Testimonials 2

“That’s hot!” When you hear Alan say that, you know you are on to something. It has been such a privilege to paint with Alan over the past two years. Under his tutelage I have actually progressed to the point of selling a few and placing first in the North Carolina State Fair! Besides enjoying his friendship, I really appreciated his honesty in evaluation, his true knowledge of the difference between painting a picture and art, his clear teaching on artistic principles, and his understanding of the relation of art and Christian spirituality.

Alan has been a true blessing to me as he continues to offer critique and pointers whenever I call or email. (I used to live near Alan but have since moved to NC). I can truly say that I look at life differently because of the lessons I have learned form Alan. Like a good work of art we all have “lost and found” edges, life works better when we loosen up, we need to understand the main focus, and we should celebrate and enjoy it when something is truly “hot!”

With great respect and admiration,

Patrick D.
Raliegh, N.C.

What strikes me most about Alan’s painting is the empathy he shows with his subjects, and his ability to draw the viewer into the painting to share that empathy.

At the workshop at Ocean Sands, the main objectives of most participants at the onset, based on what we’d seen of Alan’s work, was to become “faster, looser, and more suggestive” in our painting. While these are side effects of Alan’s approach to painting, what Alan shared with us was how to capture, without fussiness and confusing detail, the important features of the subject using good composition, technique, and color theory. And, he made it feel easy; that we could all improve and achieve these objectives.

Alan’s caring manner drew each individual into the group, creating a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for learning. Perhaps most important of all, he imparted the confidence to show a personal involvement in, and reaction to, the subjects in our paintings.

Dee S.


In the spring of 2006 I took a 5 day workshop from Alan Morris. The workshop was very educational and enjoyable. During the week there were a variety of opportunities to sketch and paint live models in addition to painting from photographs. The detailed information that Alan provided on drawing the human figure and face have been invaluable to me as I develop my skill at sketching and painting the human figure. I continue to reference the information I got in that workshop as I draw. As a result of the workshop I have found that I enjoy painting the human figure more than any other type of painting and have been experimenting with realistic as well as stylized figures. I highly recommend Alan Morris as an instructor. He was a positive and supportive as an instructor and imparted a lot of knowledge about sketching and painting. I hope that I have another opportunity to take another workshop from him.

Dr. Susan A. W.
Greenville, NC