It’s basically February, which mean’s Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Love or loathe this “Hallmark Holiday,” who wouldn’t be cheered up by a thoughtful gift right about now? To help you out, I’ve put together a little gift guide.
Need some personalized help? Don’t hesitate to drop me a line: merina@merseastudio.ca.
For your Galentine:
Sometimes you just need to call your bestie, the one who knows what you’re thinking without having to say it. Or better yet, say it with code! Let them know you’re thinking of them with a Morse code bracelet. Share an inside joke or a reminder of how much they mean to you. The best part is - no one is going to know what it says!
For Treat Yo’ Self:
A 14K gold island!? Why not, you deserve it. And if you’re feeling a little thrifty (hey, I get it!) I offer sterling silver or a 14K gold fill chain for an affordable option. Gold fill is a thin sheet of gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. Now, when I say thin, the gold is thicker than any gold plated jewellery and there’s no worry of it wearing off. All this is to say, no one will know the difference (I’ll never tell 😉)
For Mama or Your Daughter:
Gift them a tiny island, lake, or country to keep near their heart. A reminder of a special place or a special time, and you! The special person who gave it to them.
For Those You Want to Keep in Touch With:
Let them know you’re thinking of them with a greeting card. Remember the days when mail brought joy to our homes? Let’s bring that back. This greeting card collection is a set of 5 unique paintings.
Each card is a piece of art in itself and can be framed as a mini print.
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There’s just something about the contrast of this composition that my eye loves. Maybe it's the luscious petals against the nearly black background, or the refraction of the mason jar, the condensation of the metal water pitcher... so much good stuff going on! Little did I know when I picked up my brush to start, each of these components is a challenge to paint and I would struggle with each one.
The inspiration came from a photo taken while brunching at the Smugglers Cove Pub in the Cadboro Bay Village, circa 2015. Affectionately know as "Smugs", was high in the dining out rotation while I lived in the area. My favourite table was located upstairs on the balcony, this photo was take at the server station. The fair is mainly pub food, but I remember they trialed a weekend brunch during that summer. The waffles were my go-to.
I learned so much from painting this. And honestly, with all the repainting I did I’ve probably painted this 10 times over. It taught me the art of letting go, and to not allow any one part to become precious to the detriment of the piece as a whole.
Athletes talk about “putting in the miles” and I find the same thing applies to painting. I need to paint something over and over again to figure it out. These paintings are my miles.
I worked each component separately, the flowers, the pitcher, the jar, the menu, the background and I found that once I was happy with one area, the last thing I painted no longer worked. I’ve learned to build up a painting to the same level of detail at the same time. This results in less redoing and painting over lovely details.
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This was the start. This image. As soon as I’d snapped the shot of the cat with my phone camera I knew I wanted to create art from it. Do you ever get the feeling?
I fell in love with the composition, the green of the cat’s eye, the detail in the fur.
Now for the humbling part. My skill set wasn’t up to snuff. At this point, in 2013, I wasn’t painting and hadn’t painted since first year university. I remember painting mermaids while listening a recording of Silvia Plath reading her poetry and the haunting feeling of a voice from beyond the grave. It was a whole mood.
Anyways, by 2015 I had started painting again. I remember having to relearn colour theory so as not to mix mud, to use value to convey shape and form, and pay attention to how I wanted to guide the eye through a painting. I focused on painting from photographs, mainly water and whales, matching colours and changing the surface of a canvas from flat to rippling waves. Still I wasn’t yet ready to tackle the complex texture and colours of kit cat fur.
In the year 2020 I was ready. A few months into the pandemic I was in need of a project to take my mind off the case counts, the doom scrolling, debating mask wearage (there was so much we didn’t know). It was time to tackle this painting to see if I could do it justice. It took a couple of sessions, much repainting to understand the background, many layers to get the fur just right. The eye was the only part that came easy.
My goal has never been photorealism. More impressionistic. I like to use photos I’ve taken, knowing that there is something a camera (phone) can’t quite capture. I try to add this in with my brushstrokes and colour choices. Two years later I have painted 30 of these little paintings inspired by the style of my Instagram feed circa 2013-2016.
The series really became a love letter to Instagram.
To what it was before stories and reels.
Before the algorithm took over.
Check out the gallery for more of the series.
]]>Have you seen it yet? If not, how come? I love the movies that come out of the A24 production studios. I find them rich in visuals and interesting existential story telling. As an artist I take inspiration from everywhere and put it on a canvas.
Usually my process starts in a sketchbook where ideas, concepts, and compositions are worked out. After watching EEAAO for the first time I was so inspired I jumped right to into painting.
I had 4" round panels prepped with gesso and ready to go. I'd been holding onto these for a while, not quite sure what to do with a round panel - and this was perfect!
Here's the secret. This black bagel was painted without using black paint. Instead, red, yellow, and blue (and white) acrylic paints were mixed to create the darkest dark possible. As I mixed white to create the different dark and light values I thought about how interesting it was that I was taking "all the colours" (since an entire spectrum can be mixed with the 3 primaries) and essentially putting every colour on a bagel.
