James Morgan Works

Jim Morgan

B    i    o    g    r    a    p    h    y

 1947 -

Roaming the canyons and fields around the small, central Utah town where he grew up gave James Morgan an appreciation of nature’s wonders.  He learned to see not only the larger vista, but also the resident wildlife and intimate aspects of the area.  He now lives in northern Utah, where inspiration is just out the back door. 

“The most important aspect of being an artist is being a keen observer.  Nature’s ever changing moods are a wellspring of inspiration.  My goals for my work are to enjoy the process of painting and seeing, to engage emotional participation from people who view the painting, and to share the often overlooked, intimate aspects of nature.  I seek to achieve a balance between the subject and its environment. The excitement for me is constantly exploring new ways to interpret nature.  I am convinced that no one can improve on natural compositions, when they can be isolated.  Rhythms too, can be magical if you can isolate them and that gets easier with experience.  It comes from trusting your own vision.  It is the way you look at things and see something lyrical or harmonious. This harmony is further aided by the play of light, shadow and subtle color changes.  I am intrigued by the patterns and shapes found in nature and concentrate on the effects of light on these elements and the resulting array of colors in nature’s ever-changing moods.

Select awards and achievements:

Autry National Center James R. Parks Trustee Purchase Award, 2014 

National Museum of Wildlife Art Western Visions Red Smith Artists’ Choice Award 2013, 2007, 1996 

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum Birds in Art Master Wildlife Artist, 2008

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Prix de West Major and Mrs. Don D. Pittman 

Wildlife Art Award, 2006

National Museum of Wildlife Art Western Visions Featured Painter, 2004

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Prix de West Robert Loughheed

Artist Choice Award, 1996

Exhibitions:

“Moments in the Wild”, Steamboat Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, CO

National Academy of Western Art, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Prix de West, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Northwest Rendezvous, Helena, Montana

Artists of America, Denver Rotary, Denver, Colorado

Birds in Art, 1982-83, 1986-2002: the Artists' View, 1990-1996 Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin, Master Wildlife Artist 2008

Society of Animal Artists Annual Exhibitions, New York

Western Visions, Wildlife of the American West Museum, Jackson, Wyoming

Living Legends and Young Brushes, 1997-2000, Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada

Buffalo Bill Western Art Show, Cody, Wyoming

American Art in Miniature, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Landscape and Closer Views, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana

Great American Artists, Cincinnati, Ohio

Masters of the American West, Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles, California

Wildlife for a New Century, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming

American Masters, New York City, New York

Coors Western Art Show, Denver, Colorado

Maynard Dixon Country, Mt. Carmel, Utah

Allure of Water - Oil Painters of America, Stockton, California

Best of the Best Retrospective Exhibition and Sale, Woolaroc Art Museum, Bartlesville, Oklahoma