BRIAN Merriman relocated with his family to Papua New Guinea in 1965, first to Port Moresby and after one year, on to Rabaul.
Brian recalls there was young child in Year 4 who was an excellent drawer and Brian copied everything he did.
He has vivid memories of the town being ablaze with colour – the Tolai people were wearing colour, the landscape was tropical and colourful and the sea and coral reef were inspiring. Although he didn’t realise it at the time, those imposing factors influenced his artistic life.
From the age of 12, Brian would travel to Brisbane to attend boarding school from 12 years old in Year 7, and the art and music programs were paramount to the college ethos.
A chance meeting with a parent, Dixie Lambert who was not only a sculptor but held a position at the Queensland College of Art, basically fast tracked his inclusion into the Diploma of Fine Art course in 1977.
It was the era of the Bjelke-Peterson government, when art school and nude models were not considered morally correct for the conservative government of the time, but, wow, what a time to explore art.
Radical protests in the streets of Brisbane with radical ideas and paintings at the college.
With a preference for oil as his medium of choice, Brian loves the structure of oil painting over acrylic. It takes time to ensure the colour is clean, allowing layers and transparency.
With an array of subject matters, he has a particular passion for scapes and built environments.
With his recent move to Ipswich, Brian established his home studio where he spends time creating pieces that have much local inspiration.
He is also working on new works for an upcoming exhibition at the Ipswich Community Gallery, as well as works for the Ipswich Art Awards, Redlands Art Show, Black Snake Creek Art Show and Vacant Assembly block show.
You can follow Brian’s art journey via Instagram @merriman12 and if you would like further information about Brian’s work, he can be contacted via email at bmfineart@hotmail.com.
