Jordan Merlino

What initially drew you to abstract watercolor painting, and how did your style evolve over time?

I got involved with abstract watercolor painting during the Summer of 2014. I was creating a series of mindful and meditative watercolor pieces. Through that exploration, I was able to allow the watercolor to flow freely and relinquish control. I feel that my style has evolved over time through size, and with the addition of gouache. I tend to work larger now than ten years ago.

Jordan Merlino | Silent Night | 2024

You mention that your work is a healing journey. Can you elaborate on how art has played a role in your personal healing process?

Creating art is a very healing act. Sometimes I have so many thoughts in my brain. When I make these paintings, things get quiet and reflective. I’ve struggled with mental health for a very long time. In 2021, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. I started taking art seriously as a way to cope after the diagnosis. I like to think that creating these paintings is a way to stay alive.

Jordan Merlino | Storm | 2024

How do you intuitively choose your color palette, and what emotions or thoughts guide your choices during the creative process?

I get real quiet and listen to my intuition. I ask, “What color(s) wants to be seen?” “What color(s) wants to be heard?”  I do my best to stick to a limited palette, three colors usually because they tend to bleed together. Kind of like my moods. The mania and depression tend to come together for me.

Jordan Merlino | Subconscious Waves | 2024

Your paintings combine watercolor with gouache. What inspired you to mix these mediums, and how do they interact to convey your vision?

For a few years, I combined papercut with watercolor. I usually used white paper so the images would pop. After a while, I grew bored of the practice (as well as getting sick of cutting myself by accident). I was inspired by the white lines of the papercut, and wanted to try something new. So I tried white gouache for the lines in the paintings, and I really liked the result. I liked how I could still feel the calming impacts of papercut but with gouache and a brush.

Jordan Merlino | Sweet Dreams | 2024

How did your experience teaching at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum influence your approach to art and teaching?

I feel that my experience with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum was mostly positive. I instructed a lot of beginners to watercolor, mainly because it was an Intro class. I felt like I could really show students how to be free with the medium, and to really experiment with what felt good to do. My takeaway from that experience was to create art that feels good. Not to think too much, but to really feel everything and put it on paper.

What role does Santa Fe, as your current place of residence, play in your artistic inspiration?

Santa Fe is a beautiful small city. I’m from Baltimore, so I’m used to big cities and humidity. Living in New Mexico has given me so many opportunities creatively, like teaching at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. I also want to acknowledge that it is easier to make watercolor pieces here due to the dry weather. Being from a humid state, it would take up to a full day for paintings to thoroughly dry.

Jordan Merlino| The End Of It All | 2024

What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from your paintings?

What I want to convey with my work is to show viewers that they too can create art for their own individual healing journeys. The art doesn’t need to be perfect. If the art feels good in your spirit, that’s what matters the most.