Croix-First Blood

The ballad verse of the Blue Men from Lewis and the smith who did not name his dirk sing the chorus that I am Clan Morrison. The fixative that holds chalk and the rolled paper that smooths drawing say that I am an artist. In a college communication class, one of my term papers focused on St. Croix. It is tropical “Tammany Hall” and the “Muckrackers.” The island is one of the most left leaning in the West Indies except for Cuba. In 1493, the Caribs drove Columbus from the island. St. Croix was a colony of France until the Danes bought it in 1733, but the us bought it in 1917. The main industry was sugar and rum product until the late 1800’s, but Americans brought in Puerto Ricans to restart the sugar manufacturing. Morrisons are from Lewis.

St. Croix has a special mythology dotted with pirates. Behind everything on the right side is Eliza James McBean Clock Tower. Be everything on the left is the Steeple Museum originally called the Lord God of Sabbath Lutheran church however was turned into a military base after the church moved to the Dutch Reform Church in 1831. It was later a school and a hospital. Everything rests on a doorway  with leaves from St. George Village Botanical Garden which is on a former Danish plantation and an ancient Amerindian settlement. The wedges surroundings the barrel is from Point Udall, the most eastern point of the US. The barrel is for Cruzan Rum Factory which began immediately after the fall of prohibition and is one of the few distillers left on the island which continually equally produced sugar until the 1961. After twenty years, it made the island different in being not dependent on tourism. (it is currently owned by Beam, Inc.)The carnival feathered head dress is for Christmas carnival which first started in 1912 but restarted in 1952. The cannon cart is for Fort Frederik which is said to be the first place in the Caribbean to recognize the US and the slaves were emancipated in 1848. It is 9” x 12,” drawn with pencil and white chalk and completed recently.

The name of this piece is Marsh,  is 5” x 7.5” and drawn with pastel on cardboard recently. The unique nature of using color is the broad palette of colors. There is a lot of neon pink in white clouds.  I am from the Bayou, but trees were dominated so I found this fun. The domination of clouds is a different element. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.

Dragon- Yamata no Orochi

The red hounds on the black, sky chariot’ black cloud of the Thunder Hag and the spear of Conall Curlew rattle that I am Clan Morrison. The alcohol, pastel stain on heavy paper and the humanity created by chalk sing that I am an artist. Dragons are a main stay of most mythologies. Christianity has them both as the animorph of evil and also the animal that St. George killed in Libya. The Celt viewed dragons and wise creatures. The main Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl was a dragon. One should not forget the girl with the dragon tattoo. The discoverer of dinosaurs considered them to be the same as dragons. My sister use to have beagle.

The name of this piece is Yamata_no_Orochi named after the dragon which protected Buddha under the Bo Tree, but is normally depicted with eight heads. Japan honors the creator as a kami, one of the four divine beasts calling it ryū or tatsu. Originally I named the piece Wood Dragon. Ironically the proper of Japanese maple is dragon wood.The technich to accomplish the idea of scales is by skipping in on stroke.  It is 8.5” x 11,” drawn with Sumie and completed recently.

 The name of this piece is Bench,  is 12” x 18” and drawn with Sumi-e and ink June 2016. The picture was drawn at an exclusive park the last day it was open for the season. Ironically, I was worried it would rain momentarily. The phrase in Japanese is “the voice of autumn” or “the wind” as fall is coming. It is on the empty backdrop of a pond, because school is started. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.

Guam-American Pacific

 The leap of the sword of Light Foot who made the blood stones and the protection of the Green Lady play the ballad that I am Clan Morrison. The dust of pastel chalk bound with hair spray and the hard, ruff nature of water color paper sing to the wind that I am an artist. American Oceana is best expressed in Guam. It has a stable economy and a great rugby team with a extraordinarily large military base. The principal during my last year in high school was stationed in was station in Guam where his wife taught at the gigantic Christian school. The name Guam either means “we have” or “valued place.” It was owned by Spain and was an important port of call between Mexico and the Philippines but after Mexico’s independence lost importance. America received the island because of the Spanish American War but did not develop the Island until after World War II.  The native population like Saipan is Chamorro and Japanese.  Its major production still is rice. I have a French Knife.

Guam has a very special mythology. The petro glyph of two kissing behind everything on the right-side is Puntan Dos Amantes. The story goes that two lovers were drawn apart because her father arranged her marriage with a Spanish captain. It is said that two lovers tied their hair together and jumped off this cliff rather than the girl marring a Spaniard.  The pillar and capstone behind everything on the left is the Latte of Freedom.  It was started for America’s bicentennial but lacked funding. It was revised in 2004 and finished in 2010. Lattes were the foundation for Chamorro traditional houses. Everything is on the Guam flag. The tree in the center is from Hagatna Boat Basin Channel. The submarine is a Ha. 62-76 Japanese Midget Attack Submarine which grounded itself on Togcha Beach in 1944 and rests in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park. The lady on the sub is Sirena from Agana whose bottom half turned into a fish do to her mother’s curse but whose top half was protected by her godmother. The cannon is from the Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledåd which overlooks Umatac Bay.  The most recognizable part of the fort is the guard house. It is 9” x 12,” drawn with pencil and white chalk and completed recently.

 The name of this piece is Seeking Coolness, is 9” x 12” and drawn with Sumi-e recently. The name is a translation of the Japanese proverb for the summer. The flower is a western iris. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.

