This piece was commissioned to hang over a huge stone fireplace mantel in a private “cabin” in Montana. It depicts the local mountain range.

Pieces of the earth’s crust, smashing against one another, formed these varied landscapes. Water and ice defined contours. Some surfaces are gently coated with soft grasses. Others retain their craggy stoniness. But all contain that element of constrained power that caused their very creation.

This is one of a three-piece series commissioned by the city of San Francisco for the Laguna Honda Healthcare Facility, a long-term healthcare facility. Located in the entry lobby, these collages celebrate the San Francisco Bay.

This is one of four pieces created for “12 Voices”, an international juried show that opened at the Dennos Art Museum in Traverse City, Michigan in September of 2008. As the show’s curator put it, “The 12 Voices’ exhibition will give viewers a rare, in-depth look at twelve of the best fabric artists working today.” All four collages have been purchased by private individuals.

This piece was commissioned for a private home to go over the fireplace mantle. Because of the small size of this original, the threads and textures are unusually apparent, especially in enlargements.

Location - California Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters Part of an eight-piece series commissioned for Cal/EPA’s headquarters, each collage represents a geographic feature unique to California.  The collages are each on their own floor, arranged vertically by elevation - with Mt. Shasta on the top floor and Monterey Bay Canyon on the lowest floor.

This was a private commission.  It is based on the foothills surrounding the owner’s previous home.

Jomolhari, sometimes known as "the bride of Kangchenjunga," is a mountain in the Himalayas. This striking image is based on  a photo taken by the client's husband when the two were trekking in Bhutan at 18,000 feet.

This was a private commission.  It is based on photos provided by the client from his recent climbing expedition on the mountain.

For this piece I worked from a photo taken by the client. I subsequently created a second collage of a photo I took of the same subject (Sonora Stone 2).

This is the second collage based on this particular rock formation (Sonora Stone).  It was created as “studio work” and now resides in a private collection.

MERLE AXELRAD

MERLE AXELRAD

PAINTING WITH FABRIC