Born in 1975 in London, Merrilees now lives in beautiful Colorado, just a stone’s throw from the Rocky Mountains. Her creative journey began with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Painting and Drawing) from the Glasgow School of Art, followed by a Master’s in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts.

Children’s Picture Books
Spaghetti, a Mouse and His Treasure (Tundra Books / Penguin Random House) marks Merrilees’s debut as both author and illustrator. She also illustrated Caspian Finds a Friend (Chronicle Books), which was selected for the prestigious Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. Merrilees’s illustrations, often in charcoal and pastel, capture charm, movement, and subtle quirks, creating emotional connections through gesture and expression—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.