Artist Bio.

Melissa J Merritt Artist Bio.

Melissa Merritt is an exhibiting member of the Santa Fe Society of Artists and the Santa Fe Artists Market.  She is inspired by the natural world and enjoys capturing the colors and textures of nature.  Melissa has an affinity for plants and an unconventional perspective that shapes her compositions.  She works predominantly in watercolor and occasionally in mixed-media collage. Her work is part of many private collections in Santa Fe, Austin, Fort Worth, Chicago, Nashville, and New York.  Melissa studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she received a B.F.A. in Illustration and an A.A.S. in Jewelry Design.  She later studied in Florence and was accepted into an artist residency at the Byrdecliffe Artist Colony in Woodstock, New York.  Melissa completed her art specialist certification at Parsons School of Design, New School University and completed her M.A. in Art and Art Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.  Melissa is the visual art educator at the Rio Grande School in Santa Fe.

Melissa uses transparent Schminke watercolors on stretched Arches watercolor paper.  The paintings are coated with Golden archival varnish to protect against UV light and reduce light damage.  Giclées made with archival ink on acid-free German Etch Hahnemuhle paper are also available.