Morgan Davis is a native of Boston, MA, who has had a passion for drawing and painting since childhood. She has devoted most of her life developing her powers of intense analytical observation and has strengthened her artistic interpretative prowess by studying with various professional oil painters throughout New England. As a result, she has developed a vision uniquely her own in defining which subjects posed the greatest challenge, fascination, and gratification for her to portray. Without doubt, painting from life provided her the most stimulation and sense of achievement as reflected in the highly realistic depictions of her personal experiences - (perfected versions of her initial plein-air life sketches and preliminary studies.)
Coastal living has afforded her the opportunity to perfect her landscapes by closely studying the effects of light and atmospheric conditions on land and shore directly from nature at various times of day and season - much like her artistic idols of the 19th century.
In addition, having developed a disciplined practice of equitation and horsemanship, has procured for her equine work a broadened and more accurate understanding for the anatomy, personality, and special character each individual animal possesses in its romantic interaction with the world.
Furthermore, having patiently cultivated a deep respect for the study of botany & horticulture has proved invaluable for her acutely detailed still lifes, which depict diverse textures and forms among flowers and fruit bearing plants.
In refining the relationship between personal perception and portrayal, Ms. Davis believes it is the artist's plight to achieve a balance in the portrayal of scientific sincerity and creative artistic license. Art should create a pleasurable world of escape and reassurance for the viewer and painters have an aesthetic obligation to push the limits of their analytical genius by becoming explorers, observers, and discoverers in order to maintain a fresh awareness of their subjects.
Ms. Davis holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Eastern Nazarene College where she majored in Spanish Literature and presented for her degree, her thesis on "The History of Spanish Equestrian Painting".
She studied the techniques of renaissance painting at the Massachusetts College of Art where she gradually and adeptly learned to apply the principles of "glazes and scumbles" to achieve a greater sense of realism.
Ms. Davis has also studied plein-air painting in various locations such as the DeCordova Museum, Concord, the North River Art Society, Marshfield, and the "Northlight Studio in Voluntown, Ct. with painter/author Foster Caddell. In addition, she served a four year private apprenticeship at the Michael Keane Studio where she further studied the disciplines and techniques of eighteenth century painting in greater detail.
Ms. Davis has been a member of the Quincy Art Associatin, the North River Art Society and Plymouth Art Guild for a number of years and has received numerous awards for her work - most recently "Best Quincy Park Painting" by the Quincy Parks and Recreation Department for the Annual Quincy Artsfest Exhibition held last September 2005. She also currently maintains a studio in the Rockland Codman Building as a member of the Fourth Floor Artist's co-op. Her work has been exhibited and commissioned on a number of occasions throughout Massachusetts.
Ms. Davis has received numerous awards for her work - most recently "Best Quincy Park Painting" by the Quincy Parks and Recreation Department for the Annual Quincy Artsfest Exhibition held last September 2005. Her work has been exhibited and commissioned on a number of occasions throughout Massachusetts .
Morgan and Hal DeWaltoff had an exhibit called Coastal Visions at our Gallery in June 2006. Click 'here' to view the artwork
back to Artists |
