DAVE MERRICK AND 'INDIGO'

My friend Dave Merrick's most famous piece to date is probably his wolf portrait, 'Indigo'. If you are not familiar with it, turn around. It is hanging on the wall behind you.

Bob Hope, Weird Al Yankovic and Tom Selleck are a few of the known owners of this print.

Its presence is truly ubiquitous. You cannot go to a gallery without having it gaze down upon you. Once Dave was traveling across the country and found himself in an airport gallery looking at his own creation hanging prominently for all to see. The gallery owner, noting the direction of his gaze, sidled up to him and said, "Isn't it a beautiful piece". Dave, not wanting to be too brazen, said, "I know the fellow who painted the original". The gallery owner, unbelieving and unimpressed, walked away without saying another word.

Some time later, Dave was driving through town when his eye was captured by an unexpected sight. There, along the roadside, was another version of Indigo, fashioned as a blanket. It would be worth mentioning at this point that Dave had never given permission for the use of the artwork as a blanket. So Dave, doing what we all wish we would do, brought his friend the detective to the roadside emporium to make a polite inquiry as to the supplier of the contraband wares. His detective friend put it simply, "I want to know who's making these things."

Phone calls were made.

The end of the story is that the distributors were actually quite happy to be contacted and to negotiate a proper contract. Royalties are now being paid to the artist, the creator - Dave Merrick.