About the Artist
Artist Biography
Plein Air and Studio Impressionist Paintings
Suzanne Morris uses broken color and expressive brushwork to convey her impressions of a subject. She does not try to tell the whole story… just enough to say what is important to her allowing viewers to “finish” the piece for themselves; thereby making each painting more personal to the viewer. She is fascinated by the play of light and shadow. It is the effect light has on a subject that draws her to it. The patterns created by light falling across a subject can transform an ordinary scene into an extraordinary one. It is the magic she feels when she comes across one of these scenes that she tries to capture on her canvases. This is accomplished by adherence to light and shadow patterns, the use of vivid, descriptive color, and bold expressive brushwork. If she does everything just right, she is able to share a piece of that magic with those who view her work.
Morris studied biology and pre- med in college at Longwood University and Mary Washington University. Her art education is through master workshops with some of the best plein air painters in the country, including Kevin Macpherson, Scott Christensen, Roger Dale Brown, Bill Davidson, Larry Moore and others.
Sue is an avid plein air painter. She loves painting outdoors from life. There is SO much information in the field… a painter is forced to simplify and organize a design in order to tell the story. Light moves very quickly outdoors so one must “lay it down and leave it”. There is no time to overwork a piece. All of a painter’s senses are used to infuse the work with a feeling of the place…. the smells, the sounds, the wind, even the people a painter encounters become part of a plein air painting. Mother nature creates color harmonies that would be impossible to make up in the studio. A plein air painting is truly a painter’s impression of the subject. She participates in as many plein air events as her schedule permits each year. Inter action with other participating artists is not only a great learning opportunity; these events are a great source of energy and inspiration as well.
Suzanne believes strongly in sharing information and ideas with other painters. She holds a weekly workshop in her studio on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for painting and another for life drawing. She teaches workshops and demonstrates her painting techniques for her galleries and other interested groups. She hosts plein air and studio workshops with nationally acclaimed painters. She has served as both entry and awards juror for several events.
Mrs. Morris has been a featured artist in several national art magazines in the last few years. She was one of five marine artists featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art and the subject of 2 Artist Focus features in American Art Collector Magazine, as well as having work featured in the May issue of Plein Air magazine.
Suzanne’s work is collected both corporately and privately throughout the United States. Most notable of her corporate collectors are Burt’s Bees, East Carolina Bank, Paragon Commercial Bank, First Citizens Bank, Verizon Corporate Headquarters, the commandant of Mid-Shipmen at the US Naval Academy, University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, and Duke University Hospital.
Recent Awards and Honors:
2019
Animals in Art, Seaside Art GalleryFebruary 2-23
Fechin Museum Master Signature and Signature Winter Invitational, Nov 4- March 4
Paint Boats With Me, workshop, Art Source Fine Art, Raleigh, NC,April 25-25
April 10-14 Coastal Virginia Plein Air Painting Festival, East Beach,VA
April22-June 15 PAAC Museum of Friends exhibition
May 15-19 Carmel Plein Air Festival
June 4-9 Finger Lakes Plein Air Festival, Canandaigua, NY
June 1-30 PleinAir Artists of Colorado 23rd NationalExhibition
City Art Gallery Summer Salon , Greenville, NC
July 1-2 Coral Bay Club Show, Atlantic Beach, NC
1-31 12 inch squared Show, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
artist’s demo, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
August Adirondack Plein Air Festival, Estes Valley Plein Air Festival
September Central City Plein Air Festival
2018
Animals in Art Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
“Snow, Stillness Covers the Land, Gallery Flux juried exhibition
“Town and Country” Laguna Plein Air Painters Association juried show
“March Madness”, solo artist show, Cabell Gallery, Lexington, VA
WEKIVA invitational Plein Air Festival
Less is More, Laguna Plein Air Association juried show
NOAPS Best of America Small works show, Richland Gallery, Nashville, TN , AWARD OF MERIT
Simply Southern” , solo artist show On the Waterfront Gallery, Apalachicola, FL
