Meredith Nemirov

"My walks in the aspen forests of the Rocky Mountains in Southwestern Colorado inspire and inform my work. I make on-site drawings depicting the light and weather, revealing the constantly shifting and changing landscape before me. The abstract work that I do in my studio is always based on what I personally experience in my natural environment. The change of seasons is of particular interest. "

The focus of Meredith Nemirov's work has been trees: primarily the aspen tree, but also the trees of Spain, where she spends part of each year. She considers the tree to be a figure in the landscape, and in her work, she plays with the figure/ground relationship. The more recent abstract pieces are a result of an intensive study involving 180 drawings of the trees, each day, through two seasons.

Nemirov fills sketchbooks with ink drawings, which are then scanned and printed as the basis for works on paper or oil on canvas. She uses patterns and linear elements to fill or "activate" all spaces in the painting. These are based on natural topography and graphic representations used by cartographers in the mapping of the West. Everything is drawn by hand using a steel nib pen with ink or gouache.

Nemirov started drawing the figure at age 14 at The Art Students League of New York, and she continues to this day. Nemirov received a BFA from Parson's School of Design and worked as a freelance illustrator for twelve years. She spent many years as a hand-colorist of antique prints for various print dealers. In 2008, she participated in a residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, which pushed her work in a contemporary direction.