Morgan Fisher | Bird Artwork
Morgan Fisher | Bird Artwork
Morgan’s work is more about birds' color and shape and character. Precision and realism become lost as she focuses on color and shape; sometimes the birds grow so large as she works, that as she paints, part of them off the canvas. These birds are mostly made of large shapes, strong lines, vibrant colors; they are semi-abstract and distorted, created very expressively. They are all about the birds’ color, shape, and character.
For Morgan, birds are enigmatic. They never cease to evoke emotion nor distract. Birds bring joy, reverie, and awe. Songbirds' unique color, size variations, playfulness, communication, songs and calls, acrobatics, and movements are all captivating. It's easy to have great admiration for the birds of prey, because of their role in nature, their regal and fierce behaviors, flight maneuvers and speed, primal sounds, communication, and survival skills.
Morgan’s deep love for nature, passion for the water and mountains, and interest in multi- cultural art and expression influence both her subject matter (i.e. birds) and style. Her artistic passion is in painting with oil sticks and acrylics and printmaking (intaglio, monoprint, and woodcut), because she can work expressively.
Some of her descriptions of what these featured birds mean and feel to her echo the awe Pat Conroy brings to southern shorebirds, the raw migratory power Charlotte McConaghy evokes in her seabird tales, and the soaring freedom Richard Bach captured in Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Writers such as Terry Tempest Williams, Jim Harrison, Peter Matthiessen, Jack Turner, and Aldo Leopold—through their fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and articles—capture a deep respect and reverie for nature’s raw beauty, strengths, fragility, and power. Their adventures, guiding work, spiritual expeditions, and day-to-day living immersed in the wild reveal the vital roles birds and all creatures play in the balance of our ecosystems, while helping us reconnect to nature and to ourselves. In the same way they bring these truths to the reader or listener, Morgan translates that same wonder into paint and print, sharing it visually with the viewer.
ABOUT | SOME OF THE FEATURED BIRDS:
PELICANS
The pelicans are inspired by the pelicans in Florida. As a child and adult, visiting the coastlines, islands, Everglades, and waters with Pelicans, it’s hard not to admire their own regal living and fearlessness of predators. They fly so skillfully alone or together, wingtips just above the water or even skimming it with the wingtips. They have so much character in the eyes and head and body language, as they observe from posts, docks, nests, beach, boats, or as they float or waddle by closely.
They aren’t a bird to be underestimated when it comes to competition for food with other birds, including gulls or even the Osprey. They command authority over fish, no matter who caught it, and can take a wing or a part of the other bird’s body into that beak as a reminder. There’s a beast in us all, after all—even these seemingly dignified giants are opportunistic survivors. (Hummingbirds, too, gather protein from bugs alongside their nectar.)
In Fisher's paintings they come alive in bold shapes and vibrant energy, capturing that mix of majesty and raw coastal power.
PLOVERS
These paintings are Inspired by the plovers, not only on the Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore Park shorelines, but on ANY coastal shoreline in the world. These little birds are fun to observe as they move rapidly in the sand and water, racing around together and solo on their speedy little legs and camouflaging themselves openly amidst the grass and rocks. These mesmerizing, little prehistoric looking birds, so full of character, need protection on the shoreline. Let’s keep these little beauties safe by keeping our dogs on leashes and children tethered to our sides. Plover nests and eggs are too vulnerable and threatened. Let’s share the shoreline! Painting these little birds a larger-than-life size at times has been a part of Morgan’s focus in order to scream ‘pay attention to the lil guy!’
Morgan loves painting these birds for the pure joy of their prehistoric look and awkward proportions and their humorous rapid speed, as they race in perfect sync with the movement of the shore break. There’s something wonderful about their herd-like movement, those unique markings, and seeing it all from their low perspective—the beauty of their motion, tiny size, and colors set against the vast water, sky, rocks, and beach.
KINGFISHERS
These KINGFISHERS are inspired by the kingfishers living on a lake where Morgan's mother resides. They are not shy, jumping and undulate about for best views to fish; and they have some of the most beautiful and distinctive calls and voices on the shorelines on the small lakes. They perch, chat, prepare for the next perfect dive for a minnow, snake, fish, or crawdad. Kingfishers also sit boldly but quietly, nearby on the limbs of the cedar trees, overhanging the lake and docks; they fearlessly await the next chance to dive wide-eyed into the water, often returning with many minnows at once.