Weekend Warrior workshop on the Waterfront Gallery
Carmel Plein Air Festival, Carmel, CA
Plein Air Southwest 2018, Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, TX
Parrsboro International Plein air Festival
MAPAPA small works show
SPLASH, Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City, NC
25thAnnual Maritime Exhibit, Coos Art Museum, Coos bay, OR
Roll and Stroll, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC, artist demo
OBX 12 inch squared show
Coral Bay Club show, City Art Gallery, Atlantic Beach, NC invitational show
BOLD BRUSH FAV 15% X 2 JUNE
Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, national show, Sorrell Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Fechin Museum PAPNM Signature and Master Signature Invitational Exhibition, Taos, NM
12 inch Squared Holiday show Art Source Fine Art Raleigh, NC
Holiday exhibition City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC
Holiday exhibition Tyler White O’Brien Gallery, Greensboro, NC
2017
February 3-25, Animals in Art, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
27 Awarded SIGNATURE STATUS with Plein Air Artists of Colorado ( PAAC)
March 1- June 3, R S Hanna Gallery invitational Spring Showcase, Fredericksburg, TX
3-4 Chads Ford Plein Air Paint Out, Chads Ford Historical Society, Chads Ford, PA
9-15, Light Chasers Plein Air Paint out, Sarasota, FL
17, Plein air Gala
18-20, Light Chasers Annual members show, Sarasota, FL
24-26 Paint Boats With Me! 3 day plein air/studio workshop, Studio de la Mar, Nags Head, NC
April 8- May 5, Outdoor Painters Society 2017 Southwest Salon, Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX
23-30, Winter Park Plein Air Paint Out, Albin Polask Museum, Winter Park, FL
24 Demo Winter Park, FL
May 18-21 Carmel Plein air Festival, Carmel. CA
New Gallery Edward Montgomery Gallery, Carmel, CA
New Gallery, Cabells Gallery, Lexington, VA
June 5-11 Bucks County Community College Plein Air Festival
10- September 30, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, California The
Golden State, CAP Gallery, Wells Fargo, Laguna Beach, CA
28- July 4 Telluride Plein Air Festival
July 2-3Coral Bay Club Show, Atlantic Beach, NC
1-31 OBX Squared, invitational show Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head,
NC
13 Artist Demo 5-8 PM, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
August 5-September 22, 5th Annual Summer Plein Air Show, Crystal Moll Gallery,
Baltimore, MD
September 1-October 31, The Plein Air Show, “Your City, Your Town, Your
Neighborhood, Highlandtown Art Gallery, Baltimore, MD
14-October 10 Southern Views, 3 person show, City Art Gallery,
Greenville, NC
18-24 Solomon’s Island Plein Air Festival
27-29 Paint Boats With Me! 3 day plein air/studio workshop, Wilmington Art Association, Wilmington, NC
October 9-12 hosting Tim Horn workshop, Studio de la Mar, Nags Head, NC
November – 5- December 31, WAOW 47th National Exhibition, McBride Gallery,
Annapolis, MD
3-26, PAPNM 9th National Members Show, Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
3 opening reception PAPNM Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, 5-7:30 PM
December Holiday Shows with my galleries
2016
January, 2-31,Animals in Art, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
February, Publisher’s Invitational, “Paint Cuba”
March 3-April 4, “Less is More”, LPAPA, Ocean & Forest Gallery, Laguna Beach,
CA
April 4- May 15, Outdoor Painters Society Southwest Salon 2016, Southwest
Gallery, Dallas, TX
14-17, Paint Snow Hill, Bishops Stock Gallery, Snow Hill, MD
May 2-30, LPAPA in Residence, “Urban Landscapes”, Laguna Beach, CA
7- July 31, Cuba International Show. On the Waterfront Gallery,
Apalachicola, FL
June 6-12, Mountain Maryland Plein Air, Seville Gallery, Cumberland, MD
14-18, Los Gatos Plein Air Festival, Los Gatos, CA
28- July 4, Telluride Plein Air Festival, Sheridan Opera House, Telluride
CO
July !-31, “Wandering Light”, solo artist show, Art Source Fine Art Gallery,
Raleigh, NC
4-5, Coral bay Beach Club Show, City Art Gallery, Atlantic Beach, NC
1-31, Summer Salon, City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC
17, DCAC Roll and Stroll, Artist demo, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head
NC
15- Sept 25, “Summer Nights”, PAPNM online competition
August 22-28, Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Maryhill Museum, Goldendale, WA
September 1-30, PAAC, 20th National Exhibition, Mary Williams Fine Art,
Boulder, CO
October 9- October 24, Island Life Plein Air, Long Island Beach Foundation,NJ
22, City Art Gallery 30th Anniversary Celebration, Greenville, NC
21-29, MAPAPA Cityscapes 2016, The Peale Museum, 225 North Holiday Street, Baltimore, MD
Night Sky, awarded "Best Cityscape", and SOLD!!!!!!!!
