I had always dreamed of being an artist but only in recent years have I gotten serious enough to spend money on good paints, quality papers, and lessons. And finally, I have allowed myself to take the time needed to develop my skills. For about three years I have taken classes at the Abington Art Center and have sold paintings at the Bryn Athyn craft sale and from my home.

I work primarily with watercolors, using my own photographs of scenes I love in the Pennypack Preserve and around my home and town. On a beautiful day I enjoy going for walks with my camera, shooting scene after scene. Then, with the magic of my computer, I view my scenes—cropping some, printing some, and sometimes combining a few—until I am inspired to plan a painting. After carefully drawing in the main features, I proceed to applying color.

When a painting begins, there is a special excitement for me as the color starts to spread on the clean white paper. While the finished product is still a vision in my mind, there is the overriding thought that “maybe this one will be special.” The process of painting is challenging, exciting, tedious, frustrating, and totally absorbing. It truly has been a blessing in my recent years to find joy in this creative process.

My hope is that others will enjoy my attempt to preserve on paper what is sometimes a fleeting moment of beauty in the world around us.

pegmerrell@comcast.net