Meet Trista Morris of Art of Trista Studios in Fort Worth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trista Morris.

Trista, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was younger, I remember picking up a pencil in the middle of class and just… letting go. I drew all over the front of my assignment, and on the back was a detailed illustration of what would have rather been doing.

A sunny meadow, a tree, and me sitting underneath that big beautiful tree with a sketch pad. The more I worked, the more animated the image became in my mind. I could almost feel the soft breeze of the meadow tickling over my skin. I could imagine the breeze whispering through the trees, hissing through the grass.

Reality came. Reality always shows up when I don’t want it to.

The teacher saw what I was doing, and walked over. She proceeded to pick up my paper and throw the art away, then gave me another assignment to do. As young as I was, I thought to myself… “That can’t be what people think of when they look at art.”

So drawing became a thing of rebellion for me at a young age. I did it because it felt right to do. I created because I was in a confined space for 8+ hours a day, doing shit I didn’t want to do with people I didn’t particularly like or enjoy.. being creative set my mind free. Art kept me outside the ‘box’ so to speak.

I grew up in Georgetown, Texas… being close to Austin, it was an area filled with opportunity for artists. But I was too young to really understand that I should have been focusing on my art while I was there. So when I moved, at around 17 years of age, I told myself I would do better.

When I turned 22, I got my first job working at an art studio called Creative Canvas. I fell pretty heavily into the sip and paint trend when it happened. I found I loved watching people discover their creativity just as much as I enjoyed creating.

It always feels amazing when you create alongside other people. It was nice to see appreciation in the faces of those who would attend my classes.

Eventually, I moved from that studio to another in Grapevine, Texas called Art in the Vine. I flourished there for 5-6 years, and eventually wound up managing the studio. Well, that part of my life came tumbling down in 2017. The studio nearly closed.. and I got my 200 original paintings back.

I hopped around to a couple of different studios, looking for work… but it just wasn’t the same adventure.

At the time while I was studio hopping, and working to create a mobile studio with a friend, Mike Mohawk, I didn’t realize that Fort Worth’s art community was beginning to explode. I started finding out about different vendor shows, places I could sell my art.. and I dove in full force.

I started focusing on creating artwork for my own reasons. To release feelings, and to release things in my head. The best feeling in the world is to sit down in front of a canvas and slather it with paint, then watch my feelings become art.

Selling artwork really is like selling a small piece of your soul. I think it should have an appropriate price, because goddamn it.. that artwork is worth something! It’s worth the effort and love you put into it and deserves the proper appreciation.

Since 2017 I have been doing vendor shows all over Fort Worth, Texas. I have held art auctions and art shows at Kindred Coffee, Thompson’s Bookstore, The Dock Book Shop, The Grackle Art Gallery (Fresh Expressions, Eyes, Ears, and Tacos), and now recently I was in a show called “F*ck Your Art Degree” at Shipping and Receiving.

I regularly attend Lola’s Rummage Sale and the Race Street Rollick every month and have been in the Arts Goggle every year since leaving AITV.

I am able to survive today because of my art. I take commissions regularly through the amazing people I meet and have continued painting and experimenting with different styles of art and art mediums. I don’t think I could stick to just one medium of art. I would get bored.

I will jump from acrylic to oil, to watercolor, etc.. It’s all a part of the creative process. I enjoy working with different mediums because… At heart, I’m still a mixed media artist.. meaning, I like to play with my materials. There is infinite joy in discovering different ways to make the medium work for you.

When I stopped working at the previous studios, I had a strong desire to continue teaching. My friend Mike Mohawk, from a studio I worked at in 2017 decided he wanted to create a 120 person mobile studio and asked me to be his partner. We call it Art:30tx. Contact us! We can travel to you and teach you how to paint! We also host corporate events, team building events, weddings, birthdays, etc. Help us find the venue and we can make it happen. We do anything from team building events, corporate events, birthdays, weddings, and regularly teach at bars and venues all over town.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an artist is never, ever a smooth road to walk down. I didn’t expect it to be smooth. I think the hardest part of my career path is that it is a constant money struggle. The rewarding part about being a creative person is that I get to watch people in awe at the things I make and create. They find worth in the tiny pieces of my heart I put up for sale each month.

It makes everything worth it to me.

Please tell us about Art of Trista Studios.
The studio I run is not specific to simply traditional art. In addition to being a traditional painter, I am also a graphic artist, designer, photographer, and photo retouching artist.

My work is done just as much through the digital world as it is traditionally by hand. I feel that art is everywhere, in everything that we see and technology is not a barrier, but a way to expand upon it.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is traveling around with my mother, father, and brother in our motorhome in New Mexico. We always loved to get out and go see interesting sights.

My second favorite memory? Watching my Dad create things in his workshop in Georgetown, TX. My Dad was an artist too and enjoyed crafting and working with his hands. My Mom and brother were not far behind him, helping him with shows and helping him to sell his work!

Art was always a family affair. Even today you will find my Mom, Dad, and my brother at my vendor shows, helping me sell my work.

Pricing:

• Private Lessons are 2 hours long and start at $75 per lesson.
• Photography work starts at $175 per shoot and includes 60-100 shots & full editing of all images.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.artoftristastudios.com/
• Email: trista.morris90@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trista.morris/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtofTrista/
• Other: https://art30.rocks/

Image Credit:
Art of Trista Studios

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