The Bold Line Artist
* Sketch done by Amanda Lewis, inspired by Morgan Paints Stuff
Artist: Morgan Gray (a.k.a Morgan Paints Stuff)
Medium: Painting (mostly Acrylic)
Type of art you can buy: Paintings on Canvas, Paintings on Paper,
Like most other people at the start of quarantine, I decided to take an adventure down the TikTok rabbit hole. I wasn’t really there for the voice overs or the dances exactly, (although I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t get enough of that Blinding Lights moment…), I was there to fill the boredom of a quarantine. What I didn’t know at that time was how many amazing people I would find on this silly little app! This platform is jam packed with story tellers, make-up artists, fashion stylists, Cricut entrepreneurs, home DIY doers, and of course artists… introducing MorganPaintsStuff.
Morgan has a very particular style in big bold line drawings. Her paintings tell very special stories to all different types of people. A bright eyelash winking face might leave one viewer with a warm feeling of drinking hot cocoa under a fuzzy blanket, while the same painting might leave someone else with a reminder of that hot summer day on the beach when they drank three white wine spritzers and got a slight sunburn. Whatever impression you get from these works of art, I think we can all agree it’s most likely a happy one.
Beyond Morgan’s obvious talent in creating these gleeful pieces, she’s also established a connection with the people that stumble upon her work. Her TikTok videos average 80k-100k views, and her weekly website restocks sell out in just minutes. In a world that seems so dark and gray these days, Morgan Gray is adding some necessary color.
Amanda: Where in the world do you create your work?
Morgan: From my apartment in New Orleans! (slowly starting to save up for a studio/gallery space)
Amanda: What was the catalyst that pushed you to start this business?
Morgan: I think that the fear of getting stuck in a 9-5 job that i hated for the rest of my life really pushed me to pursue becoming self employed and following my dream of being an artist. I never really knew what I wanted to do when I grew up, I didn’t think I was talented enough to make a living off of art. When i first moved to New Orleans straight out of college I was so anxious about making ends meet, but I’m so happy that I decided to take the chance because I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Amanda: What current creator (musician, artist, author, etc.) most inspires you?
Morgan: I am currently inspired by all of the young creatives i see every day on social media.
Amanda:What other forms of art, music, literature, etc. inspire your work?
Morgan: I always listen to music when I paint, I don’t have any specific genre that I prefer, just whatever I’m feeling that day! Lately I’ve been listening to harry potter audiobooks haha
Amanda: If you can choose one thing for people to think or feel when viewing your art, what would that be?
Morgan: When I look at art, mine or anyone else’s, I always pick out my favorite parts of it. I love paintings where no matter how long I look, I always find new and interesting parts. I would love if people would look at my art and think “wow i could stare at this forever”.
Amanda: What has your work taught you (about art, life, people, anything!)
Morgan: Being self employed and living off of my art has definitely taught me self-discipline and responsibility. I’m naturally very scatter brained and forgetful, definitely type B, so organizing orders and pushing myself to finish paintings and do all of the other tasks that come with running your own small business was something I struggled with and have eventually gotten better and better at. Art has also taught me to be less scared about putting my work and myself out there. Posting your hard work on social media for everyone to judge can be very nerve wracking. but i am so surprised and grateful to have such a supportive following who enjoy and appreciate what I create.
Amanda: Where can everyone find you?
Morgan: Tik Tok- @morganpaintsstuff, Instagram- @morganpaintsstuff
Website: MorganPaintsStuff