of people on the beach. This year, as in many years past, he is participating in the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences’ 11th annual Plein Air Plus…