David Morrison, a Council Bluffs, Iowa-born artist, possesses an extraordinary talent for capturing the essence of nature in hyperrealistic drawings. His fascination lies in buds, leaves, fallen tree branches, and trunks — the intricate details that often go unnoticed. Using colored pencils, Morrison meticulously renders these elements, creating lifelike depictions that seem to leap off the paper.
His work celebrates the imperfections and fragility of existence, echoing the delicate balance between man and nature. Whether it’s the burst of spring buds or the scarred branches marked by disease and decay, Morrison’s art invites us to appreciate the raw beauty found in the natural world.
My drawings of tree branches and trunks embrace nature. I love the springtime when there are eruptive explosions of buds with new leaves and berries. I am seduced by the sensual shape and color of the buds protruding from the branches. I love the firecracker explosion of the red and yellow berries of the crabapple. My drawings capture a moment of this existence. I am also fascinated with fallen tree branches with their scarification left by diseases, infestation, decomposition and storm damage. My drawings capture the degeneration cycle of plant materials and how they echo the living conditions of man and nature. I am interested in capturing the reality of their existence, with all the imperfections, echoing their fragile existence in nature, not an idealized beautification of nature like botanical illustrations.
David Morrison
More info: Instagram (h/t: Garvey | Simon Gallery).