Nell Merlino

Hello,

I am so happy you are here. Welcome to The Stories of My Portraits. Being the artist at this year’s Summit, along with the watercolorist, Wilma Siegle, is an honor.

Art is history. The Female Gaze is a tangible record and celebration of women living fully in their power and beauty. Enjoy the stories.

Lightning Round, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 17” x 33”, 2025 Price $7,000

Standing on the setting sun, Helena speaks at the speed of lightning, challenging the ancient order. Wearing the crown of Cleopatra, her golden prom dress is a beacon of learning and knowing–she is formidable.

Feminine Power, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 14” x 11 ½”, 2024 Not for Sale

Lorene Arey is a successful corporate executive and innovative philanthropist. All business, Lorene is disciplined, discerning and decisive. Her profile is reminiscent of the cameo that frequently depicts neoclassical subjects, including warriors and mythological figures. Lorene wears an Imperial Roman helmet (1 st century AD), adorned with feathers to give both an imposing and elegant appearance.

Royalty Reimagined, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 27” x 38 ¼”, 2024. Price $8,000

The founder of Harlem’s crown jewel of fashion, The Brownstone, Princess Jenkins has been dressing full-figured women for the important moments in their lives for more than three decades. Her early work as a model inspired Princess to see herself and her clients as beautiful and powerful. Princess wears St. Edward’s Crown, (1661), the centerpiece of the British coronation regalia. The pearls surrounding her appeared in a life-sized portrait of Queen Elizabeth I entitled The Armada, (1588, artist unknown).

Queen Coco, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 11 ½” x 9 ½”, 2022 Price $5,000
At 15 years old, Coco Gauff made tennis history as the youngest player ever to qualify for Wimbledon’s main draw. At the time of this writing, she is ranked No. 3 in the world and was the highest paid female athlete worldwide in 2024. Coco wears the headdress of Queen Puabi, (2500 BC), from the Sumerian city of Ur, now Iraq. She is thought to have been a queen in her own right because there was no customary mention of a husband in her tomb. The headdress is made up of 20 gold leaves, a large gold comb and two strings of lapis and carnelian. Watching Coco as an international champion in 2024 AD and learning about Queen Puabi’s unusual status as a queen in her own right in 2500 BC confirms that women have thousands of years of leadership experience.

Pope She, by Nell Merlino

Self-portrait, mixed media, 13” x 11”, 2021 Price $6,000
Pope remains one of the few jobs that is forbidden for women. I was made aware of this as I enthusiastically blurted out, “I want to be Pope” while learning about Pope John XXIII’s love of children in 2nd grade. My teacher, a stern Franciscan nun, walked over to tell me that a woman can never be pope. Fast forward 60 years to my spontaneous first self-portrait as the Pope. I’m wearing a 15th century Papal Tiara. It is a crown worn by Popes from the 8th century to the mid-20th century, also known as a “mitre,” symbolizing the Pope’s authority, dignity and holiness. I asserted my own authority and dignity and had found a way to visually express it. The coat represents the rich colors and textures in the priests’ vestments and the jewels the opulence of the Vatican. The women on either side of the head are iconic images of the highest ranking woman in the church, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Anita Truth, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 25” x 19”, 2021 Price $6,000

Surrounded by microphones and Senators, Anita Hill swore to tell the truth about her experiences with Clarence Thomas. Her testimony led to widespread discussions of sexual harassment at work, renewed support for the feminist movement, an influx of women to Congress and the creation of Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Anita wears the crown of The Notorious B.I.G., who MTV described as “the most skillful ever at the mic.” She warned us.

Daughter of Dido, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 13” x 16”, 2022 Price $6,000

Ons Jabeur played in the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022. She was the first Arab and the first person from Africa to reach the finals of an international tennis tournament. Born in Tunisia, Ons wears the crown of Dido, the legendary founder and first queen of the city-state of Carthage in 814 BC. In the 20th century, Dido became a national symbol for Tunisia, and Tunisian women can be described as “Daughters of Dido.”

The First, Not the Last, by Nell Merlino

Mixed media, 19 ½” x 23”, 2021 price $6,000

Kamala Harris has served the people of California and the United States for her entire career. She was the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021-2025. She was the first female U.S. Vice President, making her the highest-ranking woman in U.S. history. Kamala wears the headdress of Saraswati, Hindu Goddess of Education in honor of her mother. She sits on a lotus holding the flags of India, Jamaica (her father’s homeland) and the United States of America.

Crowning Glories, by Nell Merlino

Self-portrait, mixed media, 38” x 14”, 2022 price $8,000
What do you consider your crowning achievement?” asked the interviewer. Spontaneously I envisioned a combination of The Leaning Tower of Pisa and “The Cat in the Hat.” Above my head is a beautiful, towering and precarious stack of faces, flowers and crowns belonging to the likes of Cleopatra, Popes, Charlemagne, Balinese dancers, Queen Elizabeth and Biggie Smalls. A favorite wedding photo forms the base of the tower that is filled with loved ones and new acquaintances. My crowning achievement is to see myself as I am and to help other women see themselves in their full beauty and power.

Fearless Footballer, by Nell Merlino

mixed media, 11” x 14”, framed, 2025, price $5,000
Silvia Zaragoza played football (soccer) with the Mexican national team at COPA 71, the pioneering unofficial Women’s World Cup held in Mexico City in August 1971. As a child, Silvia’s father forbade her from playing football, saying that girls were created to stay in the home. If he caught her playing, he would shout and hit her. Silvia became the star of the Mexican team at a monumental tournament, with lavish sponsorship, extensive TV coverage, merchandise on every street corner and with crowds of over attendance exceeding 100,000 for every match. And it is most likely that you have never heard of this tournament (unless you’ve seen the documentary Copa 71 narrated by Serena Williams). In her portrait, Silvia wears a crown of flowers that flows from Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Empress of the Americas, Patroness of Latin America and the Queen of Mexico.

If you are interested in purchasing one of the pieces on display, please see me or be in touch by text 646-549-0854.

Payments can be made through Zelle at 646-549-0854 or Venmo @Nell-Merlino
(there is a pastel portrait of me as a girl there).

Shipping is included in the price.

scan for direct Venmo payment

Peony King
16X16 Mixed Medium, 2023

The Female Gaze Project

Founded by Nell Merlino, a leader, activist and visual artist , is a virtual space dedicated to celebrating the art of women, starting with powerful portraits. With 55% of artists being women yet underrepresented in museums and galleries, FGG offers a platform to showcase their brilliance. Our mission is to highlight the missing perspectives in the art world, inviting everyone to appreciate and elevate the artistry of women.

The Female Gaze

Discover the Power of the Female Gaze

Visit Website

Nell
Merlino

Facebook-f Instagram

2025 All rights reserved