John Morfis Paintings

John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetical...

An oil painting of an antique key, hanging by a teal colored ribbon, from a single nail. Painted in the realist style known as Trompe-Loeil, which is French for "Trickery of the Eye"...

Morfis creates his signature tromp-l'oeil still life. His "blue plug" hangs on a small nail against a blue/grey background. Framed dimensions: 18.5 x 14.5 inches

A tromp-l'oeil oil painting of a fishing hook hanging on wall. Framed dimensions: 18 x 13.5 inches Artist Bio John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

An elegant tromp-l'oeil depiction of an old boat propeller hanging from a wall. ARTIST BIO John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

A dark, yet crisp tromp-l'oeil depiction of a spatula. Morfis makes beauty out of the ordinary objects that we use everyday. Beacuse of varnish, the painting is difficult to photograph. The navy color is dark, but brightens with a spotlight on the painting. Framed in a modern black wood frame. Signed "J.Morfis" lower left ARTIST BIO John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

John Morfis, known for his interior realist paintings, depicts an antique child's shovel hanging from a light blue wall. Morfis is able to unlock a sense of nostalgia in this scene w...

A trompe l'oeil painting of a child's shovel hanging on a wall. The object seems to pop off the canvas. Framed dimensions: 23.5 x 17.5 inches Artist Bio: John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

A trompe l'oeil painting of a finely-crafted oarlock from a row boat. It hangs from a string on the wall; the excess string curling at the edge. Morfis masterfully creates the shadows of this object and the string. Framed dimensions: 21.5 x 17.5 inches John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

Morfis paints a tromp l'oeil spataula hanging on a hook from the blue wall that fills the composition. Such a simple object is raised to importance by being the only (very detailed) subject of the scene. Framed dimensions: 21.5 x 15.5 inches Artist Bio: John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

A trompe l'oeil depiction of a fishing gadget hanging from a hook on the blue wall that is the backdrop for the entire canvas. A small utilitarian object elevated to academic realist painting. Framed dimensions: 18.5 x 15.5 inches John Morfis was born in Bayville, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown...

A life size trompe l'oeil oil painting of a dried horseshoe crab. The background is painted with large textured brushstrokes, the light teal blue reflecting in the eye of the crab. Framed in a black wooden frame with a silvery inner edge. Framed Dimensions 26 x 21 inches BIOGRAPHY John Morfis was born in Glen Cove, Long Island in 1976. His humble beginnings made pursuing a career in art difficult and paradoxically necessary. Fixated on making things aesthetically pleasing, John made an extreme departure from his family life when he chose to base his life on art. Surrounded by mechanics, welders, and otherwise trade workers John had a tough time expressing his interest in a world much more utilitarian and much less expressive and impractical. With an extraordinary desire to be an artist and a grant awarded, John was able to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting from the University of Hartford in 1998. While there John studied oil painting under American realist Stephen Brown. John’s first solo show took place in 2007 at the Ellen Traut Collection Gallery in Hartford, CT and was a near sell out. Since then John has had success up and down the northeastern coast of the United States working with various galleries and collectors. His work has also appeared in various group shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. ARTIST STATEMENT Each painting, although a portrait of a tired hand...