ABOUT THE ARTIST

A native of Memphis, Morris began private training at an early age in the atelier of noted painter Paul Penczner. He went on to earn a fine arts degree with honors from The University of Memphis. He continued his Post Baccalaureate studies at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California.

 While living in Pasadena, he spent several years of his early career creating a variety of artwork for the movie and record industry.  The next step was a move to New York City were he worked for many years as an illustrator and designer. He continued to perfect his craft, at several famous art schools such as The Art Students League and The New York Academy of Art.

 With this wealth of professional experience and artistic training, Morris quite naturally evolved into one of the premier portrait artist in America.  Over time, the artist has also enjoyed passing on his knowledge of painting by teaching at The School of Visual Art & Design in New York City, The Memphis College of Art and private lessions in his own atelier.

H is work hangs in private collections and corporate board rooms, and his paintings have been reproduced in magazines such as Newsweek and New York Magazine, where he was asked to paint luminaries such as Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, First Ladies Nancy Reagan and Rosalynn Carter, Hamilton Jordan and the Shah of Iran. In Memphis, his official portrait of Former Mayor Dick Hackett hangs in the gallery at City Hall.

I n addition to his portrait work, Frank is contracted by the US Department of the Treasury as a Master Designer for the US Mint. There, he is responsible for creating designs for multiple American circulating coins, including Congressional medals and Presidential medals.

Recent designs selected by the US Mint include three Congressional Medals to honor the Native American Code-talkers of World War I & II, as well as, three Gold Collector Coins that commemorate First Ladies Caroline Harrison, Ellen Wilson & Grace Coolidge. They were the spouses of our 23, 28th and 30th Presidents of The United States.

W hile living in New York,  Morris was asked to produce Artistic Designs for Best Selling authors such as Anne Rice, John Updike, John LeCarre, David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite, Salmon Rushdie, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, John Berendt, Camille Paglia, P. J. O'Rourke, Peter Mayle, Toni Morrison, Julia Child, Lauren Bacall, Scott Turow, Cormac McCarthy, Elie Wiesel & Michael Crichton.

F rank is a nationally recognized for his vibrant, realistic portraits. Employing a rich palette, he achieves a style that resonates from another era, when portraiture reigned supreme. Morris achieves an extraordinary likeness in his paintings, whether the subject is an elegant woman dressed in an exquisite gown or exuberant children caught in a moment of suspended activity.

H is portraits of men capture a spark of intensity that reflect their lives’ experience with dignity. His goal has always been " to paint with the skill of the old masters, but with contemporary sensibilities."

M r. Morris has a policy guarantees the client's satisfaction with the final portrait. He always creates his paintings with permanent pigments and uses archivally sound methods that are crafted to last for generations. A portrait, he says, becomes "what your grandchildren's grandchildren will know you by." More samples of his portraits can be sent to your email upon request. You are invited to make an appointment to visit the artist in his studio where you can see a painting in progress. Please note that the portraits shown here are not photographs, but oil paintings, created by hand on Belgian linen canvas.