Following a distinguished and rewarding career as a dancer Tom Merrifield left the stage and took up drawing and sculpting as a full-time occupation and never looked back. He sculpted many of the world’s most famous dancers, including Alina Cojocaru, Agnes Oaks, Thomas Edur, Dame Alicia Markova, Dame Beryl Grey, Natalia Makarova, Dame Antoinette Sibley, Marguerite Porter, Eva Evdokimova, Galina Samsova, Marion Tait, Anton Dolin, John Gilpin, Sir Anthony Dowell, Ivan Nagy, Peter Schaufuss, Wayne Sleep, the Olympic Skater John Curry and many more. Tom has gained acclaim throughout the world and has exhibited and sold his work in London, Paris, New York, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Brussels, and Monte Carlo. His work has also been recognized by the Royal Society of British Sculptors who elected him ARBS for Distinction in the Art of Sculpture.
Tom worked from life, preferring to sketch and model his dancers at his Hampstead Studio. He was a perfectionist and revelled in the many avenues down which his multifaceted talent took him, drawing, painting or sculpture. Tom felt that one of the most important things in life is to be happy in what he was doing, thus guaranteeing that he never stopped changing and evolving both as a man and as an artist. He is internationally celebrated in particular for the power and beauty of his life sized sculptures, many of which grace prominent public places throughout the world. Possibly the most challenging and poignant is the bust of Diana, Princess of Wales, commissioned after her death by the British Red Cross, this exquisite work is displayed at the Red Cross headquarters in London.
Tom Merrifields sculptures and paintings are held in private collections throughout the world, such is the universal appeal and beauty of his work. Tom was constantly creating and was never happier than when he was working. Typical of the many accolades Tom has received from the international dance community is a pointed shoe signed by the dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet, a fitting tribute to his unique talent.