Ann Lee Merrill is an artist whose love of the light and atmosphere of the low country are evident in her palette and the choice of subjects in her oil paintings. Ann has won many awards for her work in juried shows in the Charleston area. Most recently, she won best in show for her painting, Plein Air Study, 22 Church in Rain, in the Annual Charleston Outdoor Painters Association Paintout, which was juried by John Carrol Doyle. Other recent awards include the second place award for her painting, New Shoes, in the 2004 Mt. Pleasant Artist Guild Show sponsored by the town of Mt. Pleasant, the 2002 Peoples Choice Award in the First Federal Show and First Place in the 2002 Charleston Artists Guild Signature Show. Ann was the featured artist for Creative Spark's annual Art on the Beach event on Sullivan's Island in 2003. Ann's work has been chosen to be exhibited as part of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Piccolo Spoleto Festival Juried Art Exhibitions in Chraleston, SC.
As an art educator for 30 years, Ann has taught art at all education levels from 1st grade through college as well as adult education levels. During the year she lived abroad in Finland she continued her art instruction. She has work in purblic and private collections in the US and Finland.
Since moving to Mt. Pleasant in 1995, Ann has been an active exhibiting member of both the Charleston Artist Guild and the Mt. Pleasant Artist Guild. Ann has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with concentration in Drawing, Painting and Graphics from Wayne State University, a Masters Degree plus many additional hours of post-graduate work in art. Ms. Merrill continues to study and teach locally, attend workshops and be artfully inspired by the beautiful surroundings that are a part of living in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
