By:Xiomara Wilson
Some artists paint what they see. Kelsey Merkle paints what she believes deserves to be seen differently. By showcasing botanical paintings where technical realism meets imagination, her artworks capture women who break the norms of femininity and celebrate the power of being unapologetically different.
Painting Women Who Say No to the Norm
Merkle’s artistic vision challenges traditional views about how women should look, behave, and act to fit in. Her subjects are not passive figures or decorative fantasies. They possess their own authority, meeting the viewer’s gaze without surrendering their individuality.
“I’m drawn to beauty with backbone,” Merkle explains.
This approach to her work is also apparent in the mixture of botanical work with realistic portraiture. Flowers aren’t just for decoration; they’re part of the visual vocabulary she uses to explore strength, resilience, and self-identity.
Merkle is especially drawn to orchids. “They are these highly specialized, demanding, resilient, and misunderstood plants that thrive only in their preferred environment,” she says. “That resonates with me and how I see people who have been told that they are different because something’s wrong with them, when really that’s who they are.”
Her artwork captures this same idea-maybe some people are not hard to understand; they just need the space to flourish as their true selves.
A Grandmother’s Dream, Carried Forward
The roots of Merkle’s artistic independence came from her grandmother, June Pearl, a gifted creative who painted and made imaginative things. In the 1950s, June was awarded a full scholarship to the Fashion Institute of Technology, which her father refused to let her go to. Instead, she was sent to secretarial school.
Determined that her granddaughter would experience the freedom denied to her, June supported and persuaded Merkle to take up art.
Merkle thinks she is, in certain respects, living the dream her grandmother could not. That is what makes her interested in women who defy expectations and refuse to be smaller to fit in.
Precision With a Purpose
Merkle’s paintings combine imagination with the discipline of a technically demanding craft. After earning her Bachelor of Illustration from Sheridan College in 2016, she continued developing her practice through years of experimentation, exhibition, and professional work.
She is forever experimenting with new materials, textures, surfaces, and techniques, pushing herself to find that which is outside of what she already knows. Her keen eye for detail is very significant in her style, for even slight adjustments in the size of facial features alter the expression and spirit of the portrait.
But that skill was not to be her end. “For me, the painter needed to do more than their skill. It needs to work for the message, that which the eye can feel and translate or deconstruct,” she said.
Her work has received the Best of Show and first place awards at the Quaker Arts Festival, Lockport Outdoor Arts Festival, Lewiston Art Festival, Park Ave Summer Art Festival, and others. She was a student award winner and “One to Watch” for Applied Arts Magazine.
Original Art in an Age of AI
With AI-generated images on the rise, Merkle says it’s the human touch that will make a difference.
“In the end, I think original paintings have more to give than simply how they appear.” In an original painting, the artist’s encounters, observations, technical choices, and solutions are all embedded.
Merkle also sees opportunities to introduce younger generations to fine art collecting. People already purchase original artwork at conventions and independent artist events, demonstrating an interest that extends beyond traditional galleries. She believes the art world can encourage this enthusiasm by making collecting more approachable and strengthening connections between artists and audiences.
Creating Art on Her Own Terms
Merkle hopes to expand her recognition nationally and internationally while maintaining the freedom to experiment and develop new ideas. She wants collectors to connect with the meaning and craftsmanship behind her paintings, not simply their visual appeal.
For her, the deepest bond between artist and collector is formed through an authentic connection. Her art offers viewers the opportunity to discover the aspects of themselves that might appear a bit too weird, too outspoken, or too outlandish to accept.
Through her botanical portraits, Kelsey Merkle furthers her examination of beauty, identity, and free expression, making art that forces people to be seen as they want to be.
To know more about Kelsey Merkle and her work, visit kelseymerkle.com or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
