Artist Statement
“Much of my childhood was spent in my parents’ garden; I remember happily wandering among the rows of myriad vegetables and towering 10-foot-tall giant sunflowers. They had no trouble getting me to eat freshly picked vegetables, like sweet peas and tomatoes. So paintings like “Backlit Sunflowers” are often a combination of formal painting challenges (how do I convey bright orange sunflowers in shadow?) and a chance to recognize the influences of my parents."
-- Eric Merrell