Born in the United Kingdom, Morris originally started as a food chemist and quality control manager before earning multiple awards for his work as a toy designer with toy company Melissa & Doug. He worked there nearly 20 years, becoming one of their principal toy designers and concept creators. His art pieces have been exhibited at the world-famous Royal Academy of Art in London.
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Exploring Multiple Mediums
Morris has always held a passion for the arts and, over the years, has gone on to express his creativity in a wide variety of mediums. From oil pointing and masonry to self-publishing a children’s book on Amazon, Morris’s drive to create has not wavered. • Some of his notable pieces include:
‣ “The Intervention of the Sabine Women,” a 20” x 15” white jade marble engraving inspired by the original painting of the same name by French painter Jacques-Louis David, which currently resides at the Louvre Museum in Paris. ‣ “Water Lily Dancer,” an oil painting that features a ballerina gracefully dancing across a lake on water lily pads. ‣ His newest work, a marble mural titled “The Lady of the Lake,” which was recently sold to Ben’s Masonry Supply & Hardware.
A Collaboration Born from a Conversation
Morris is joined by the lead engineer of Destination Ad Art Mike Hajzer in creating fantastical art pieces and engravings. Their partnership began just shy of two years ago, when Morris approached Hajzer through a family friend after hearing he was a machinist. Mike Hajzer is a CNC machinist whose father owns G & H Tool Company, a local business that serves customers in various industries such as medical, aerospace, and nuclear. • The journey of their partnership started when Morris presented Hajzer with a proposition: to machine with stone for him and, in turn, create art. Hajzer initially hesitated, having only ever machined metals, plastics, and composites before. • Through some convincing, Hajzer visited Morris’s house, took a look at the machine, and thought he could work with it. • Morris used his connections with past business partners, specifically with a vendor that supplies stones internationally, for the materials.
A Streamlined Process
Hajzer picked the design to see how well he could replicate recognizable human features into stone. According to Hajzer, he was “blown away” at the level of detail he was able to get with their 3D models. • The process for creating one of their pieces starts by generating a 3D model. This is easier said than done, but is helped by Hajzer’s experience in 3D modeling and animation, as well as coding languages Python and C++. • They go through several different iterations, eventually land on an idea, and go from there. • The actual process of running the machine to carve patterns into the stone can take multiple days of work, depending on the piece.
Preparation for the Exhibition
Morris and Hajzer have gone to great lengths in preparing the April event at Edmond Town Hall. They held a dress rehearsal late Tuesday, April 8, when they met with Shaw and her mother to test the fitting for the custom peacock dress and see how the choreography flowed on the Alexandria Room’s stage. • They also worked on ironing out where the dozens of additional art pieces would go throughout the room, making sure everything was placed out just right by taking measurements. • The ultimate goal, Morris said, is for the performance to feel like Shaw “is floating out of the painting.”
A Dream Takes Shape
Morris and Hajzer’s ambitions don’t stop with the exhibition later this month. His dream is to have “Water Lily Dancer” hang in The Metropolitan Museum of Art and give Shaw the chance to dance her choreography around the museum. • Beyond that, they have also been talking to restaurants and local businesses in Sandy Hook. They recently sold a 30- by 60-inch marble piece, “The Lady of the Lake,” to Ben’s Masonry Supply & Hardware, which plans to install it in front of the South Main Street property. • They also designed a 4” statue featuring a bald eagle on a pillar that will also be delivered to them.
A New Direction for Destination Ad Art
Morris and Hajzer are grateful for their relationship with Ben’s Masonry, and hope to work with each other to create more designs in the realm of kitchenware such as tabletops and benches. • Destination Ad Art is committed to create one-of-a-kind designs for people in the area and is taking custom order submissions online for seating, figures, tabletops/islands, and modern pieces. • Morris is equally as excited to have the space at Edmond Town Hall to show off everything he has worked on for the exhibition.
Destination Ad Art will showcase esteemed artist and Newtown resident Stephen Morris’ oil paintings, marble murals, illustrations, and more in an exhibition at Edmond Town Hall later this month. For more information, visit destinationadart.com or follow their Instagram @destination.ad.art.
| Event Details | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition at Edmond Town Hall | April 25-27 | 11 am-5 pm | Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street |
“Working with Stephen is an incredible experience. He’s a true artist who brings a level of passion and dedication to his work that’s unmatched.
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