Angela Marie Morton: art & illustration

Snippets: a series of brief summaries describing what I have been working on recently, plus a few personal tidbits. Finished Works Japanese Tea Ceremony with Branch Egret with Wispy Feathers Works in Progress My daily walks often take me past ponds, creeks, and wetland areas, which are sources of inspiration for my art, especially in the spring, with all the blossoms, ducklings, animal life, and overgrown reeds.  Boatman in Paper Boat in progress, 1 Boatman in Paper Boat in progress, 2 Ducklings on Riverbank in progess, 1 Ducklings on Riverbank in progress, 2 New in the shop (Click to purchase) Red-Crowned Crane Series: 01 Character Portrait Series: Fluff Woman in Kimono Walking Dog Projects and Updates    I have been steadily working on a large project since January, which is still under wraps, but a blog post about it may be coming later in the year. June's blog post will be up next week, which is a simple recipe for tasty cornbread. So good! Springtime is in full force here in t

Snippets: a series of brief summaries describing what I have been working on recently, plus a few personal tidbits. Finished Works Woman in Kimono Walking Dog I have started a series of brush pen and Chinese watercolor crane pieces, with 3 completed so far. There will be a total of 5 or 6, all with a similar look and minimal color palette. They will work as stand-alone pieces, while also being a cohesive series. Cranes Series: Completed works in the series to date Most recently completed piece in the Cranes Series I have also been working on a series of “character portraits”, which are drawings of all of my characters, each on a plain white background with just a bit of shadowing to add some depth. The most recent one I finished is my bunny character named Fluff. Character Portrait Series: Completed portraits to date Most recently completed Character Portrait: Fluff Works in Progress The only work in progress I have going at the moment is a tea ceremony scene that I need to put the fin

Reading has always been a major part of my life. Since I began pursuing art and illustration full time, I have seen the impact a lifetime of reading has on my creativity, in both the process and the results. From Beatrix Potter, to D.T. Suzuki, and everyone in between, they are all represented in my work in some way.  My mom and grandma taught me to read before I began kindergarten, with books they bought, as well as books gifted by my aunt, who was a teacher and school librarian. Sadly, going to the local public library was like trying to find Brigadoon, or Shangri-La; it was the 1980s in California, and funding for libraries was virtually nonexistent. I enjoyed going to the library, but because it was nearly impossible to access consistently, it was mostly used as a resource for dreaded school reports when I was in grade school and junior high, rather than for pleasure. Because availability to the library was unreliable and limited, my mom would take me on regular visits to the local