Dave Merrill Biography Dave Merrill was born in Payson, Utah. There in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains he played in fields and orchards, hiked mountains as a Boy Scout, and caught fish, snakes and frogs. He also drew. He drew in church, at school, out in the fields where he played, and he drew at home. He entered school competitions and won awards. His first sale was a pen and ink drawing of two mule deer. It sold to his art teacher for four dollars. It had never occurred to him before (he was in the ninth grade) that he could make money doing something he loved to do. He graduated from high school with honors and was offered scholarships to pursue his artistic talent. He postponed all that to spend two years in Argentina as a missionary for his church. When Dave returned, he picked up where he left off. But instead of picking up pencils, pastels, and charcoals, he picked up brushes, a palette, and a palette knife and began painting. The world of color and texture opened up to him. For the next ten years he would design, illustrate, and paint. In 1994 Dave left the world of design and illustration and began studio painting. A thousand images later he decided that he would paint what he loved as a child – the out of doors and the wildlife in it. Now, Merrill's images are carried throughout the country and finding their way into many private collections. He has had twelve one man shows in the last three years.