La Cumparsita
limited edition print
11" x 17"

A prolific painter and printmaker who grew up on a large sheep ranch in central Wash-ington, John Paul Morgan had the freedom to romp through the high Cascade Mountains where nature's wildlife inspired his artistic future.

John's career look several twists and turns while leading to his present vocation as a full-time artist. He has taught in both public and private schools, and worked as a graphic artist for the Boeing Company, animating instructional films with expatriate cartoonists from Walt Disney.

Morgan's interest in printmaking, however, blossomed after studying Japanese woodblock printmaking with internationally known artists Jun'ichro Sekino and Kiyoshi Saito. He then went on to learn limited edition, hand-pulled lithography from fellows of the Tamerind lithographic Institute, and then the intaglia printmaking processes. He did his graduate work at the University of Wash-ington and received a Masters of fine Arts degree from Central Washington State University.

Always active in the organizations of his chosen field, John was president of the Northwest Printmakers, and a member of the Graphics Society and Artists Equity.

Morgan's impressive studio, which is quartered in the urban setting of metropolitan Seattle, views his childhood haunts from a different perspec-tive. With his window facing East, he can see the Cascades of his youth under the urban influence and the sounds of the "Golden Oldies" on his radio, while working on either his serigraphic print facilities, an antique English lithographic proofing press, a large etching press, an old Paul Smniedewend "Reliance" hand press, or simply drawing and painting.

While he is equally masterful in his sophisticated and detailed renderings of tropical fish, frogs and butterflies, it is his dramatic, charismatic interpretations of such exotic birds as cranes, herons, hawks, ibis and egrets that are truly his cachet. His mediums of choice, outside of printmaking, are watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, cutting and assembling.

While his paintings and prints sell extremely well in the galleries of the Pacific North-west, he is also represented by several prestigious galleries in California, Oregon and British Columbia. John has been a participant in exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum, the Academie of Arts in Honolulu, the Biennial Print Exhibition in the Republic of China, L'Exposition International in Paris, and Artists Equity Good-will Exhibitions in Barcelona, Amsterdam, and most recently, Budapest and LaBoca, Buenos Aires. He has had one-person shows at ArtExpo California and New York, and at galleries representing his work in London and Paris.