Fisher knows we need to protect the ‘flying jewel’. Too much human and domestic animal disturbance forces them to abandon their breeding areas—especially the larger waves from wake boats or jet skis circling aimlessly to build waves for themselves. Creating safe space and habitat for these fierce little beauties helps them thrive amidst our lake homes and the recreational spaces we all love.
Fisher enjoys painting these beautiful little birds larger than life when she can, helping us to remember. She loves throwing large vibrant leaves, two-dimensional shapes, and outlines to create vibrance and color versus any realism.
CARDINALS
The colors, songs, and chirps of the cardinals bring instant joy to the wildlife community, homes, and busy neighborhoods. Both males and females seem fearless at the feeders and baths. It’s amazing to watch these males fight their reflections relentlessly day after day, yet peacefully fluff up with one another while scouting the vicinity for food or rest. The males’ colors pop from afar against the monotone winter landscape and amid the deep vibrance of summer and fall.
It’s hard not to paint these birds over and over, observing them in all seasons as they seem to enjoy every kind of weather alongside the chickadees. Although often shy and cautious, their song is always powerful and turns our heads. The vivid reds and oranges of the males, along with the soft greys and warm tones of the females, continue to draw us into the most vibrant bushes and densely foliated trees. Another morning and evening singer who lifts the spirits, these protective songbirds—often seen battling their own reflections in car mirrors or windows—finally settle at the top of evergreens to sing as loudly as the grosbeaks.
Fisher brings them larger than life on the canvas, helping us not to forget their constant presence and the vibrance they bring to our world.
TANAGERS
Tanagers singing deeply hidden in the woods at dusk and dawn is a miracle to the ears. This is one of the most beautiful sounds from a songbird. Even with the most vibrant reds and oranges, the males are always hard to find due to their size and secrecy; one is fortunate to catch a glimpse of this special bird. When a tanager is spotted or heard, one should pause and listen and watch for as long as possible.
These tiny birds reach the center of our being and remind us of primal beauty and why we need to protect the woods and trees. When Fisher’s son was little, they’d walk the woods and sit near where they thought they might spot them where they sang. They’d sit for a half an hour, watching the bird drop softly and silently from branch to branch and tree to tree. He was observing them (like most birds, far more aware of the human than the human is of the bird) and deciding whether he’d want to share his very special voice or song. The tanager song is one of the nicest sounds with which to enter into the dark of night—as beautifully as with a Whippoorwill and the brown thrasher.
In Fisher’s paintings they glow in bold, expressive color and form, pulling that hidden vibrance out into the light so we never forget their magic.
INDIGO BUNTINGS
These beautiful birds sneak into the bird bath and dart around the ground and feeder fleetingly. They sing their lovely songs from the cherry trees surrounding the fields, maples, ash, and pines, then swoop quickly into the long grasses. Both the bright indigo males and the understated females are shy about being seen but stand out strongly with their vocal presence among the other songbirds throughout the day.
In Fisher’s paintings they shimmer in bold, saturated blues, capturing that quick flash of color and elusive energy.
FINCHES
These yellow finches pass through at times in large, fleeting flocks, with sometimes a hundred chirping voices filling one tree. Others stay longer, feeding at the feeders and feasting off the fields and woods. There are happy songs and seemingly great group dynamics carrying on!
In Fisher’s paintings they burst with bright yellows and lively movement, celebrating their joyful, social spirit.
OTHER SONGBIRDS
Fisher also paints many of the other beloved songbirds that bring such vibrance to our days and their symbiotic relationship to the lakes, fields, woods, gardens, and farms — the orioles, red-breasted grosbeaks, bluebirds, hummingbirds, and more.
Orioles are among the most distinctive and gorgeous singers, moving through in April and May, often in the rain. Fleeting visitors, they join the big spring chorus, feasting at the oranges, clear sugar-water feeders, and jams before moving on. They leave us with lucky weeks of brilliant color, excitement, and song. Fisher loves observing them and, again, creating big leaves around these bright orange and black singers.
