Prolific artist Marie Morrow spends as much time creating as she does teaching at various venues around town, including at her own studio.
Aspiring artists of all levels can learn the art of portraiture, experiment with oils and acrylics, pastels and pencils, or get spontaneous in a collage class with Morrow.
This mixed-media approach reflects the artist’s own free-flowing studio and the large volume of supplies it holds. Acrylics, oils and gouache are just a few of the types of paint splattered across her “mess” of a home studio. And nestled amongst the tubes of paint are an eclectic selection of found objects she and her students have discovered, including gourds, shells and even turkey feathers.
“You’ll find everything in my studio!” Morrow exclaims. “Watercolor paper and palm fronds and a shell mirror that I made.”
The home Morrow shares with her husband, situated on an inspiring natural location near the Indian River Lagoon, was formerly a clam farm, and is now an oasis for pursuing artistic projects and sharing them with her art students.
“We’ve been in this house in Vero Beach since 2008, after we moved from New Jersey and sold our condo in Jensen Beach,” Morrow says.
Since her arrival in Vero Beach, Morrow has rented several spaces to teach, including a prominent spot on Miracle Mile. She has also taught out of a church, a favorite location which she praised for its natural light through stained glass windows, and the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
But no matter where, best of all for Morrow is the feeling she derives from witnessing her students grow and create.
“It’s so nice to see the students develop. I have students in shows and selling their art and it’s very exciting,” Morrow says.
Eager to share this excitement online, her website showcases the work of her students in a dedicated gallery, where adults of all ages proudly display their art, which range from three-dimensional gourd handicrafts to a realistic painting of a triple-decker cheeseburger.
An award-winning artist since the age of 9, Morrow considers all of her students’ projects to be masterpieces in their own right. As an art instructor, she openly encourages students to make and embrace mistakes.
“It’s all about the journey, the start, the mistakes, and learning how to correct the mistakes. It’s endless. We can waste some paint! It has to be fun,” she says with enthusiasm.
This lighthearted approach to teaching mirrors her own artistic philosophy and process.
“I always like to explore and create and see what comes up next. I draw it out, think about color, and create it on the palette.”
Many of Morrow’s classes have a waiting list, which is not surprising considering that her work has been featured at numerous shows around the area, including the Emerson Center, the monthly Waldo’s Secret Garden art shows, the A.E. Backus Museum’s Best of the Best juried show in Fort Pierce, and the Vero Beach Art Club’s famed Under the Oaks. Her teaching skills have taken her around the globe including a stint in Paris, one in Argentina and a residency with Viking Cruises.
“People ask me when I’m going to retire. I tell them that art classes are therapy sessions,” Morrow says.
One of her previous art class offerings, “Learn to Paint without the Fear of Drawing,” was designed to help students overcome their self-doubt about creating art.
“When they start my class, they’re a nervous wreck because they don’t know how to draw. I tell them that it doesn’t happen overnight. I’ve been drawing since I was very young. Jump in! What’s going to happen to you? You’re going to make a mistake? So what? When you make a mistake, we’ll talk about it and troubleshoot, and something will be learned,” she asserts.
Apart from teaching and mentoring, Morrow works on a plethora of commissions for private clients. Currently, she has a rotation of two major commissions: a large-scale ocean scene and a portrait.
“The portrait is of someone’s mother. It’s from an old black and white photograph that is hard to see. It was behind an oval frame with beveled glass. I had to figure out what she really looked like and bring the picture to life in color.”
Portraits are a core part of Morrow’s vast portfolio. Painting from photographs, the artist has depicted images of babies, ballerinas and businessmen, all in startling realistic quality. It’s no wonder that the graduate from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art received numerous scholarships and awards during her academic tenure.
“But I was in the restaurant business too,” Morrow reveals.
Her successful Milltown, N.J., business now long since sold, Morrow focuses her energy on her Vero-based Marie’s Art Studio. Whether she’s giving a demo for residents of a gated community, conducting a workshop in a church, or creating her own artwork in her studio, she says one thing is clear.
“I don’t think I’ll ever really retire.”
Photos by Joshua Kodis
