James Morgan has been interested in the outdoors, wild animals and birds since his childhood in a small town in central Utah, where he spent as much time as possible hunting and fishing. Those early adventures instilled in him an appreciation and interest in wildlife and nature.
A graduate of Utah State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Morgan finds most of his artistic inspiration from the rural area in the Cache Valley where he resides. Surrounded by mountains, marshes, and wildlife, he stresses the importance of the natural landscape in his compositions. In the May 2003 issue of Southwest Art, Morgan said, “I think the most important aspect of painting convincing scenes is being a keen observer. Whether it’s a wild animal or any other subject, I try to capture the essence and spirit of the scene, animal and landscape in harmony. I want to make the animals an integral and important part of the landscape, as they are in nature.”
In October 2015, Morgan was a featured artist at The Best of the Best Contemporary Wildlife Art Retrospective Exhibition at the Woolaroc Art Museum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
