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There is nothing that interests me more than the marks left behind.

First, formally my art work is about the physical marks left on the paper. I enjoy working with permanent marker. I like the hardness of the line, the permanence of the mark. I use small lines to create small textures that build to form the greater composition. I use overlap of lines to create interest, randomness, and sometimes pattern. I like the buildup of tiny lines to create a larger picture. Even when not working in marker, I enjoy the marks of any particular media. I like art with a process, a history, and a starting point.

Second, the subject matter and the influences of my art are about the elusive marks that are left behind.  All experiences, good and bad, leave a mark. They may leave us saddled with baggage, with fullness or heart, or a void that continues to gnaw. I forever will be fascinated with the dynamics of a various relationships and how they alter who we are.  As a mother, I feel that nothing on earth has changed or will change me more than becoming a mother. Many pieces of my art attempt to illustrate the bond and love I feel in relation to my daughter.  Other works capture not only the void, but also the scars left behind after a failed relationship, an abandonment, or defeat.

Finally, my art work is a marriage between the formal elements of the composition and the intangible elements of life.

Alison Merritt