The grosbeaks arrive as larger-than-life singers, with both males and females loving the feeders, diving into lilac bushes, and splashing in the tiny pond alongside robins and redstarts. Social sharers and big-voiced bathers, nesters, and dusk singers, they bring a bold, communal presence that is impossible to ignore and asks to be painted and remembered.
Together with the indigo buntings, finches, and others, these songbirds create a living symphony that lifts the spirit and reminds us to nurture the trees, fields, and edges where they thrive, knowing they feast on insects and other critters. Fisher paints them larger than life, pulling their fleeting beauty and powerful voices onto the canvas so we carry their joy with us year-round.
GULLS
Gulls remind us of coastlines and shore cleanup. These bold, raucous birds are the tireless sentinels of the beaches, the ones who teach us about freedom in flight and the joy of living untethered. Like in Jonathan Livingston Seagull, they soar both alone in pure pursuit of mastery—hovering, diving, riding the wind with effortless grace—and together in swirling flocks that wheel and cry above the waves. Their intelligence shines in the way they drop clams onto rocks to crack them open, or work the shores in clever teams. They’ve got that rogue attitude, making daring choices to live so close to humans, their independence showing in solitary strolls and perching as storms roll in or days wane—revealing regal, peaceful, or quietly lonely images. Those piercing eyes and that unmistakable laugh of a call echo across the water, much like a loon, instantly reminding us there is water nearby. Fog, sun, wind, rain—they are our lighthouse, hitting that primal place within us.
In Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy, those Greenland scenes capture the raw, windswept beauty of seabirds holding steady in the wild northern air—kiting or hovering beautifully on the updrafts, wings outstretched, almost motionless against the gale as they scan the sea. Gulls represent that primal coastal energy, embodying the wild, living unapologetically near harbors and urban life. They are spirits of the coast—scavengers, survivors, sky dancers, and daring divers who remind us to claim our freedom.
CROWS | RAVENS
Crows and ravens carry an ancient intelligence that can haunt and delight through both site and sound. Jim Harrison captured it so well—their voices, their rituals around death and love and dying. As a child he witnessed the beauty of a death ceremony, where they all gathered solemnly around one dying, showing such empathy and grace in the face of loss. These birds are some of the most intelligent on earth, living together tribally with scouts leading the way. Their verbal skills sound like dinosaurs and monkeys one moment, then turn soothing as they roost at dusk, watching everything below with that knowing gleam.
These birds fear no raptor. They work in teams to protect their own ( sometimes to bully or create order via sharp social rules ); they alert the entire ecosystem around them with their calls. Crows and ravens can be seemingly harsh, when ousting those who don’t behave properly, yet full of community and care. Their ruffled feathers catch the wind so beautifully, their bold acrobatic moves thrill the sky, and those deep blacks shimmer with iridescent colors, shifting in the light. They bravely dive in, hop into danger zones), while vitally cleaning up roadkill, alongside the buzzards and vultures. keeping the wild places clean.
To see one still on a fencepost or perched high in a tree, observing us and calculating exactly who we are—it stops one cold. We know they know us- they never forget a face. The joyful and serious character and intelligence, calls us to observe and paint them. They are not ominous. They are our guides through walks along rivers and within the woods—tricksters and thinkers, problem-solvers who use tools, mourn with ceremony, and remind us of the deep intelligence and mystery alive in every forest and field, mountain, stream, lake. They watch us as much as we watch them—family-oriented, fiercely loyal, full of mischief and enduring spirit.
WOODCOCKS
Woodcocks have one of the finest sounds of imminent spring—the true sign that the season is upon us. Their calls at dusk bring a deep peace to the transition of the day, those loud, echoing voices rising from such a tiny camouflaged body. With their uniquely large, long beaks and thrusting little heads, big dark eyes, and plump forms, they shoot straight up in their wild, spiraling sky dance—a courtship display that feels like pure magic in the twilight fields and edges of the woods.
