Monday, July 12, 2010

The gift of sight

This is for my artist friend Gerry Merriman. Gerry and I met while I was managing a small shop in Kennebunk one summer several years ago. Her sister Jane worked in the office of a survey company in the same building and she stopped in one day to tell me that her sister was an artist and made 'flower paintings'. Jane said her sister Gerry was a very prolific painter...with flowers, that is, and that she had hundreds of images of portraits, figures, landscapes, still lifes, ........all comprised of flower petals, leaves, stems, buds etc. She wondered if I would take some for the shop.
Jane mentioned that Gerry had diabetes since she was 12 and because of that had related health issues but continued to paint and create regardless. Needless to say I wanted to meet her and see her work.
Gerry came in the next day and we hit it off immediately! Gerry is vivacious, funny and passionate about her work. Her astonishing portfolio literally consists of book after book of her flower paintings...hundreds of beautiful works. The originals are small...done on 5 x 7 card stock. When finished they are photoed and printed on archival papers. Most images are enlarged to 8 x 10..some are much larger. I own about 10 from notecard size to poster. The images become even more powerful the bigger they are.
Gerry was on the verge of loosing her sight because of diabetes but she received a series of new laser treatments that prevented that from happening. Her short compelling testimony is on the link provided here..and also some of her work. http://wods.radio.com/2010/06/14/mass-eye-ear-patient-testimonials-gerry/
I am so grateful for the special care she's received and look forward to seeing many new 'flower paintings'.