Governor's Gallery

Kara Lee Merrell
Preserving Beauty

February 16 thru April 16, 2004

A native Oklahoman, artist Kara Lee Merrell left a career in the professional business world in 1994 and began to cultivate her latent creative energies. In this exhibit of her work, Merrell displays her understanding of the hallmarks of classic still life painting established by 17th century European artists characterized by careful attention to draftsmanship, composition, and a sensitivity to the use of color, and of light. Many of the techniques used in the production of her work were handed down by the Old Masters—including her use of the maroger medium, an oil painting medium used to produce rich luminous color.

In the art of classic still life painting, the earliest known artists painted objects of various qualities in order to appeal to the human senses. Within this context, “my work bears strong affinities to the laid tables, fruit and floral still life painting from the 16th and 17th centuries.” Merrell excels in fooling the eye with sumptuous fruits, verdant botanicals, and beautiful objects, which tantalize our senses of sight, taste, and touch. “Texture and color are effects I enjoy exploring with highly polished surfaces such as copper, brass and silver.”

What makes these works so captivating and delightful is the artist’s sensitivity to balance and form, an understanding of color and light garnered from significant studies from nature. “I do not shy away from challenges in my work, but regularly position myself to learn and to be challenged. Thus, my work continues to evolve while developing subtle nuances, complexities, poetry, and life.” Such qualities are what define works of art that remain viable and collectible long after the artist created them.

The artist considers the training she received from David Leffel and Sherrie McGraw, also a native Oklahoman, both of whom taught at the Art Students league, to have been pivotal in her artistic development. “From them I gained a greater understanding of the vocabulary of still life painting, and of academic realism upon which classic still life painting rests.”

Merrell has participated in numerous invitational and juried exhibitions – including the prestigious Gilcrease Museum’s American Art in Miniature annual exhibition and the Oil Painters of America Midwestern Regional Juried Exhibition. She has accumulated several awards and one-person shows.

“My inspiration for painting comes from the need to preserve the beauty of nature by transferring what I see and the joy I feel onto canvas. Working with color and brush strokes I strive to paint the objects even more beautiful, so it will be timeless in the eyes of the viewer.”

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan or Karen Sharp at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov

Past Governor's Gallery Exhibits