Student Testimonials

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‘Merill was fabulous – very accessible, generous with her time and knowledge – very affirming, curious and a good listener, good sense of humor.  She knows not only her subject but also art from many genres and eras.  Her conceptual thinking and ability to communicate is inspiring.’  P.L.

 

‘You created a space that was so safe and supportive. I felt completely exposed and completely cared for. It is allowing me to molt into the next phase of my life. You also demonstrated the importance of human contact, connection, and creation. I lose track of how technology has seeped into my life, and now I am more aware.  Thank you very (times a zillion) much.’  B.

 

‘Merill is thought provoking and infectious.  I want to soak in her essence to encourage me to “live out loud” more.  Her instructions are clear, her suggestions are fuel for growth.’  K.

 

‘Thank you so much for a stimulating and helpful workshop in multimedia. There are times in your life when you find the right thing and for me, and my quest to get out of my art rut, your class was “it”.  Your generosity as a teacher was one of the attributes that astounded me the most. Not only supplying us with a plethora of materials, techniques, and personal tips, you were tireless in your ability to provide personal, spot-on and thorough feedback. I marveled at your ability to do this with all of us, even as we were all working in different styles and with a variety of materials and background experience. You have a wealth of information about artists and techniques that are always interesting. I think this is enriched, not only by your curiosity and pursuit to keep current with art shows, residencies and contacts, but also by your varied educational background including fine arts, architecture and design.’ 

 

‘I really appreciated your organization of the workshop. You obviously planned for each day and how to make the most of our time. There was a logical flow and inclusion of important topics with a good balance of work time and discussion. I think this is so important when working with professional adults, who have high expectations for their time and goals. I also liked the way you set some “ground rules” which immediately placed us in a position of trust for you and our classmates and the space we would occupy together.’ M.M.

 

‘Merill I have to say seeing you lead a class was as much an advantage, as the content of the workshop.  I would like to channel you in any of my teaching endeavors. You are a great role model.’ B.M.

 

‘I would gladly sign up for additional classes. You are organized, encouraging and are able to really listen and hear what your students are saying and asking. Your class for the stitch club was so well structured and inspiring. I was super impressed and have tried to model my first voyage into online teaching on what you accomplished. I do wish I had a better support team, but I am managing.  Thank you for your generosity in taking on this commitment to teaching and building community.’ D.

 

‘Merill is a thoughtful mentor. She is attentive to participants possible needs for privacy/confidentiality making her a good leader. She is open and shared her own examples, diagrams and processes to the group which was very helpful.’ J.S.

 

‘This course met all expectations – best of all mapping the way to find my voice.  Empowering life experience to translate my ideas.’ M.B.

 

‘This was a wonderful workshop – it made you think, reflect, remember, question.  You had each of us think beyond the box.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.’ N.H.F.

 

‘Merill is an incredible instructor.  Her class was thought-provoking, compassionate, idea-sparking, validating, and has inspired me to do more fearless exploring and incorporating these new ideas into my work.  She gave me some exciting new directions and so much helpful information.’ C.B.

 

‘You are a great teacher, you gave us the tools and showed us how to implement them and led good discussions. The digital format might be challenging for this kind of workshop, but I thought it worked really well. I liked that we had enough time between sessions to think deeper about the content, I’m not good at that in a classroom setting and I needed the homework and small group meetings.  You were very well prepared, even doing all those powerpoints in the last session and helped the group by generously sharing all the techniques that work for you. Thank you so much! (hug teacher virtually)’ R.M.

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P.J.'s letter of thanks: 'Merill, I want to write and thank you for leading such a deeply fulfilling workshop these past four days. I feel like I got a taste of artist heaven for a few days. It was an immense luxury to forget about the outside world, focusing on art alone and under the guidance of such a fantastic teacher. It was an inspiring and invigorating experience. I appreciate how you really took the time to get to know each of us on a deeper level, providing individual guidance and insights to help us advance along our unique artistic paths. 

Aside from the luxury of so much studio time, my favorite part may have been seeing your work and hearing you speak about it. It inspired me to expand my techniques and incorporate diverse materials into my work. 

I honestly can’t think of anything I wish we’d skipped or added in. Maybe more insights into the business and practical side of creating art and exhibiting it? That kind of knowledge is hard to come by. 

But that’s my only real suggestion, as it was a truly wonderful workshop. I can’t wait until I am able to do another one! In the meantime, I will try to keep the momentum of this experience going amid the hectic juggle of real life responsibilities. A few hours a week at my dining room table isn’t ideal, but I’ll do what I can with it.

I’ll keep a look out for future workshops you’re teaching and trust that our paths will cross again soon.' P.J.