Eric Merrell & David Grossmann
Southwestern view
Artists Eric Merrell and David Grossmann have found their niches painting Southwestern landscapes— often spaces that are quiet, contemplative or wide-open. They each spend time in the natural environment collecting ideas for their paintings, but in ways that are unique to their processes. On March 14, Maxwell Alexander Gallery in Los Angeles will present a two-artist exhibition featuring some of their newest works.
Merrell’s focus will be on remote spots that tend to be more peaceful and silent. He says, “Some of the paintings are of those in-between times around twilight, or ambient indirect light when the sun has gone out of view but the sun hasn’t quite set. Away from the heroic scenery so commonly associated with the West, these places have a complexity to them that I can engage with and start a conversation.”
The artist, who spends time on location observing, asking questions and sometimes making watercolor sketches or drawings, explains, “When I’m outdoors I’m trying to engage with the motif and gather relevant information—i want to find the most interesting design and color possible—creating a finished painting that will immediately go into a frame isn’t the goal. Varying my approach helps keep things fresh. I don’t want to get too comfortable.”
Among Merrell’s works in the show are At the Feet of Giants, which depicts saguaro cacti from a unique vantage point, and Ruled by Secrecy, featuring a valley that was traveled through by pioneers going to California.
Grossmann’s artwork in the exhibition is “inspired by fleeting moments. The fading colors of dusk, the first light of dawn [and] the phases of the moon all seem to hold an extra force, a stronger reminder of what has passed and what is yet to come,” he says. “These moments are often when I feel most alive, most connected and most at peace. I hope to convey some of those feelings through these paintings.”
Scenes Grossmann finds in western Colorado inspired many of the works he will bring to the show. He shares, “I live near the Utah border, and there is an openness and drama to the land here that is wonderful to experience.”
One particular area Grossmann paints is the Grand Mesa, which is the view east of his home. It comes alive in works such as Moon Rising Over the Grand Mesa. In explaining the piece, Grossmann says, “It is the world’s largest flat top mountain, and I love to watch how it changes with the shifting of light and seasons. It is especially striking just before sunset when the bright colors across the mesa are gradually overtaken by the shadows from the valley below.”
Other works including views from his studio are Fleeting Light Over the Bluffs, and the valley near his home that’s seen in Bright Clouds Over Mountain Pasture.