Artist
Sterling Morrow
...is a retired teacher. He began taking photographs in 1983 when his wife, Andrea gave him a 35 mm camera and a couple of special lenses.
He writes... I like to find light on ordinary things and make them look extraordinary on film or digital image. Many times I'm surprised by the pictures that turn out well. I'm also disappointed with the ones that don't meet expectations, but I'm philosophical about it.
In the late 80's I started painting in watercolor after seeing a demonstration by Art Jones, a retired state policeman and watercolorist from Hobbs. I still have the first watercolor I painted and it's terrible! I keep it around to remind me that I have made progress! But I feel that failure is as important to an artist as success. An artist must love what he does so as to not become discouraged with his failures.
God creates and man discovers. I know that in a sense I create pictures, but then God created me. The credit and talent belong to God. Being a Christian is my vocation. Everything else is secondary. I am everything I am because of Jesus Christ. I marvel at the hand of God because I see his design everywhere I look. If I see design, I know there is a designer.
It encourages my faith. I don't know if everyone will enjoy my photos or watercolors, but if I make them with feeling and passion, there will be someone else who will enjoy them, too. Actually, there are photos and paintings to be found in almost everything and everywhere. The limitations are our own seeing and imagination.
The famed American photographer, Alfred Stieglitz, said that "most photos can be taken within 60 yards of where a person lives". A photographer/ artist have to be constantly thinking about symbols and how others will read the symbols he or she portrays. I constantly think composition and try to include design principles.
The famous watercolorist Edgar Whitney said that "students may ignore design principles, but they won't ignore you!" All my life I've appreciated beauty, and when I was a kid I chopped cotton. I would look at the clouds or sunsets and wonder if they could be captured. I found out later, as an artist, that it's impossible to capture what we see in a sunset. But there are many, many other beautiful things in this world and I enjoy looking at shapes, forms, lines, color,--and finding unity, contrast, and dominance in them. I think that a lot of wonderful artistic photos and art can be found in any junkyard!
