About Andrea Merican

I have been captured by a love of creating art since I was very young. I have pursued art my entire life in one aspect or another. I have explored a variety of mediums since school age. I have drawn with pencil and charcoal and pastel. I have worked with oil paint for many years. I love pen and ink sketching. My work with watercolor began ten years ago. I had painted with watercolor on and off for years but really preferred oils. In 2011, I took a watercolor class at the Scottsdale Artists School. When my instructor did her first demo and taught us to allow watercolor to take on a life of its own, I exclaimed, “I didn’t know you could do THAT with watercolor!” I was instantly hooked. I decided to dedicate a full year to only painting with watercolor and really try to master the medium. I enjoy pushing the “rules” of watercolor. I didn’t used to admire the medium of watercolor because I thought it had to be pale, pastel and washed out looking. When you eliminate the stereotyped ideas of watercolor and actual play with the medium, you can push it in ways that are quite surprising. I like to have a continual play of transparent and opaque, bold strokes and soft delicate areas, geometric spaces and curving flowing lines. This push-pull of techniques and design elements keeps the viewer engaged and excited as they explore the painting. My approach is not traditional and that is what I love about it. I have recently started exploring painting with oils and cold wax which I really love. Creating texture with these materials adds another element to the creative process that I don't get to use when working in watercolor. I would really love to market my work through Artfinder as a way to connect with art collectors looking for original works of art from professional working artists. Your platform showcases that direct and personal connection which is so needed in the overall art world.