Merrilees is a London-born artist and writer who now calls Colorado, just a stone’s throw from the Rocky Mountains, home. She studied Fine Art (Painting and Drawing) at the Glasgow School of Art and earned an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. She also completed a postgraduate qualification in art and design education and has taught middle and high school students, bringing a thoughtful, hands-on approach to creative learning.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Across all mediums, her work explores quiet stories, emotional nuance, and the connections between animals and place.

Her debut as both author and illustrator, Spaghetti, A Mouse and His Treasure (Tundra Books / Penguin Random House), has been selected for the prestigious Original Art Show in New York and has received starred reviews.

Working primarily in charcoal and pastel, Merrilees’s illustrations are known for their warmth, movement, and subtle quirks. Her images create emotional connections through expression and gesture—a quiet celebration of the animal world and the stories it inspires.

Exhibitions

2019 The Society of Illustrators, Original Art Exhibit, New York

2014 Les ArtyChauts. Illustrations,  Paris 

2008  The Print Space Gallery, London

2006  The Barge house, OXO Tower Wharf, London. 

2003  Die OrgelFabrik, Durlach, Karlsruhe, Germany.

2002  Gedok Kunstlernen Forum, Karlsruhe, Germany.

2000  The Association Gallery, Ilford Professional portrait awards, London.

1999  National Portrait Gallery, BP Portrait Award, London.

1997  The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.