Roger Merkel was born in East Chicago, Indiana in 1949. As a kid growing up in the fifties, Roger was influenced by the work of America’s great illustrators. He read books with illustrations by the likes of N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish. And, of course, Norman Rockwell’s work was everywhere, from magazine covers to toothpaste ads. Roger primarily enjoyed a career in law enforcement Deputy U.S. Marshal until his retirement in 1989, when he began painting on a full-time basis. Roger lived in Indianapolis with his wife, Ginger until his death in 2016.