Morris Graves

Happy Birthday Morris Graves!! Born in 1910, American painter Morris Graves painted in what was termed Romantic Expressionism. This was a dreamy, contemplative style connected with communicating mood. He was self taught and traveled to Japan after dropping out of high school in his sophomore year. There his eyes were opened to the art world. He returned to the Seattle area and Fidalgo Island where he spent the majority of his career. Together with Guy Anderson, Mark Tobey, and Kenneth Callahan he founded an art movement called the Northwest School. The group created visions of Puget Sound, the Sagit Valley and depended heavily on Asian influences. Graves worked primarily in oils gouache and tempera, his work becoming progressively more abstract. The painting below is Time of Change, painted in 1943, an example of Graves' recurrent bird theme.