Contact: merritt2871@yahoo.com Instagram: honeybeemerritt
Indian Paintbrush in Lime 16″ x 18″
Hot Orange Claret Cup Cactus 16″ x 18″
Hot Pink Yellow Prickly Pear 10″ x 18″
Morning Glory 10″ X 20″
Cholla Garden 40″ X 50″
Orange Prickly Pear 16″x 20″
Red Hedgehog Cactus 16″ X 20″
Madrid Coal and Native Grass 16″ x20″
Indian Rice Grass 20″x 24″
Echinacea 18″ X 20″
Agave 20″ x 30″
I photograph my subjects extensively before planning my compositions, taking time to look closely and enjoy the beauty of each plant, puddle or rock. This painting features an agave plant that bloomed outside our second story window, allowing for an unusual view into the heart of the crown of flowers. The plant was host to many pollinators including an army of hummingbirds and served as a great inspiration. Watercolor is my favorite medium because it is just like nature. Or better still, it is part of nature and lends itself so willingly to the cause-to honor the natural world and connect deeply with the plants and beauty that surrounds us. There is nothing so satisfying as watching the water flow and the colors bleed together to become the petals of a flower or the veins of a leaf. I use a grid technique to divide complicated reference into bite-sized pieces. Many artists throughout time, including Leonardo and Chuck Close, have used this method. It is a process for enlarging or scaling up, but also allows for a division of visual data. The real enjoyment comes with treating every shape as a tiny meditation, a practice of living in the moment. You can only ever paint one shape at a time.
Contact: merritt2871@yahoo.com Instagram: honeybeemerritt
Melissa J Merritt 