Andrea Morgan is a self-taught painter and paper mâché sculptor living in the Blackfoot River Valley of western Montana. Her various occupations (restoration ecologist, landscaper, vegetable farmer) have kept her hands in the dirt and her head in the clouds for as long as she can recall. Morgan’s art is, in essence, an expression of her wonder and curiosity as she explores the wild lands and wild characters in the quiet spaces of her landscape.

Morgan’s painting process starts with dynamic layers of color and marks on wood. She works in a series, allowing the colors and concepts to evolve and shift, adding and subtracting paint, ideas, and subjects until, as she puts it, “I capture the wild thing before it runs away.” Her paintings offer viewers a sense of joy and delight at first glance. A closer look reveals depth, history, a sense of humor, and surprise.

Morgan’s series cover both serious and lighthearted topics, including the intersection of native/non-native species on the prairie, fence lines across western landscapes, the somewhat ridiculous aspects of American cowboy culture, and imaginary birds riding imaginary bikes. Her work hangs in great spaces across Montana and the west, including The Radius Gallery and Upcycled Boutique in Missoula, Whitefish’s Walking Man Gallery, Heist Art and Sundries in Red Lodge, and The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene.

What’s the story behind the cover painting, Marimekko Magpie? Marimekko is a Finnish fabric design brand, loved by Morgan’s stylish mama. The magpie is an ode to a sweet summer Andrea spent with a fledgling magpie on her shoulder and saddle horn.   

Learn more at www.andreamorganstudio.com and on Instagram @blueroosterarts.