Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Morris.
Kathy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was three when the fevers of three childhood diseases destroyed most of my hearing. By the time my hearing loss was discovered, I had already learned to cope & communicate by reading lips and body language. The challenge of losing my hearing forced me to become dependent on the visible world around me and to be acutely observant and focused to “hear” and communicate. This necessity of intensely focusing on faces to hear was the genesis & the cause of my fascination with the human face & form and my obsession to capture it. Consequently, my artwork is centered on portraits and the human form.
I’m a 4th generation Texan; A descendant of early Ranching – Farming pioneers who settled in the Pan-Handle of West Texas. The climate there is extreme and harsh, and produces people characterized by perseverance, grit, and with an “I can do it” attitude. My grandmother’s favorite saying was, “I believe I can.” My parents valued original fine art. Which I found strange because we were poor & owned none. They also appreciated anything artistically handcrafted. I was taught that I could make or do anything if I set my mind to it. Although money was scarce, art supplies, sewing & craft supplies were never lacking. Creativity was encouraged & expected. I considered myself an artist even as a very young child & drawing faces & coloring was my favorite pastime.
When I reached High School & college age, modern art was” the reigning king,” and realism was frowned upon & besides that, no one was teaching it. Because I was only interested in realism and painting portraits, I decided not to pursue an art degree in college.
I eventually married & had three kids. I did every crafty thing & home improvement project imaginable, but rarely fine art. It wasn’t until I was 37 that I decided to teach myself to paint in watercolor. True to my Texas “I believe I can” mantra, I ordered a how to paint portraits in the watercolor book from North Light books & went to work. So, as a self –taught professional artist, I painted a steady stream of commissioned portraits in watercolor for many years.
Desiring to broaden my artistic skills, about five years ago, I began investing in myself through attending oil portrait workshops taught by internationally acclaimed contemporary portrait artists. Since then, I have won numerous awards on the National and International Level and my work has been published in 5 major Art publications.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being a professional artist has definitely had its ups and downs. Fine art is often considered a luxury so how the economy is doing affects the sale of paintings and the commission of portraits.
At the beginning of my carrier, I was “burned” by a gallery that was representing me and that experience left a very bad taste in my mouth for galleries. Certainly, not all galleries are like that and many very reputable galleries treat their artists well. At present, I am self-represented, acquiring commissions and sales from referrals of happy clients, collectors and social media exposure.
As a studio artist, I work long hours isolated and alone. The process of painting a single portrait can span months. The painting experience is at the same time, wonderful, fun, challenging, frustrating, exasperating and glorious. During the frustrating, challenging times, it is important not to listen to the critical voices in my head. To combat this, it is necessary for me to get together with fellow artists. I make it a point to regularly get together for coffee or lunch with my art friends and be involved in local Art organizations, attend art shows of fellow artists and teach.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a professional representational artist specializing in portraiture. My business focuses on portrait commissions, the sale of my studio work as well as teaching other artists as well a those who think of themselves as non-artists how to draw and paint.
I love teaching others how to draw. Drawing is the foundation of a painting. The majority of people want to learn to paint without ever learning how to draw first. That is like trying to build a house without foundation. I am passionate about drawing and believe anyone can learn to draw. Many believe that some people can draw well while others can not, that some are talented and others are not. That is not true. If you can write your name, you can learn to draw. The principles are the same—the ability to draw lives inside of you as much as it does any artist. You just need to be taught what to look for how to see, observe and think like an artist. Drawing is slow art: it takes time. Your progress will commensurate with the amount of time you devote to it. There is something extremely rewarding and soothing about slowing down, especially in our fast-paced, hectic modern lives, and spending time intently observing something then recording your observations on paper.
I am known for distilling and capturing natural beauty with remarkable technique and skill in a variety of media. My portraits are imbued with tenderness and love, combining great powers of observation and a palpable emotional component. What sets my work apart is my ability to elevate familiar settings and create worlds of deep meaning and significance.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a socially shy but extremely creative child. I was always making a craft, painting, sewing, drawing, decorating/re-decorating my room. As a very young child, my favorite activity was color in coloring books & the best-loved gift to receive was a brand new box of Crayola. To this day, I still love the smell of Crayola. In those days, you could buy coloring books with tracing paper in them. My dad would tear out all of the tracing paper before he let me have the coloring book. He said I would never learn to draw if I traced. He was right about that. I didn’t like it at the time, but now I’m thankful he did it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kathymorrisfineart.com
- Email: morrisatelier@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kathymorrisartist
Image Credit:
Kathy Morris, Gallery Street,Digital Arts Studio
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