Elise Morris

Wonder’s Edge

Wherever I am, I notice color and light. As my attention shifts, I inevitably see forms and shadows, and the way the light throws around unexpected shapes. The shapes that I notice are a source of connection. When I draw something, I can know it with intimacy – so I begin each piece in that intention. To know the shapes of nature, I collect them, dragging vines, weeds, branches, and photographs into the studio to draw from. I learn the way they twist and grow towards the light. I learn the patterns and nuances of curling leaves. Nature is infinitely more creative than I am, so I start there.

In painting, I’m after a sense of lightness and space, right at the edge of my own wonder and curiosity. The way I experience nature is layered, and the light I hold is limited in the face of all that can be found there. It’s the memory of a place that I end up working with. In the push and pull of the painting process, I can emerge with something that resembles what I know. 

See the work featured in this show here.