After leaving school, Merlin Bateman-Paris attended life drawing classes where he worked in thick charcoal. As a young artist he was fascinated by the chiaroscuro technique (extreme contrasts of light and shade). In 2018, SJE Arts in Oxford awarded Merlin third prize for the Young Artist of the Year award, and soon after he was invited to exhibit at the Mall Galleries in London. In 2020, Merlin received the Hammond Hermione drawing award. Merlin produces large scale drawings, working relatively quickly with expressive gestures.
During the covid-19 pandemic the ‘NHS heroes’ project, created and organised by Tom Croft, became known nationally and eventually published. Merlin managed to finish the portraits of several NHS key workers, one of which was chosen for the book, published in November 2020.