A Brief Description
As a retired homicide detective, an artist
and an author who is world-traveled, the diversity of Davis Morton’s
life is reflected in his paintings. When he paints horses there is
always something in each painting of the horse he owned for 30 years.
His landscapes are often fields he rode across or islands where his
kayak landed. His city scenes and night-life paintings may be
reminiscent of Edward Hopper but they come from streets that Davis
knows. And at the heart of every person he paints, there is a lifetime of making friends and reading people from every
walk of life and many
different cultures.
Biographical Information
Davis W. Morton IV spent his childhood in
Bronxville, New York and in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He went to private
boarding schools in New York and in Towson, Maryland until getting married
at the age of sixteen. At that time Morton started painting seriously,
working full time, and going to high school then college at night.
Of the twenty years he spent as a policeman in Montgomery County, Maryland, Morton was a Detective for fourteen years working in the homicide, sex and robbery sections. He worked several years undercover and was also the Police Artist for eighteen years.
By 1989 Morton had created more composite drawings of criminals than any other known Composite Artist in the United States. Two of his articles about the use of a composite drawing as an investigative tool were published in The Police Chief Magazine and in Law and Order Magazine.
Since the early 1990's Morton has been able to devote all of his time to painting as his sole career.
Of the twenty years he spent as a policeman in Montgomery County, Maryland, Morton was a Detective for fourteen years working in the homicide, sex and robbery sections. He worked several years undercover and was also the Police Artist for eighteen years.
By 1989 Morton had created more composite drawings of criminals than any other known Composite Artist in the United States. Two of his articles about the use of a composite drawing as an investigative tool were published in The Police Chief Magazine and in Law and Order Magazine.
Since the early 1990's Morton has been able to devote all of his time to painting as his sole career.
Education
Due to early responsibilities, Morton was unable
to attend art school. Other than one anatomy course, taken from Frank
Wright at George Washington University, Morton is a self-taught artist.
He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from the
University of Maryland.
Since 1975 he has traveled yearly to visit the galleries and museums of Europe, Asia, South America and Africa to further his education.
Since 1975 he has traveled yearly to visit the galleries and museums of Europe, Asia, South America and Africa to further his education.
Galleries / Affiliations / Exhibitions (partial listing)
- Amazon.com My book, Art for the sake of Depth and Meaning was published on 05-10-18
- "American Arts Quarterly Magazine" my artist statement, "My Paintings" was published (Winter 2002)
- "American Artist Magazine" (article, December 2000)
- "America's Most Wanted" Washington, DC (six appearances and drawings aired)
- Antreasian Gallery, Baltimore Md. (show July 2005) www.antreasiangallery.com
- Arts Illustrated, LLC my article, "Can a Portrait Still Be Great Art?" was published on 04-04-16
- Art Effects Gallery, Merion, PA.
- Arts Club of Washington, Washington, DC (show 1997)
- Art Network Group, Bethesda, MD (publisher)
- (The) Artist's Magazine, 2015 Annual International Art Competition, Portrait/Figure (Finalist)
- The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA (Realism show 2001)
- Atlanta Art Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia www.atlantaartgallery.com
- Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Baltimore, MD (show 2001)
- "Baltimore Magazine" ("Thames Street" published in article September 2005)
- "The Beacon" (article in Baltimore issue March of 2009)
- Beresford Gallery, Boyds, MD and Saratoga, New York
- Capricorn Gallery, Bethesda, MD
- CNN "Wolf Blitzer Reports" (Live interview, October 2002)
- Cudahy's Gallery, Richmond, VA
- David Adamson Editions, Washington, DC
- Fine Arts and Artists, Washington, DC
- Fellus Gallery, Washington, DC
- Fisher Gallery, Washington, DC (show 1997)
- Foxhall Gallery, Washington, DC
- Glave Kocen Gallery, Richmond, Virginia www.glavekocengallery.com
- Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, DC
- "Hillrag" Magazine ("Tango #2 appeared on cover, February 2005)
- "100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic" by E. Ashley Rooney (my information on pages 38- 39)
- Joseph Keiffer Inc., New York, New York (Agent)
- La Petite Galerie, Annapolis, MD
- Main Street Gallery Annapolis, MD www.mainstreetfineart.com
- Mckissick Museum, Columbia, SC ( shows1999, 2001 Norrell collection)
- North Dakota Museum of Art (show 2001)
- Ontogeny, Potomac, MD (Phyllis Beek-Agent)
- Occidental Grill, Washington, DC (show May 2001)
- Pacific Art and Books, Granada Hills, California
- Pandion Gallery, Fishers Island, New York ("Sporting Art" show)
- Paper - Rock - Scissors Gallery, Baltimore MD
- Portrait Representatives, Towson, MD (Jean Trout-Agent)
- Rablen West Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida ("Polo Paintings" show)
- Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore! (two paintings and prose published in 2009)
- Somerville-Manning Gallery, Greenville, Delaware
- "US Artists" show, Philadelphia, PA (Joseph Keiffer- Agent)
- Veerhoff Gallery, Washington, DC
- White Canvas Gallery, Richmond, VA
- Wilshire Fine Arts, Granada Hills, California www.wilshirefinearts.com
- WTTG-FOX NEWS (Live interview, October 2002)
- Zenith Gallery, Washington, DC www.zenithgallery.com margery@zenithgallery.com
Presently, Morton is represented by the Zenith Gallery in Washington, DC. and Main Street Gallery in Annapolis, MD