Rain-Sui-Riu

The search of the Princess of Land-Under-the-Sea and the sea stead of the Dark Prince sing to the sea that I am Clan Morrison. The rawness of beauty and the simplicity of medium declare me an artist. It is said that the weather report for Ohio is “It will be overcast unless there is a severe drought.” I am from Texas so either it rain or it does not rain, but I have enjoyed a good hurricane party in my time. Actually when Hurricane Rieda came through the area needed some rain.

Rain has always been mythologized. The Japanese mythology has the king of dragons fulfill this. The name they give it is Sui-Riu (Rain dragon), the Chinese call it T'ien Lung. Its power over rain is from swallowing large amounts of water and plowing boiling gusts. The ascending dragon and rain symbolize prosperity. Like all Japanese dragons it is three toed. It is 8.5” x 11,” drawn with Sumie  and completed recently.

 The name of this piece is Eternal Bamboo, is 12” x 18” and drawn with Sumi-e recently. The swallow is lucky symbol of fertility. The chupi style is more a style in amini. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana islands-Japanese Polynesia

The great black hand which stole the Face-of-Light and the boulders of the sons of Beira whisper to the stone that I am Clan Morrison. The yoga which derives the nature of the chi which creates beauty and the organic design declare that I am an artist. My brother knew a guy who half Central Pacific island and half Japanese. That is who the Chamorro people are. The other native people are the Carolinians who immigrated later. The occidental history of the island is Spain sold to Germany who lost to Japan who seeded to the UN who gave to America. The Japanese were the only ones to really develop the islands both agrarian and infrastructure. They brought in people from all over to Chrysanthemum Empire to build up the islands. (Some Chamorros in Saipan still speak Japanese) The US mostly turned the Island into a Japanese Tourist destination. They did not get US citizenship until the 1980’s. I used a bolder to make my prayer cove in Indiana.

The Northern Marianas Islands have a very special mythology. There was some sort of tiger that formerly lived on Saipan but is not in this picture. Behind everything with the flags is the American Memorial Park which the more than four thousand solder who died in the Battle of Saipan. At the end of the battle many of the residence chose suicide. The statue of the islander is of Aghurubw who was the Carolinian chief who brought his people to the island and named it Seipel meaning empty. The Obyan uncapped latte (stone pillar) and low stone wall are for the first Chamorro village under Spain.. The model of the bathyscasgage (weird submarine) is for the Marianas Trench, one of the lowest places on earth. It is 9” x 12,” drawn with pencil and white chalk and completed recently

The name of this piece is Zen Pond,  is 12” x 18” and drawn with Sumi-e and ink June 2016.the picture was  a wrong pass from a small park which I had not been to but it was a beautiful day.  The sumie was added to emphasize the small pier. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.

Beira’s creel that formed Little Wyvis and the fleece that the little old man whitened whisper to the wind that I am Clan Morrison. The focus applied to empty paper and the fish sent of sumie breath that I am an artist. The Pacific has always been the inspiration for art The Tokugawa period’s greatest peace was the “Fury of the Pacific.”  Ironically the name means “Peaceful.”  I have never actually seen the Pacific but my dad is from California. From there, I learned many surfers cannot swim.  

 The Pacific has a unique mythology. The Japanese mythologize the Ocean itself with the dragon. Ryu Jin in invoked for fisherman and is considered the guardian of Shinto. The  dragon ascending is a symbol of prosperity. The shrine is  connected to those who fear and worship the Pacific. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.

American Samoa- South Pacific

The  secrete water of the Well of Youth on the floating Green Island of the West and the twists of the Bennane Cave sing that I am Clan Morrison.  The twists of the studies of art and the discipline of drawing say that I am an artist. American Samoans are like us Scot Americans big and religious. American Samoa is possibly the least known or developed Inhabited US Territory. Ironically, Americans know American Samoa for the book Coming of Age in Samoa which was part of the 1920’s “Jazz”  and tattoos which is ironically as they are primarily devout Christians. According to legend, the islands were owned by Tonga, but Queen Salamasina unified the Islands as an independent Samoa who descendants were the four noble families. In 1830 John Williams of the London Missionary society brought the gospel to the islands. The United States formally got it as part of the backlash of the “Scramble for Africa” and “Great Game” in a treaty in 1900 which divided the Islands. 1976, American Samoa finally got home rule with their own governor.  The Islands still keep Fa’a Samoa of chiefs, extended family and church. I went to a college in Florida for a semester near the “Fountain of Youth.”

Samoan Mythology is greater than most of territories mythology with the exemption of Hawaii. The Islands have crytids also such as sea monsters and Nifoloa (long toothed creator near the villages of Falelima) but not in the drawing.  Behind everything is the Fatu ma Futi or Flowerpot Rock which is a sea stack or volcanic plug in American Samoa National Park. Everything is on the grave of Jean-Francois La Perouse who died on December 11, 1787 by Samoans which marks Massacre Bay. Everything is in a tanoa which piper methysticum is pounded in the ‘ava ceremony which is at all chiefly, public and government meetings. Before drinking the Highest Chief pour some on the floor then gives a toast and every one can drink. The stick with long fur is a fue (fly whisk) and is part of public speaking. (It is Coconut fiber not fur.) it is worn on the shoulder by the talking chief. (tulafale) The matau (stone adze (wood shaping tool)) is for the Tataga-matau wher they used to mine basalt for stone tools which were used across the Pacific. It is 9” x 12,” drawn with pencil and white chalk and completed recently.

The name of this piece is Harmany is 9” x 12” and drawn with Sumi-e on watercolor paper recently. It is a Japanese wasp  on the top left corner and a Japanese Whiteeye on the bottom right. Birds eat wasp wasps sting birds, harmony. Asian Logic is all about enemies finding harmony as in Taoism with Ying and yang. If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order