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Biography
Full biography of the great American watercolorist and sculptor, Daniel Merriam.
In 2007, Merriam's work was introduced to Europe through a group exhibition that toured museums in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Nice. In 2008, Merriam's paintings were hung along-side original works by Salvador Dali in Sedona, AZ.
Artwork
Regarded as one of the world’s foremost watercolorists, Daniel Merriam has captured the hearts and curiosities of collectors worldwide. His paintings are dreams in full color that invite the viewer to join a journey into the imagination, where the worlds of reality and fantasy collide in an explosion of color, shapes and symbolism. Browse Animazing's diverse and beautiful collection of Merriam originals & graphics.
Books
Merriam's exhibitions throughout the USA have received rave reviews. In 1998, Monarch Editions published The Art of Daniel Merriam: The Impetus of Dreams, which captured selections from a decade of the artist’s work. In 2005 the book was inducted into the permanent archives of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Since then, Daniel released his second book, The Eye of a Dreamer, which was introduced here at Animazing Gallery in 2007.
Events
Next Show: November 7th, 2008, 6-9PM at Animazing
The world renowned watercolorist returns to Animazing Gallery with an unparaleled collection of new original paintings. More news, along with the exhibition, will be on our website as the event draws nearer. Be sure to check our events page for up-to-date information, and to RSVP.
Born in 1963 in York, Maine, Daniel Merriam grew up in Naples, a rural town within the vast, quiet spaces of Central Maine. One of seven children in a creative, artistic family, he taught himself to paint at a very young age and used his art as a method of reflective play throughout his childhood. He studied mechanical and architectural design at the Central Maine Vocational Technical Institute. While still in school, he applied his dimensional skills and passion for architecture in the family’s design and construction business.
He then turned his talents to the commercial art field, working as an architectural and commercial illustrator for a number of multi-national corporations. Merriam’s illustrations received numerous awards including several first-place Broderson Awards and the first-place New England Scholastics Press Association Award for his editorial cartooning.
Yet Merriam’s true passion remained painting the expression of his own vision. In 1987 he shifted his focus solely to fine art and had his first solo exhibition at Abacus Gallery in Maine. In the same year, the artist received an Honorary Masters of Humane Letters from the University of New England in recognition of the potential social contribution of his work. Since that time, Merriam has had over one hundred exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe.
In 1998, Monarch Editions, Inc. published The Art of Daniel Merriam: The Impetus of Dreams - selections from a decade of the artist’s work. The book’s second edition was published in 2002. The Impetus of Dreams was inducted into the permanent archives of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2005 and Peninsular Museum of Art in 2007. Merriam’s most recent catalogue reisonné The Eye of a Dreamer was released in October 2007. Both catalogues reisonné were included in the permanent library of the National Museum of American Illustration in 2007.
The artist’s work appears in Dreamscape: The Best of Imaginary Realism, Volume I and II, published by SALBRU PUBLISH (the Netherlands) in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Merriam has produced paintings for the covers of books by Paula Volsky and Neal Barrett Jr. published by Bantam Books, as well as for an international literary journal, Mid-American Review. Merriam’s work was used for the playbill of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare produced by the Tony® Award-winning McCarter Theatre in New Jersey.
Daniel Merriam has been interviewed on WCSH in Portland, Maine, KEYT in Santa Barbara, California, and KUSI News in San Diego, California. He has been the subject of feature articles in numerous national and international publications, such as Art & Antiques, IN New York, New Art International, The World & I, U.S. Art, and Watercolor Magic. Merriam’s work is included in the public collections of The Riverside Museum of Art in California, the Gesundheit! Institute in Virginia, and the Manhattan Club in New York, among others.
