Perry Morgan lives, loves, and paints New Orleans

Savannah, Ga. born artist, Perry Morgan 111, has an MA in psychology and is a winner of the Absolute Vodka Art Search. He has successfully owned an art gallery on Magazine Street, a very well known New Orleans haunt, and he's employed as an artist by the House of Blues, which boasts the largest folk and self-taught collection in the US. Quite a varied resume!

Mr. Morgan has worked in clay, assemblage, painted silk, canvas, and wood. He paints his own frames and has a friend construct them. His works clearly reflect the melting pot that is New Orleans, and the joyfulness of his immersion in the music, art and architecture there is apparent. I will let these very appealing works speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Another Self-taught Art Beaded Piano

That last image was breathtaking, I know! I have gotten so many positive responses to New Orleans artist, John Lawson's beaded piano, that I'm posting another one, this time a Baby Grand. He calls it "Booker" and if you look carefully you will see the portrait of this Jazz musician on the top of the case. John's next show is at Honfleur Gallery in Washington, DC from November 15th to January 2nd, and will include re-traced drawings encased in encaustic wax, photography, and sculpture using the salvaged Mardi Gras beads. What a talent!

Beaded pianos, self-taught art at it's best

A friend, John Lawson, created the most extraordinary art objects colleged with Mardi Gras beads. He wandered the streets after the celebration was over and collected hundreds of pounds of these garishly bright beads. Then came hours of soaking and cleaning. Then sorting colors. And then the magic began! 

These are life sized pianos covered, in a jazz theme, with the collected beads. This one is an old New Orleans Honky Tonk piano and is totally playable, right down to the "Jelly Roll Morton" twang. The pianos have been shown in museums and are part of great private art collections. They are really beyond belief! This is the hight of recycling, don't you think?