 Eric
Merrell was born in Gilroy, California on April 24, 1978
and raised there and in Rochester, New York. Early studies during
high school included classes in figure and portrait painting with
Jim Smyth at the Pacific Art League of Palo Alto, California. Moving
back to the east coast after high school, Merrell took classes
with Al Gury at The University of the Arts and The Pennsylvania
Academy of Fine Arts, both in Philadelphia. After spending two
years in the city, he moved back to California, transferring to
Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. For a time during school
Merrell worked at the Norton Simon Museum, where the long hours
offered plenty of time to study and sketch from the collections.
He also worked for the California Art Club, researching archival
material and at one point interviewing Evelyn Payne Hatcher, the
daughter of Edgar and Elsie Payne, early CAC members. Graduating
from Art Center in 2001 and receiving a BFA with honors, Merrell
pursued painting.
His adventures have included many trips around California, throughout
the Sierras and the deserts, along the Pacific Coast, and a solo
cross-country painting trip to Philadelphia and back. In late 2002
Merrell traveled to France and painted in the countrysides and
cities of Lyon, Chamonix and Dijon, among many others. In April
2004 Merrell was invited to stay at the Old Battersea House in
London and paint along with ten other young artists; his paintings
were featured in a subsequent exhibition held at the Forbes Gallery
in New York City in January 2005. In 2009, Merrell was selected
as one of six artists from around the world for the Joshua Tree
Highlands Artist Residency in Joshua Tree, CA. In July 2010 Merrell
presented a solo exhibition at The Forbes Galleries in New York
City.
Merrell has appeared in publications such as American
Art Collector,
American Artist, the California Art Club
Newsletter, and Southwest Art. His work has been
exhibited at the Bennington Center for the Arts in Bennington,
VT; the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, CA; California
State University of Los Angeles, CA; Cape Cod Museum of Art in
Orleans, MA; the Long Beach Museum of Art in Long Beach, CA;
the Mission San Juan Capistrano Museum in San Juan Capistrano,
CA; the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Pasadena Museum
of History, both in Pasadena, CA; and the Frederick R. Weisman
Museum at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA.
Affiliations:
Artist Member of the California Art Club |
