The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Gaylordsville artist Bill Merklein to show paintings
— Gaylordsville artist Bill Merklein will have his paintings displayed in the Kent Memorial Library Gallery from Sept. 1 through Oct. 29 in an exhibit titled “A Rambling Brush.”
From a young age, Merklein says he has been blessed to have had a strong background in Ideas and the arts. His father, William, an engineering draftsman and artist, his mother (Norah), at one time a singer and dancer in the Metropolitan Opera created this setting.
From an early age, Merklein was exposed and immersed himself in this creative world, set against the backdrop of a very creative period in New York City’s history. Living across the street from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, his first sculpting clay was given to him by a student at Pratt. Later, after his father’s early death, a family friend and mentor, Dr. Bobrove, took him under his wing.
Dr. Bobrove collected art materials from several of his patients and presented a young Bill with his first paint set. While Bill came from a humble and at points difficult background he has had the great fortune to come across wonderful individuals who helped shape and guide his artistic path throughout his life.
The artist who had the foremost influence on Merklein’s work was Impressionist painter Bernard Lennon. Merklein first met Lennon at the impressionable age of 12 at the Washington Square Art Show in 1958. Merklein was fortunate enough to sit beside Lennon at the art show to listen and learn his thoughts on painting.
From his first meeting with Lennon until Lennon’s death, Merklein found his friendship and mentorship key to his own artistic journey, which remains with him to this day.
If asked to name the movement or artist who had influenced Merklein’s philosophy, it would be Robert Henri. He has read “The Art Spirit” countless times, and has found it an inspirational work across the span of his creative life. He recommends it to all students and friends.
Henri wrote, “Do whatever you do intensely. The artist is the man who leaves the crowd and goes pioneering. With him there is an idea which is his life.”
Merklein embodies this. In 1976, he walked away from his successful advertising job to pursue an artistic life and has never looked back.
“I’ve known Bill for many years and have watched his art career with great interest. A number of years ago when the hologram technology was first being used, a March 1984 National Geographic cover featured a hologram of an eagle. The eagle was actually a sculpture that Bill was commissioned to exeKENT cute,” said Gaylordsville artist, Susan Grisell.
In addition to National Geographic, he had many other commissions.
While Merklein’s successful work as a commercial sculptor and painter is impressive, ranging from his sculpture work with Hasbro, holographic sculptures for American Bank Note to his list of extensive commissions including sculpture models for Louise Bourgeois, military historical miniatures, and recently the Helen Browning Scripps Medal that was awarded to Senator Gabriel Gifford’s by Scripps College.
The driving force behind his creativity is the quest to be the best painter he can be and to share his knowledge and deep love of painting and sculpture with his students, he said.
Merklein has his studio and lives in Gaylordsville. He actively teaches painting and sculpting he can be reached at 860210-1770.
A reception to meet the artist will be held on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 29 from 2-4 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. To register, call 860-9273761; go to kentmemoriallibrary.org, or email kmlinfo@biblio.org.