ABOUT THE ARTIST
As Steve Morris looks over his collection of natural objects, he is searching for just the right item for his next painting. He chooses a bird nest; small, delicate and beautifully imperfect.
"This one is it," he says. He recalls the Japanese principle of Wabi-Sabi, the aesthetic ideal of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. This ideal has guided much of Steve's work from the very beginning. He brings this vision of the natural world to his watercolor paintings.
Gently turning the bird nest around in his hands, Steve pays close attention to the extraordinary details of this ordinary, discarded object. In his paintings he strives to show the artistry in any of the subjects he paints. Whether he is painting a vibrant, elaborate floral or an earthy, fragile bird nest, Steve expresses the beauty that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Steve began painting in 2009 after retiring from his career in graphic design and marketing. Transparent watercolors and graphite are the mediums he uses most. His work has been exhibited locally and nationally. He has had a piece included in the Susan K. Black Foundation's Blossom II, Art of Flowers International Exhibition and has received the Watercolor Missouri International 2013 Members Award.
Steve is a Signature Member of the St. Louis Watercolor Society and the Missouri Watercolor Society. He is also a member of the American Watercolor Society, the Chesterfield Arts, and is a founding member of Art Group 360. Steve is part owner of the OA Gallery in Kirkwood, Missouri. His work can be seen at the OA Gallery as well as regular gallery shows in association with the Art Group 360. To see more of Steve's work, please visit ArtGroup360.com.
"This one is it," he says. He recalls the Japanese principle of Wabi-Sabi, the aesthetic ideal of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. This ideal has guided much of Steve's work from the very beginning. He brings this vision of the natural world to his watercolor paintings.
Gently turning the bird nest around in his hands, Steve pays close attention to the extraordinary details of this ordinary, discarded object. In his paintings he strives to show the artistry in any of the subjects he paints. Whether he is painting a vibrant, elaborate floral or an earthy, fragile bird nest, Steve expresses the beauty that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Steve began painting in 2009 after retiring from his career in graphic design and marketing. Transparent watercolors and graphite are the mediums he uses most. His work has been exhibited locally and nationally. He has had a piece included in the Susan K. Black Foundation's Blossom II, Art of Flowers International Exhibition and has received the Watercolor Missouri International 2013 Members Award.
Steve is a Signature Member of the St. Louis Watercolor Society and the Missouri Watercolor Society. He is also a member of the American Watercolor Society, the Chesterfield Arts, and is a founding member of Art Group 360. Steve is part owner of the OA Gallery in Kirkwood, Missouri. His work can be seen at the OA Gallery as well as regular gallery shows in association with the Art Group 360. To see more of Steve's work, please visit ArtGroup360.com.