We recently connected with Emily Morris and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve always been a creative person, but that hasn’t always translated to beautiful paintings. An early self portrait comes to mind (let’s just say there was neon yellow involved). It wasn’t until I began a MFA program at age 22 that I started making work I was happy with. My instructors were artists trained in the atelier method of learning, which involved long hours staring at the model and receiving a harsh, if helpful, critique at days’ end. However, after a couple years, the work of my and my fellow classmates had improved to the point where our earlier work was unrecognizable.

If I had known what I know now, I would have perhaps skipped or delayed my 4 year traditional education and sought out a traditional Atelier art education.

One thing that helped me grow was a willingness to part with preconceived ideas. I realized that in order to create an organic form on canvas, I must use many straight lines. I would slowly carve out a shape on my canvas or paper until something realistic emerged. This method reminded me of Michelangelo’s Hall of Slaves; I felt I was simply freeing the subject I was painting from an unidentifiable blob.

Emily, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a realist artist who loves beautiful subjects. My background is in portraiture; I love painting people. I paint using the same methods that the Old Masters did, using layers on layers of oil paint to achieve a highly realistic result.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The ultimate goal is to create more beauty for this world. Art should also lead people towards the Truth, so I hope that someday I can achieve that.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is being able to create beautiful things, and perhaps sharing that with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilyholmanmorris.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyholmanmorris/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyHolmanMorris