Danielle Morse

Danielle Monet Morse (born July 21, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois) is an international painter of introspective, modernistic, and highly collected abstract art. From the start, Morse distinguished herself as an intuitive colorist and an artist who fearlessly embraces large-scale work, with paintings averaging seven feet by nine feet. Her paintings subsume a personal sensory timeline theme chronicling her visceral and conscious experience from her first breath until present. To date, she has sold out exhibitions of her work and been enthusiastically tapped for public and private commissions.

Morse is also an art collector, pop-up gallery entrepreneur and creator of a unique approach to the Artist In Residency program. She currently lives and works in both Chicago, IL and Sydney, Australia, where she is recognized for her art as well as her approach to redefining the art business.^[1]

Early life and background

Morse’s mother, a full-time artist, and her father, an avid art collector, introduced her to the subject at a very young age. Morse’s current art collection, which spans the globe, was carefully procured over a 20-year period. Her middle name, "Monet", was given to her at birth by her father in homage to the French impressionist painter Claude Monet.^[2]

Despite her art-influenced upbringing, it wasn't until she turned 36 that Morse embraced her destiny to become a painter.^[2] After her education, Morse spent 12 years working in the wholesale flower business, where her keen eye for color and balance helped her find success. She then moved into real estate, spending 10 years as a broker and developer. As fate would have it, during the 2008 real estate market crash she returned to her art roots. Morse has been painting full-time ever since.^[3]

Her relationships with commercial real estate became a huge asset in the pop up gallery field. She approached owners with the idea of filling spaces with temporary, pop-up art exhibitions. These scenarios allowed Morse to exhibit and sell her paintings without a significant financial commitment, and landlords to realize tenant income until properties were leased long-term.^[1] Morse’s deep knowledge of Chicago neighborhoods and demographics helped her pinpoint locations rich in art enthusiasts and buyers. The attention and traffic her exhibitions generated helped Morse quickly ascend to a position of prominence in the Chicago art community, and accelerated the leasing of vacant properties.^[1]

Danielle Monet Morse, Happy Hour, 2010, oil on canvas, 9 x 7 feet, private collection

Artistic Practice

Morse’s exploration into the abstract is a meditative process. Morse is aggressive and knowledgeable in her demeanor and in her art; her style can be characterized by a refreshing disregard for rules and norms. Her innately introspective and irreverent approach allows her to bring the emotional depths of her soul to life on canvas, via intense color and bold, rhythmical applications of paint.^[4]

Morse’s artist influences include Joan Mitchell, Willem de Kooning, Cy Twombly, Amy Sillman, and Cecily Brown.

Studio view of Hannah from Morse's Elephant Puzzle series, private collection

Career

From 2008 to 2010 Danielle Monet Morse occupied a studio space in the Flat Iron Building^[5] in Chicago where she also exhibited and sold her work. Danielle was invited to participate in over 30 shows throughout her residency.^[1][6]

Bob Berger,^[5] the owner of the Flat Iron Building as well as the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, took notice of Danielle's art through the thousands of artists he has housed throughout the years. He is currently one of her most consistent collectors.

In the fall of 2008 Danielle ran into a former real estate colleague while shopping for art supplies. They began discussing their art careers, and decided to utilize their real estate experience to open and manage pop up galleries. From 2008 to 2014 the duo together opened 5 separate pop-ups, and managed to sell over 50 of Danielle's large scale paintings (6 ft x 7 ft).

From October 2013 to October 2014, Morse opened a storefront space and signed a 1 year lease, establishing Treva Gallery in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village.^[7] Treva Gallery’s opening exhibition happened in mid-January 2014, during one of the worst winters in Chicago history. Despite brutal temperatures and hazardous travel, Morse managed to attract large crowds and sell out her entire show of 12 large-scale paintings from her “Elephant Puzzle” series.^[8]

From November 2014 to May 2016, Danielle left Chicago to make a body of work in Tampa, Florida. She found it difficult to find studio space and decided to paint in her garage. It was there in the heat and humidity, she had an epiphany. She could paint anywhere for anyone, and was not limited to a studio. After her 16 month crucible in Tampa was over, she had a 9 piece homage to Picasso's^[9] "The Old Guitarist",^[10] as well as a new idea for an "In Artist Residence" program.

In 2016, Danielle is once again pioneering the function of an artist with the creation of a fresh approach to the Artist In Residency program. The program is a call to action for patrons of art to request Danielle's residency in their home, where she can paint anywhere on their property, i.e garage. The subject of an “en plein air”, which is the process of identifying a theme inspired by the artists immediate surroundings combined with Danielle's abstract painting style. This is a far more intimate way of creating work, and drawing inspiration from personal interactions with the collector. The chosen applicants have unlimited studio visits and workshops with Danielle. The program consists of a few responsibilities from the patron. They are required to arrange transportation, room and board, host a party with friends and family to celebrate the end of the residency, and offer the art for sale. The patron gets to keep a painting of their choosing for their personal collection.

The on-site private residency ranges from 7–30 days in total.

Collections and Awards

Morse's paintings are part of permanent lobby collections in several noted Chicago buildings, including The Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan, 555 Quincy, 40 E. Oak, and 1100 N. Dearborn.

Morse's awards include the 2011 Art Prize in Grand Rapids, MI where she was awarded the Lobby installation at The B.O.B.

Personal life

Danielle Monet Morse is the partner of Australian tennis player and TV tennis commentator Rennae Stubbs.^[11][12]

References

External links

• Official Website