From Oxford to Seattle, Ole Miss Alum Paints a New Scene

Photo courtesy of Morgan Fyfe.

From being born and raised in Oxford, Mississippi to now living in the city of the Space Needle, Seattle, Washington, Morgan Fyfe finds new inspiration in the city for her niche in the artistic world of painting.

At first, Fyfe tried a variety of different sports but somehow never seemed to be an asset to the any of the teams, she said.
“After picking flowers during games too many times, I took art lessons after school with a local artist in Oxford,” Fyfe said. “This sparked something inside of me and I wanted to keep creating.”
“Beginning to paint was the first piece to the puzzle,” Fyfe said. “It then became an outlet for her from her day-to-day routine.”
“I sold my first piece in college and it’s been a little adventure ever since,” Fyfe said.
Lending a hand, Fyfe’s father offered to build the framework for her art pieces since the framework is hard to come by in Oxford, Fyfe said.
“That was a big game changer and was fun for art to become more of a family affair,” Fyfe said.
“This is nothing short of a big blessing.”
Using bright colors, texture and layering allows Fyfe to create depth to her pieces. She pulls inspiration from her surroundings that are reflected in her artistry.
Fyfe’s move to Seattle was a little unexpected after taking a trip to Tanzania in 2013 with the Younglife organization where most of the participants were from Seattle, Fyfe said. Following the trip, Fyfe made several visits to the Space Needle city to see the friends she had met on the trip.
“I swore I’d never move out here,” Fyfe said, “But I fell in love with a guy from that Tanzania trip and after finishing school at Ole Miss, I bit the bullet and ditched the long-distance life. Pride swallowed. I moved for a boy. I haven’t regretted it.”
Now on the Pacific West coast, Fyfe uses the surroundings from her hiking and camping in her artwork.
“My gut reaction is to paint landscapes because of these breathtaking views I live around,” Fyfe said. “I’m inspired by so much. I’m don’t believe art is original. I think it’s our interpretation of what we recognize is beautiful around us.”
Fyfe tends to work on 20 to 30 pieces at a time which allows her to shift gears because there is always pressure to make one painting perfect, Fyfe said. She never knows how long one piece actually takes to create due to painting multiple pieces at a time.
“If I have a deadline, I’ll make it happen,” Fyfe said.
Fyfe will be traveling back to Oxford for this year’s Double Decker Festival. Her booth will be placed near Neilsons on the inner booth circle facing the courthouse.
To purchase a piece of Fyfe’s artwork, visit www.morganfyfe.com.

By Talbert Toole, associate editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at talbert.toole@hottytoddy.com.