Early signs of Merle’s quirky illustration style snuck into content graphics for Jamie Oliver’s TV series, Jamie at home, while working at Hello Charlie in Bristol. It was motherhood that gave her a pause to re-think her life and go after what she had always wanted to be. Now that hidden illustrator has come out from behind the curtain and taken over her life. Merle’s Instagram feed shows the evolutionary journey of her style as she honed her craft. From the first illustration she shared to her latest post you will see her quirky and subtle sense of humour. As her notoriety grew, she picked up projects for children’s books and publications, illustrating a song about the sea for Mare magazine, which her family have been collecting since it was first released in 1997. She originally worked exclusively in ink until she moved over to Procreate. The combination of ink and digital has given her greater control of the style she has become known for.
@merlegoll_illustration
Everybody wants to be a cat, But a cat’s more a rat, When the cat’s a fat cat. Hoarding all its mice inside a bank, Left untouched and not shared, For years till they’re rank. Throw them out to those who need a bone, This is the way it must be, If we’re to end poverty.
