Annalisa Merrilees
BA (Hons) Painting // Gray’s School of Art ’18
“Painting is a deeply personal experience. The intimacy between an artist and the canvas are a rare moment that, to some, will never be understood. My paintings capture the viewer’s attention, and for a moment, give them a glimpse into my frame of mind while making the work. The paintings are very much about touch. Delicately painted over a long period of time, the work appears at first to be mechanically made but reveals it to be the product of a careful hand. My process derives from an interest in the mental limits of the body and the subsequent physical effects. There is a visible struggle between control and chaos, which comes from my monomaniacal tendencies. Each piece has a set of routines that must be followed and completed in as close to one sitting as possible. The use of a random number generator to allocate colours to the base grid allows the painting to begin its life illogically. By removing myself from this responsibility, it initiates a dialogue and set of problems, which I then respond to. The random and deliberate actions come together to create a sufficient formal balance within the work”.
Artworks
11
Mixed media on canvas
45 x 45 cm
POA
12
Mixed media on canvas
45 x 45 cm
POA
13
Mixed media on canvas
20 x 20 cm
POA
14
Mixed media on canvas
20 x 20 cm
POA
17
Mixed media on canvas
20 x 20 cm
POA
18
Mixed media on canvas
20 x 20 cm
POA
19
Mixed media on canvas
20 x 20 cm
POA
81
Mixed media on canvas
57 x 57 cm
POA
114
Mixed media on canvas
100 x 80 cm
POA
2563
Mixed media on board
41 x 28.5 cm
POA
26
Oil on board
30 x 42 cm
POA
142
Oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm
POA
153
Oil on board
59 x 84 cm
POA
040221
Oil bar and oil paint on canvas
19 x 28 cm
POA
Orange and Magenta
Oil and coloured pencil on paper
14 x 19 cm
POA
Education
2020 – 2021
Correspondence Course, Turps Art School, London.
2014 – 2018
BA (Hons) Painting, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
2013 – 2014
BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Edinburgh College, Edinburgh.
Exhibitions
2021
When are you going to make a real painting?, The Rafiki Gallery, Edinburgh (online).
195th RSA Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (online).
2020
FLOW – Members’ Winter Exhibition, Visual Arts Scotland (online).
Exh 04, Floorr Magazine (online).
194th RSA Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (online).
2019
Xmashup, Upright Gallery, Edinburgh.
Platform for Emerging Arts 23, Leyden Gallery, London.
Frame of Mind, Upright Gallery, Edinburgh.
2018
20 Artists 20 Days, Upright Gallery, Edinburgh.
Best of Degree Show, Six Foot Gallery, Glasgow.
The Degree Show, Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen.
4th Year Painting Exhibition, Edinburgh Palette, St. Margaret’s House, Edinburgh.
2017
A Fleeting Moment, Hatch, Aberdeen.
2016
Looking Forward, Pentland Fine Art, Edinburgh.
2014
The Great Big Art Show, Edinburgh College, Edinburgh.
Awards
2018
The Gordon Brown Memorial Prize for Painting
Visual Arts Scotland Graduate Showcase Shortlisted Artist
Collections
2018
Robert Gordon University Art and Heritage Collections
Press
2020
RSA Annual Exhibition Online 2020 review, The Scotsman.
2019
Frame of Mind Exhibition Review, artmag.