Dennis Morris - Painting and Sculpture
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Making art and teaching about art has been part of my life for nearly 70 years. My Mother loved to share a story about one of my earlier art works. In this story I’m proudly showing a crayon drawing composed of two parallel lines. Someone asked what my art work was and I replied “a train”. When questioned further about the absent train I said the train is on the way.
Such was my earliest recollection of art making. My journey as an artist is a twisted path of positives and negatives. Looking back I can see how even the most negative things ended up with a positive spin. At one point I was going to become a “Blue Chip Artist,” the super artist whose work is sought after by folks who would collect everything I made. I was producing and selling art but loosing vital contact time with my wife and children. Around this time my bread and butter job (teaching) changed. I had taught secondary art for 16 years but with a bond referendum failure and the promised cuts to the fine arts I was suddenly without a job. I was told to wait because a position would open up. My new position included teaching 3 to 21 year old students with developmental disabilities. This new assignment challenged many of my ideas about art and art making. “How can Johnny draw when he can not hold a pencil” was a title of one of many workshops I conducted for parents, educators, artists and caregivers. Over time I have adjusted to the fact that I will not be a “Blue Chip Artist” but simply an artist who wants to share the joy of making and experiencing art. |
