John Morfis

"Meriden Cutlery 1870 contemporary realist painting antique tool Trompe L'oeil"

2015

Painted from life in his connecticut studio, John Moris paints two metal oar locks. These tools are normally attached to the sides of a row-boat, and lock in the oars with which a sailor would row. Hanging fro a tiny metal nail, dangling from a small white thread, before an off-white, monochromatic backdrop. Framed in a simple black frame, as pictured. Frame dimensions are 24 x 20 inches. Painting dimensions are 19 x 15 inches. John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...

This is an oil painting, in the style of "Trompe l-oeil" of an antique hand drill, on a grey background. Painted by American contemporary painter, ...

"Red Sand Shovel" is a contemporary trompe l'oeil oil painting of antique object in an interior. The child's shovel is hanging on a hook slightly off kilter. Artist Bio: John Morfi...

An oil painting of an antique tool, a Garden Dibble, which is a long stick-like tool used to make holes for seeds, to make sure they are sufficiently buried in the soil without damage. This particular object that Morfis chose to paint has a wooden handle, and a metal point. The dibber rests atop a nail, against a gray wall. Bright studio-light casts a sharp shadow directly beneath the tool. Painted in the academic realist style of "trompe-l'oeil" which is French for "trickery of the eye". BIOGRAPHY John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...

Michael Iskowitz creates colorful, seemingly playful paintings that often belie a more serious message. His process is somewhat spontaneous, fueled by a sense of exploration and disc...

Impressive 1970s modernist interior scene. Great palette and a sophisticated composition. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed and dated verso.

This oil on canvas, signed H. Haller and dated 1903, depicts a military still life, executed with formal precision and a refined attention to detail, characteristic of late 19th- and...

The stature of an everyday item…an antique, well-worn box used for cutlery is elevated to fine art in this realistic oil painting by Ciba Karisik. Traces of blue paint mix with the golden tones of the wood and the palpable texture is enhanced by using linen...