As a child, Painter/Sculptor
Merry Scotland developed what has become a lifelong interest in
animals, particularly horses and dogs, as a subject of art as
friends and companions.
Early on, Merry began painting, drawing and sculpting these
animals which had long been so important in her life. Her earliest
works were executed in pen and ink. She quickly progressed to
acrylics, starting with head studies and moving on to full figure
portraits with landscape backgrounds. Soon interested in several
other facets of the visual arts, she began to treat her subject
matter in sculpture, starting with clay and leading to limited
editions in bronze.
Merry's chief influences as a young artist were Roger Troy
Peterson, Bob Abbott, Guy Coheleach and a number of other noted
wildlife and animal artists. She has always been primarily
interested in the realistic rendering of her subject matter.
 A
career in breeding, training and rearing race horses, jumpers and
American Saddlebred show horses enabled Merry to develop a more
thorough and discerning understanding of these animals. She has also
owned dogs of many breeds, including Labrador retrievers,
Dachshunds, Irish Setters, terriers and mixed breeds throughout her
life. It is this close association with animals that has enabled
Merry to portray them so successfully in her art.
Particularly appealing to Merry have been subjects such as polo
matches, race horses, field trials and African wild life. Subjects
she has treated in many different perspectives in various media
including ceramic designs and China painting, architectural tile
designs and jewelry. These items are available in a number of stores
around the country.
In addition to her realistic painting, Merry displays a
delightfully creative humor with some of her humanized dog
portraits. Examples of both can be seen on the following pages.
Merry's work is included in private collections throughout the
world, including those of Oleg Cassini, Alfred Vanderbilt and Burt
Reynolds. She has designed jewelry for Gucci.
Merry Scotland's other interests in the arts extend to music.
An accomplished pianist, she is especially fond of Dave Brubeck,
Dave McKenna, George Gershwin, Hoagie Carmichael and many of the
classical composers. Her paintings reflect the music in her soul.
|
|
