Wayne Morrell landscape painting

by Dr. Lori Verderame

Biography

Born in New Jersey, Wayne Morrell worked predominantly in landscape painting in New England and Pennsylvania. He painted at the famed artist colony of Rockport, Massachusetts. Morrell’s style captures the serenity of the great landscape painters of the 19th and 20th centuries. Morrell continued the tradition of masters such as Winslow Homer, Emile Gruppe, Edward Redfield and George Inness. The painting above shows Morrell’s command of landscape compositions in New England Landscape, circa 1940, oil on canvas.

Although Morrell has painted and shown his work around the world including in such art enclaves as Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico; Rockport, Massachusetts, and Europe, he is best known for his landscapes of New England and suburban Philadelphia.

Background

Born in Laurel Springs, New Jersey in 1923, he began painting and drawing as a youngster. He attended the Philadelphia School of the Industrial Arts, the Lincoln Preparatory School and Drexel University in Philadelphia. He concentrated his educational efforts on art, commercial art and draftsmanship.

Wartime Art

Morrell worked as a Wayne Morrell paintingcommercial artist and served in the US Army in the Korean War, stationed at Fort Dix.  Most notable early works were Morrell’s murals. He painted murals for the day and mess rooms at Fort Dix, New Jersey from autumn of 1948 until summer of 1949. Wayne Morrell also completed army paintings at Fort Dix including a 30 foot mural in 1950-1951.

Impressionist Paintings

In an army hospital after an accident, he met his future wife, Lillian Major. He drew pictures of nurses and patients and she helped him sell them from his hospital bed. The couple was married in Lowell, Massachusetts. Morrell was soon discharged from active service. The Morrells moved to a suburb of Hartford, CT shortly thereafter their marriage and the couple had a daughter, Lisa.

Morrell’s personal life and the sites of New England provided subject matter for his paintings. In addition to his extensive exhibition record and inclusion in numerous private and public collections, Wayne Morrell’s work has been featured prominently on many national publications and major magazines.

Request an online appraisal of your Wayne Morrell piece from Dr. Lori.