Completing her studies at the Leeds College of Art and Design and unable to settle on a career path or graduate art programme, Meral later went on to become an Occupational Therapist. Specialising in neurology rehabilitation, the use of art for rehabilitation followed her into this new career. She began using pastels when her love of drawing and painting was re-ignited through her passion for animals and nature. As a frequent traveller, she always connects to new environments through her camera lens and takes all opportunities to interact with the natural world.
With all the world to explore, one place she always returns is to the Yorkshire Dales where the changing seasons and natural beauty of the vast rolling hills and valleys, mountains and moors which house an abundance of wildlife, awaken her creativity and inspire her artwork.
Her medium of choice is pastel, combining soft, pan and pencil pastels to create realism style commissioned pet and people portraiture work. She also has a growing range of fine art prints from time spent on her local farms, where she has met and shared moments with all creatures great and small. Across Yorkshire, Meral can be found demonstrating her pastel work live and educating others on the versatility of pastels at agricultural and country shows, where she has also won best working craft awards. On social media platforms, she posts her work in stages of progression, sharing techniques with others interested in developing their art skills. She is currently working on her own collection of work inspired by her photography, in both a realistic and abstract style. With a fascination of shapes and distortion of reality, her favourite styles of art are animal surrealism and naive art which she aspires to achieve in her own collection which begins in 2021.
What a wonderful month of artwork showcased on our Unison Colour community page. I had the great privilege of being the August 2025 Eye Catchers curator, with thanks to Lynn Howarth. As a travelling wildlife artist, I am drawn to wild places that evoke emotion and draw me into a place that holds my imagination.
In the world around us today, for many, social media and the world of technology has changed how art is shared and experienced. This can be a blessing and a curse.
