Renee Merrilees

Renee Merriless

About Renee Merrilees

I am an American Red Cross nurse working in the Apheresis department. I first began painting in California when a nursing co-worker invited me to join her painting class. I'm very gratefully she did because I've spent countless hours ever since escaping into the world of art! My life has been blessed by all the wonderful people I've met through my interest in art.

Painting was the catalyst for my husband and me to become members of the Lake Oswego United Methodist Church. One of the first things I did when we moved to Oregon was to look for a painting class. Reverend Boone White, then pastor or LOUMC, was a member of the class I joined in 1987. We've been painting together ever since, expanding our friendship along the way to include artistic friends and to develop the LOUMC Art Group.

I've worked predominately in oils, which have a very forgiving nature in application. In the past few years I've branched out to explore the use of other media such as pastels and colored pencils.

I enjoy painting people and am fascinated with the diversity of colors that comprise the spectrum of human skin tones. I also enjoy still-life painting. I have learned a lot by studying the masters and attempting to reproduce their work as exercise.

Creative expression through art helps me push myself to new limits and embrace new challenges. I find the lesson inherently applicable to every avenue of life.