Exhibitions:

Solo Exhibition 250 artworks, Gallery 307 Northbridge, Sydney 2005
Solo Exhibition Marthas Gallery, Castle Crag, Sydney 2012
Solo Exhibition Du Moulin Gallery, Annandale, Sydney 2016
Solo Exhibition Mosman Rowers Club, Mosman, Sydney 2014
Seaforth Art Group Bathers Pavilion Gallery, Balmoral, Sydney 2011
Southern Highlands Art Show Burrawang Art Centre, Burrawang NSW 2010
Barker College Art Show Hornsby, Sydney 1990, 1994
Knox College Art Show Turramurra, Sydney 1996
The Kings School Art Show Parramatta, Sydney 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993

Merilyn Chappel

With a background in journalism and interior design, Merilyn is a bold and adventurous mixed media artist with her own gallery in the northern Sydney suburb of Dural. Originally specialising primarily in watercolours, her move to an extensive use of multi- media along with her strong sense of colour and design means she is now producing an array of exciting and unusual artworks. Merilyn has been painting for over 25 years and with this evolving style her subject matter too has expanded to encompass various themes from large Australian landscapes to intimate European street scenes; from bunches of brilliant green asparagus to piles of bright cerise cherries; from rustic Australian drovers to fine Parisian ballet dancers; from frenetic Sydney harbour racing scenes to calm beached rowing boats; from Mary Jane buckle-ups to Jimmy Choo stilettos ;from large eyed Australian cows to comical African giraffes – even an old worn sandshoe gets a look in!
“ Experimenting with a range of mediums and painting a wide variety of subjects has kept me stimulated and has meant my art hasn’t become static and stereotyped” says Merilyn. “ I am always excited to find a new subject and to perfect a new style – it keeps my art alive and fresh.”
Merilyn has exhibited in various shows in Sydney and the Southern Highlands, but having been selected to add her gallery to the Arcadian Artists Art Trail and Exhibition several years ago, concentrates on this annual exhibition. Her gallery is open by appointment.

Gallery/Other Contacts:

Visit my Studio – Any time, by appointment.

Phone 02 9651 3742 / 0403 139448

www.arcadianartists.com.au

Some of My Work is Featured Below.

Merilyn Chappel

An interior designer and journalist, Merilyn Chappel has been painting for over 25 years. Initially a watercolour artist, her work has evolved to encompass other mediums including acrylics and inks, but more recently mixed media. This foray into mixed media has resulted in uniquely textured, impressionistic works but these still exhibit Merilyn’s dramatic use of colour and design. Merilyn’s subject matter varies considerably from large dramatic landscapes to small interiors; from bold and colourful fruits to sensitively painted flowers; from Australian stockmen to French villages; from African giraffes to Australian dairy herds; from Sydney sailboats to outback towns – even shoes, hats and teacups have a look in!

“I adore painting,” says Merilyn, “particularly impressionistic painting where the colour and design is an integral part of the composition rather than my works being a a realistic portrayal of the subject.”

By constantly experimenting with a wide variety of mediums, techniques and subject matter, Merilyn’s body of work is a large body of exciting work which is constantly evolving.

Some of my highlights

My Art Philosophy

I adore painting – from the gathering of interesting painting reference material to the feel of a loaded paint brush in my hand sweeping over thick rag paper. As a painter, my eye is constantly on the lookout for something interesting, something fun, something colourful, something exotic, something unusual – something to paint! Everything has the potential to be painted or interpreted in a painting – and my works with their diverse array of subjects, techniques, designs and colour, are testament to this search.

So, this is the excitement of painting – observing and then encapsulating all the beautiful details of the landscape and of life -from the huge sweeping landscapes of the Australian bush to the tiny lady beetle balancing on a leaf; from the fragile porcelain Chinese bowl to the rugged leather of a pair of old riding boots: from the gossamer winged dragonfly to the solid African elephant; from the quaint open door of an Australian country cottage to the ancient stone buildings of an Italian piazza; from an intimate conversation between friends sitting on a park bench to the roar of the traffic on a busy New York avenue – these are the joys of the subjects that I paint.

My Work Process

My camera is never far from my side as everything and everybody is a potential subject. I do tend to work on the same type of subject for a while so the theme may be the Australian outback, African giraffes, Southern Highland cows, Mudgee wineries, Sydney Harbour yacht races, Designer shoes, bunches of freshly picked vegetables, bowls of fresh fruit, French windows and doors, farm animals like chickens and pigs – the list is endless. I often work on the same subject in a variety of ways either in pure watercolour or in mixed media. The subject on the other hand often dictates the style. For example, if I am painting a clove of garlic with its bulbous papery cloves, applying rough textures of gesso prior to the paint gives the painting a gorgeous three dimensional feel. If I am painting a busy New York avenue which is a riot of colour, noise and movement, I tend to use collage, drawing, ink, paper and paint to capture the life and excitement of the scene. Pure watercolour works wonderfully well when painting fresh fruit such as peaches and plums as the luminescent glow of the medium reflects the soft texture of the fruit. Once I have worked out my subject, medium and design, I work with bold strokes. As one of my early teachers said to me, “ plan what you are going to paint and how you are going to paint it carefully, then apply the paint quickly and boldly. This way your work will remain fresh and vibrant and you won’t produce mud!”

The final stage of the artwork is selecting the framing for the piece. I tend to use a limited range of frames which always have clean, elegant lines, As a rule I lean towards large mouldings and wide matt boards to enhance the dramatic nature of most of my artworks.

My Favourite Places and Things to Do. My Inspiration

I live in the middle of the Australian bush which I adore for its solitude and clean country air. But I find that the countryside all over Australia provides a unique form of inspiration with its large country properties, enchanting cities and towns and its idyllic coastline. But I also love to travel the world exploring foreign lands and cities – always remaining on the lookout for new painting themes and ideas. My problem is that there will never be enough time to put all of my ideas to paper! However, it is the painting journey, not the destination, which is important, after all.

Meet with Merilyn Chappel at the NEXT EXHIBITION & ART TRAIL: 11 - 12 NOV 2017

A unique exhibition... Eight working studios... More than fifty Artists & Artisans...
All on a meandering country drive...