In the long vacation at the end of his first year in college, to supplement his income, Stuart worked as a binman on the Liverpool Corporation garbage-collection trucks. ‘I saw him one day hanging on the back of a bin lorry,’ Phil Morgan recalls. ‘I was on my motorbike and we waved at each other. It was the last time I ever saw him…’
We’re checking out the creative zone of artist Phil Morgan who lives and works in his modest sized studio space, located on outskirts of Cardiff in South Wales. Phil doesn’t need a lot of space to get his ideas out, and in fact, his less mess mentality can be seen in his crisp, clean and graphic paintings!
Take the leap and find out more about his space and process below.
Photographs by Andrew James | Additional photographs courtesy of the artist.
Can you describe to folks a little about your studio or creative art space?
My studio space is based in a small town called Penarth. A little seaside town on the outskirts of Cardiff, South Wales. I work and live from here every day. It's not a very big space to be creative, but, I don't need a lot of room. Less mess to clean up at the end of the day.
What’s a typical day in the studio like for you?
A typical day for me is waking up early. Tea on first. I start drawing from the moment I wake up. Sending and responding to emails. I spend all day working on ideas, painting mostly, but, I also create work digitally using programs like Photoshop and illustrator. If I am working on larger pieces then I spend time in my garage. Every day is a different practice.
What type of things do you keep around the studio to inspire you or motivate you? What’s the most significant piece of wall art or inspiration you have in the space?
I don't really have anything in my studio that motivates me in that way. I do like buying art and photography books. I enjoy listening to podcasts while I'm working on stuff. I find I pay more attention to people telling interesting or funny stories for inspiration.
What are you currently working on in your studio space that you can share?
I've not long got back from a new exhibition of work at Hopscotch Coffee & Records over in Winchester, Virginia. I have just mailed out a bunch of new paintings for a group show taking place this month in Los Angeles , curated by Dave Van Patten. I am also back at the drawing board working on ideas for a trip to France this July with Lucas Beaufort and a bunch of international artists. Really looking forward to getting back on the road.
When you’re traveling and need a mobile studio, what are your must have art supplies?
Lots of pens, good brushes in all various sizes. A good local hardware store that sells decent paint. I've just started using the new Wacom Cintiq graphics tablet to create my work digitally so that would be with me at all times.
Whose studio would you like to peek into?
David Shrigley. I'm sure he has an endless cave of funny shit in there.
More OC art.. smiles. These guys are from one of my stories themed around various biology concepts… the two guys on the top are based off of the circulatory and nervous systems and the guy on the bottom is (Shockingly) a fruit fly (which is a model organism)
We’re checking out the finger and pun inspired zine of Wales artist Phil Morgan (whose artwork you might recognize from this year’s Vans US Open of Surfing). His zine Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will is chocked filled with Phil’s characters, pun inspired up jokes, and mash ups. We not only love the creativity and fun behind most, but also the simplicity and humor in which it is delivered.
Find out more about Phil in our Art School Interview with Phil Morgan.
Vans US Open is still kicking, and folks are loving artist Phil Morgan’s colorful and fun skateboard inspired murals! This Wales based artist is known for his creative skateboarding and pun inspired paintings, drawings and graphics. No stranger to skateparks and murals, Phil’s artwork was a perfect fit for this year’s Vans Park Series course. Get to know Phil and learn more about his background, his mural, and his favorite moments from painting the course!
Photographs by Ginger Caranto
Introduce yourself!
My name is Phil Morgan and I'm an illustrator / artist from South Wales in the UK. I started drawing from a very early age, but only started taking it more seriously in the last ten years. I didn't study at university or anything like that, and initially, It's something I enjoyed doing as more of a hobby; a labour of love. After having tons of different jobs growing up, art was eventually something I decided to try harder at, with the hopes of one day making a living from it.
When did art start from being something you enjoyed to something you wanted to do?
I was always drawing cartoon characters from TV and comic books when I was a kid. When I started a band in my teens, I always enjoyed making funny flyers for shows and designing our merchandise. That was really one of the first times I saw my work from a different perspective. It wasn't until 2009 that I started designing skateboard graphics for my friend's skate company, Crayon Skateboards. That sort of led me into a period of creating work digitally with a graphics tablet, and using programs like Photoshop. But after a while I got bored of not getting my hands dirty and went back to drawing stuff the old fashioned way. I realised then that I could create work quicker with pencil, ink and paint, and I prefer the way the original work looks. Drawing and painting are two things I try and do each and every day.
Who are your biggest influences?
Growing up, I would say music would be my biggest influence. One of my all time favourite bands is Fugazi. The whole DIY ethic of that band has a big influence on what I try and do. I'm also a huge David Shirley fan. I love the humour in his work. Skateboarding is another obvious one, starting from back in the '80s. Then there's family and friends, of course. The usual stuff.
What’s your process like?
A lot of pencil sketching to begin with, and a lot of tea and coffee. If I'm working with paint, I like to use flat colours and not too many. I like my work to look bold and colourful, and house paint is something I work with a lot to create original pieces. If I'm creating something digitally, I scan my sketches and take them into Photoshop, then redraw the illustration using my graphics tablet.
What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?
Without saying the obvious being a pencil or a pen, probably the most useful tool I have would be my graphics tablet. I also need to have lots of fine line pens in all different sizes, as I tend to go through them pretty quick.
What is the last art show that you went to?
The last art show I went to was a group show in Long Beach, just the other week that I helped put together with my good friend Ignacio Villanueva. "Above Ground" will be on show until August 17 at Lord Windsor Coffee House, and features work by myself, Michael C. Hsiung, Ignacio Villanueva and Ben Brough.
What are you inspiration?
Anything from films and music, to having conversations with friends over a beer in the pub. Old memories, visiting galleries -- it's endless really.
Can you tell us about the mural you created for the Vans Park Series course?
I created three murals for this year's event. I had recently painted a mini-ramp back home for my friends at Cardiff Skateboard Club, so I took some of those ideas and painted them in new ways for this park. It's my first time painting something of this scale.
What is your favorite part about painting a mural?
I like recreating my drawings as bigger pieces of art. It's a challenge, but I like the pressure of trying to paint that way. For me, this whole experience of coming to Huntington Beach was a real honour, trying to put Wales on the map.
What was it like painting alongside other artists?
It was a great experience, meeting other creatives and all the people involved. Feeding ideas off each other, watching individual processes. We all worked really hard during the days and got to hang out over food and drinks in the evening. I've definitely made a bunch of new friends along the way.
Best moment from your time spent in park?
My whole time being here will always be a memory I look back on fondly. If I had to pick one, it would probably be the end point of the three days, when we were able to step back and take in what we had all created together.
Hardest part of painting the mural?
I would definitely say the heat was a challenge. The first day was like painting inside a volcano. Luckily, the other days were just humid so we didn't have the sun beating down on us. The other challenge is holding your body in certain positions to work on your design because of the shape of the surface. My back and my legs were feeling it at the end of each day, without a doubt.
What was your highlight over the past couple days painting at the US Open?
I think just being given this opportunity in general has been my personal highlight. To come out here and paint my art on the park is a real dream come true for me. I would love to come back and do it again someday.
Do you have any advice for people who have dreams of becoming an artist?
Work really hard at your art and, most importantly, be nice to people.
