When I first stepped into Merritt Gallery I knew it was a special place. I love being able to come into the Baltimore gallery every day and meet new people who enjoy our art as much as I do. I feel so lucky to be able to work in a place where the employees are passionate and take such care in what they do.

Every day, I get to manage and showcase these amazing pieces of art which truly feels like a gift. Coming from an art background and now working in a gallery surrounded by art every day, I feel that my perceptive of what makes art so beautiful and important has truly expanded. I get to see all different styles and meet the artists and see their inspiration, which inspires me in my own art and in my life.

Here are a few works by artists that I particularly enjoy:

Belassen has a gift of making her pieces feel like a sweet dream you don’t want to wake up from. Her use of proportion and layering makes her pieces very intricate and the space in them meaningful. In Vision Board, I see a surfer who lives and breathes the ocean. They are surrounded by ocean blue colors and are only focused on the search of the perfect wave ahead. This piece meant a lot to me when I first started working at the gallery as a person who grew up surfing and being near the ocean in South Carolina. The colors make me taste the salt water and feel the sun on my face, which makes this one of my favorite pieces in the gallery.

View more work by Belassen

Hunt Slonem, Blue Front Amazon

Animals are a great gift that we have in this world, but none are more colorful and talkative than the parrot. Blue Front Amazon by Hunt Slonem shines on the wall. Slonem plays with shades of emerald, jade, and gold, incorporating texture, and a composition that portrays the parrots playfully interacting with one another. The circular shape of the canvas also adds to the whimsical nature of this painting.

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Dennis Campay, Operator

The first day I came into the gallery, Operator by Dennis Campay was on the wall, and it simply blew me away with its incredible detail and interesting use of mixed media. The expressive lines, imperfect forms, and dynamic colors blend together to create a whimsical, dream-like atmosphere. He tells a unique story with each of his paintings and it is very special to be able to see his art in person, let alone be able to have it hanging on your wall.

View more work by Campay