Merle Keller is an artist living in Portland, Oregon .  For most of her professional career, she has worked as a storyboard artist for advertising.  While continuing her career in advertising, Merle has begun to explore her own creative vision.  In 1999 she created her first oil painting and discovered a new passion.  Since then she has painted dozens of works and has shown her paintings in a variety of venues in Los Angeles and Orange County .  She was a finalists in the Portrait and Figure category for the Artist's Magazine's 24th Annual Competition (2007) and a finalist in the Raymar Art Competition for February and March 2008.  In June 2008 Merle received an honorable mention for the quick draw competition in Paint San Clemente 2008 Plein Air Competition.  Merle's work can be seen at the Chasen Galleries in Charlotte, North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia as well as at the Wilder Nightingale Gallery in Taos, New Mexico.