Merle Bishop

Merle Bishop is a contemporary New Zealand artist known for her joyful and distinctive dog art, inspired by the humour, movement and personality of dogs — especially when they are at the beach. In every sense, dogs are colourful creatures, and that playful energy is central to Merle’s work. Her signature images of running dogs — racing into, across and out of the picture — capture the lively rhythm of both dogs and life itself. As Merle says, “Dogs are fun and know how to stay happy.”

“I notice everyday ideas and images forming in my mind — a constant flow. They begin as playful thoughts and imaginings that eventually make their way onto paper, first for my own enjoyment, and then, as I discovered, for the enjoyment of others too.”

Merle’s background in graphic design has strongly influenced her distinctive visual style. Her first running dog images appeared as mono-prints in a 1990 series titled “Dog, Fog, Jog…”, originally created as a temporary alternative to etching. Over time the imagery expanded: fish began appearing alongside the dogs, then swimming with them. Soon the fish were flying — and before long the dogs were flying too.

Alongside her colourful wall works and pastel paintings, Merle also creates sculptural works in cast bronze, including her well-known Spot sculptures. These playful bronze dogs reflect the same warmth and humour seen in her prints and paintings. She has also produced sensory sculptures, including a bronze dog with its body parts labelled in braille.

Today, Merle Bishop’s work — from lively running dog prints to bronze dog sculptures — is widely appreciated for its sense of fun, colour and celebration of the joyful nature of dogs.