Featured Artist Joel Morris

Artist Joel Morris presents a delightful watercolor portfolio based on memories and favorite places. Visit his website to see more.

 

 

The world is vast and endlessly interesting to me. Not just the beautiful places, but intriguing, curious and unique places. When closely examined, even the mundane can be the subjects for my art.

 

 

I started drawing as a lark when I turned 65. I wasn’t ready to retire but I wanted to do something new. Small sketchbooks and a pen is where I began, and over the intervening 10 years I have graduated to watercolors of landscapes, flowers and imaginary places. I have done some portraits and learned to my delight that every person has beauty in their face when you look at them carefully.

 

 

A paraplegic for nearly all my life, I turn using a wheelchair into an advantage. Going slower helps me see things others may miss—and I love to showcase that in my art.

 

 

Although I enjoy making art, there is even greater satisfaction when somebody not only sees what I saw when drawing or painting, but feels the wonder that I felt. To me a good landscape painting creates an environment the viewer wants to walk into and experience.

 

 

I feel I have achieved my goal when a painting evokes a pleasant memory or is encouragement to go to new places and look at new surroundings.

 

 

Such diverse locations as my long-time neighborhood in Pasadena, California, the Sierra Nevada mountains, upper Michigan, and now my locale in central Florida are what I draw and paint. My work encompasses urban life, unique buildings, everyday activities, as well as natural landscapes.

 

 

I am a member of various artist groups and actively support making a better world through the arts. My paintings are exhibited at various venues in Florida, including the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg. I continue to learn more about how to communicate through my art and hope to bring it to more people in the future.

 

Joel Morris invites you to follow on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

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