Doug Merrill

My nickname as a teenager was "foxtail," and yet it is bears that have been the focus of my art for quite a while. Living in the East Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada, for the last 14 years, I am happy to call myself a "mountain girl" with proud prairie roots.

My inspiration for my art often comes from hiking the forests' trails. The white-tailed deer that scamper past the trees set my imagination on fire as I picture them in my work. 

This summer, a black bear cub on the trail looked curiously at me and then scampered off! My aim is to capture the feeling of those experiences on canvas.

Most of my artwork is produced using acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas. I love the unframed look and feel of the thick canvas, which makes my art ready to hang.

For the past two summers I have been plein-air painting in oils. Responding to the scene in front of me takes me to a magical place and adds to the challenge of teaching my brain a different way of approaching art.

When you look at my artwork, my desire is that you will have an emotional connection that will speak to a memory or a feeling. Then I will feel successful as an artist.