November 2-28, Cityscapes, Crystal Moll Gallery,1030 South Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 212304-27,Awarded
AWARDED "BEST CITYSCAPE" for "Night Sky", 12x12, oil on linen panel
4-28, PAPNM 8th National Exhibition, Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa
Fe, NM
15-Dec 13, WAOW 46th National Exhibition, RS Hanna Gallery,
Fredricksburg, TX
Nov 19-Dec 31...12 inch squared show, Art Source Fine Art Gallery, Raleigh, NC
Nov. 18- Dec. 31, City Art Gallery Holiday show, Greenville, NC
2015
January 25th Anniversary Show, Art Source Fine Art, Raleigh, NC
February Animals in Art, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
Hosted Larry Moore 4 day studio workshop, Studio de la Mar, Nags
Head, NC
FAV 15% Bold Brush Painting contest FASO
March 12-16, 2nd Annual Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Festival, juried
Artist, Tequesta, Palm Beach, Jupiter, FL
April 22-26 volunteer Olmsted Plein Air, Atlanta, GA
May 14-17, hosting Bill Davidson 4 day plein air workshop, studio de la Mar,
Nags Head, NC
26- June 5. Salmagundi Club Non-member juried show, Salmagundi
Club, NY, NY
June 2-6 Mountain Maryland Plein air juried artist, Cumberland, MD
6, ASMA Invitational, Peninsula Gallery, Lewes, DE, exhibition runs
through July 4
8-13 Paint Annapolis, juried artist quick draw June 14
14-21 Paint the Adirondacks with Eric Rhoads, Paul Smith College, NY
juried into Paint Santa Fe, Plein Air Painters, NM
July 5-6 Coral Bay Club Show with City Art Gallery at Atlantic Beach, NC
9 Alla Prima Demonstration, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
August 13- September13, 3 person show, City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC
Aug.6- Sept 6. “Water, Water Everywhere”, group show Richard
Stravitz Gallery, Va. Beach, VA
PLEIN AIR ROCKIES, Aug.8-20 juried artists paint through out Estes
Park, CO. August 22- Oct.25 show of juried artist’s work
Awarded signature status with Plein Air Painters of New Mexico
September 7-13 Paint the Peninsula, juried paint out, Port Angeles Fine Art
Center, Port Angeles, WA
17-20 Piedmont Plein Air Paint Out, J Gallery of Fine Art, High Point,
NC.
28- Oct 4, Bath County Plein Air Festival, Warm Springs Gallery,
Warm Springs, VA.
October 2-25 PAPNM 2015 Annual Juried Members Show, Santa Fe Art
Collector Gallery, Santa Fe, NM.
November 3-28, 45th National Exhibition of the Women Artists of the West,
Tucson Desert Art Museum, Tucson, AZ.
“Big City Bright Lights, 3rd place 3D division
5- Jan.2 Holiday show and 25th Anniversary, Art Source Fine Art
Raleigh, NC
19- Jan.2 Holiday Showcase, City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC
20-Jan.2 Holiday Show, Tyler White Gallery, Greensboro, NC
13-16 OBX Invitational Plein Air
December 3-Jan.31, Holiday Treasures, Debra Huse Gallery, Newport Beach, CA
5- Jan. 31 2016 6 Inch Squared Randy Higbee Gallery, Cosa Mesa, CA