Mixing black is one of the tricks up my artist sleeve. I find the blacks I mix always result in a richer finished painting, where as pre-mixed tubes of black fall flat. I can control the black by leaning it cool or warm. I decided to mix the bagel slightly blue, which results in a cool tone. If you've seen the movie you'll understand why this fits.
I've released an open edition print of the "Put Everything On A Bagel". Just look at those luscious brush strokes conserved in the printing process. The bright white paper is think and buttery smooth. This is the difference a fine art print makes! Perfect for framing.
Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet, check out the official trailer here.
]]>For me, inspiration has always come from the natural world. I draw from my own personal experiences as a marine naturalist and field researcher; such as the fact that killer whales here are individually recognizable or the feeling of seeing one lone tree remaining in a clear cut area, and concepts I studied in school; such as the conveyer belt theory of ocean currents.
I find this stage in the process endlessly energizing and exciting. I have learned over the years though, that if I want to see my ideas come to fruition I must take the time to work through each subject that I am captivated by. For me, this is where the work begins.
THE SKETCHBOOK
Common among writers is the practice of setting a timer or number of pages and just write. I choose one subject from my current list of inspiration and begin a study. I have pages of study, dissecting a Douglas fir tree for example; I study the shapes, I teach my hand the lines I want it to create, drawing it from all angles, examining its parts up close and personal, asking what does the texture of the bark remind me of? What elements make this tree a Douglas fir?
This is all very cerebral, but as ideas begin to come together I work intuitively as well. For me, much of my work has a balance of elements that I've really looked close at, that I've drawn out, played with in my mind, that have meanings and associations, AS WELL AS elements that just felt really, really good.
CONSTRUCTION
This is often the only part the men like to hear about; the tools, the fire, the temperature ranges and chemical composition. Men I’ve met who can’t relate to the artistic side of my work, light up when I start talking about tools. I’m speaking their language.
I tell them of the tiny hand saw I use to cut my components from thick sheet silver with a blade thinner than a piece of pencil lead.
I tell them of my acetylene torch, which looks similar to a plumber’s torch but the heads are very different. A jeweller's flame is quiet and focused as heat control is the difference between solder flowing and silver melting.
I tell them of the ergonomically balanced hammers I just bought that are worth every penny, while my favourite pliers are cheap cheap cheap.
FINISHING
There is a machine in my studio that polishes and strengthens my pieces with thousands of tiny hammers.
Chain components are attached, along with any finishing touches.
The black patina is applied. My signature finish.
Next, I hand buff, satin finish or polish my finished pieces which takes a lot of extra time BUT it selectively removes the patina to highlight the details.
Almost done, but not quite yet...
RELEASE TO THE WORLD
The privilege of a reclusive artist is a myth. Or, as Barbara Kingsolver’s publisher said, “a starving artist has that privilege.”
It’s my job to get the jewellery I’ve brought to fruition into the hands of the woman they are meant. This step involves photographing, writing a description - explaining both the inspiration and the specs of the piece, using a pricing formula to calculate price - which is no easy feat as you can see how much time and energy goes into the process, networking, selling, social media-ing, writing for the blog and newsletter.
]]>Time spent in the forest, combing the beach has always fuels my work to be sure. Lately my thoughts lately have been filled with old growth trees, the shape of a whale’s fin and the physics of light on water. My hands are struggling to keep up. Bringing an idea to tangible form takes time.
I’ve started making it a point to get those ideas out of my head and into my sketchbook, my pinterest page. Cleaning space for me to think.
Lately I’ve been thinking on:
It was in the 60’s that Grandpa purchased our plot of land. He chose a spot perched on a clifftop overlooking a shallow bay to build our little cabin. That smell, unique to buildings made completely from wood, is forever engrained in my memory. I’d study the patterns in the woodgrain of the panelled walls and the worn wooden floors, seeing spiders and faces of old men.
Our days were dictated by tidal rhythms and weather conditions. Low tide was for combing the beach for washed up treasures and turning rocks to peak at creatures hidden beneath. Afternoons were spent arranging our bounty along windowsills and in the old fishnet. On the walls hung mementos, photographs, feathers, the biggest and most beautiful sea shells found that summer. Hours slipped by sitting at the table pouring over field guides, sketching what we’d seen, learning about everything from whelks to whales. Calm days called for boat trips to explore other islands. Windy days were for swimming at the lake or seeking out secret places in the forest. In the evenings when the tide came in we could leap from the rocks into the water without fear of the dreaded seaweed tickling our toes. Sundown meant epic meals with friends and family, roasting marshmallows, swimming in the bioluminescence and playing boardgames until eyelids became heavy . Sister and I would lie in our bunk recounting the day’s adventure, bodies tired but souls brimming with happiness.
Those summers I learned to be a naturalist, to observe wildlife and notice the subtle signals of the outside world. I know the rocks on those beaches like I know my living room furniture (if we go there I’ll show you the rock where a momma bull sculpin lays her eggs every year). I learned to read the clouds and the water, to predict weather and make decisions accordingly. I learned to fish, to dock a boat, to tie knots. I learned where to set the crab traps and find the juiciest berries.
This Home Is Where The Heart Is Pendant is inspired by those summers.
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