Some hide well in the brush yet call out boldly, caring little for nearby humans or familiar animals. Their quick flights zip across the fields, while their oddly open nests and eggs remain vulnerable to mowers, raptors, and fox... That big voice from such a small frame, paired with the brown thrasher and wood thrush in the morning and evening chorus, imprints its beauty deeply within us. It forces us to stop, listen hard, get grounded. They dare us to look closer at those camouflaged bodies tucked into the foliage.
Providing unmaintained areas near the edges of fields and woods—those wild, brushy spots—brings these cute little birds habitat near our homes. Their unique tiny bodies and fabulously large beaks make them feel almost otherworldly, like if a fish had that bill it would be our narwhal or swordfish of the woods.
In my paintings they come oversized, pulling their earthy tones and odd, endearing shapes into the light, because these quirky poets of the forest floor ask us to slow down at twilight, protect the damp thickets and young growth they need, and remember that wonder often hides in the quiet places.
EGRETS | HERONS
Egrets and herons have long been celebrated in the writings of Pat Conroy and Jim Harrison—their love for those graceful shorebirds of the southern Lowcountry marshes and the northern rivers alike. Whether paddling quiet backwaters or busy rivers, gliding through the Everglades, along beaches, wetlands, swamps, ponds, or lakes, these birds are not shy. They stand as living statues, slow-moving masters that teach us patience, vigilance, and that perfect, built-in timing for a lightning strike on prey below the surface.
Their flight carries such regal grace, long necks tucked in that ancient S-curve, wings beating slowly with the power of dinosaur days. Whether shining brilliant white or dressed in greens and blues, they embody the stillness of a statue and the speed of a ninja. They bring pure joy to every paddle down a river or fisherman in a boat. To spot one is a gift—something one always get to share, sparking stories of the day’s adventure and the wild beauty witnessed.
These loners command the reeds, cattails, and lily pads in sacred silence, surrounded by turtles, crickets, red-winged blackbirds, and dragonflies. Focused on fish and frogs, they pay us little mind as we pass by. That profound stillness—the monk-like silence they hold while waiting—is what can amazes one most, along with those regal side views as they scan the water. They remind us of the deep quiet we all need, the habitats we must fiercely protect so these ancient sentinels can continue their patient hunt.
In my paintings they stretch across the canvas in vibrant, semi-abstract lines, all about their poised character and the way light dances on those feathers—capturing that perfect balance of utter stillness and explosive movement.
FLAMINGOS
Flamingos are pure flaming color and improbable elegance—the kind of birds that stop you cold and make you feel the wild heartbeat of the world, as Terry Tempest Williams so often invites us to do with her writing on nature’s holy strangeness and beauty. Those shocking pink bodies balanced on stilt legs of great strength and texture, feeding upside-down in salty shallows, moving in synchronized flocks that look like drifting clouds of sunrise. Their color comes from the food they eat—brine shrimp, algae, and tiny creatures rich in carotenoids—turning their feathers into living shades of rose, coral, and vibrant pink that light up beaches, dunes, tundra, and shorelines.
They glide together in migration, huge gorgeous birds nearly half our size, with graceful landings and that pack mentality—safety in numbers, honking and vocalizing fearlessly, rising necks and silly side-to-side head movements as they communicate, preen, and stay connected. There’s such harmony in their massive flocks on the ground and in flight, adding explosive color to sand and water wherever they gather. Poking and probing for shrimp and small prey, they embody both graceful movement and enigmatic behavior all in one.
Fisher carries a deep and personal homage to these birds from an experience on a remote Venezuelan peninsula and coastline, where she was windsurfing for weeks. Out for a an early morning solo walk with birds and light breeze, a flock of flamingos protected her; their flock flew into a corrupt policia and guardia, who were threatening her with guns, allowing her to flee, while they created a large commotion and barrier. In that moment they felt like guardians, bold and unafraid.
In Fisher's paintings and woodcuts, they like her other birds, drift off the canvas in bold shapes and textures with vibrant pinks, distorted just enough to capture their larger-than-life spirit. They remind us of joy, resilience, and the wild grace of gathering together in unlikely beauty. Let’s protect the salty, shallow wetlands and coastal places that let them thrive.
Some images in the Bird Portfolio