About Me

S Mercedes Lovett

I don’t know why I paint what I paint. I am constantly amazed by the beauty of the natural world. It’s true, but sounds trite. I find deep satisfaction in expressing myself through the colors and viscosity of paint. I need to paint, so I do.

I was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a long time ago. I left there when I was ten days old. I spent the next thirty years traveling around the continental United States. I attended the University of Oregon, Eugene, the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and the University of Florida in Gainesville. I never stayed in one place very long. I did a lot of bartending until I landed in California’s central valley at the Chaffee Zoo. As a zookeeper, I got to know many marvelous species. In the foothills of the central valley, I found a home.

I try to remain true to the nature of the species I paint. I endeavor to give them character and a story of their own. I am often surprised by the direction that my paintings take. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but when it does, it feels like magic.