Art Exhibit: Steve Morton

New photos are in the Gallery! Grace photographer Steve Morton is showing his work in our gallery this fall. Steve has been a photographer for many years and has a large body of work to share. Please stop by the gallery after the service on September 6th for a Meet and Greet Reception. 

Artist Statement

I began my love for photography back in 2000 when I picked up a disposable camera to take photos of unusual tidal patterns etched in the sand at Tybee Island. I filled up several cameras with photographs of not only tidal patterns, but jettys, sand dunes and fishermen in the morning fog. I had the photos put on a CD so I could edit them myself. When I printed some out and hung them on my office wall at work, people told me I had a distinct perspective and asked if I would sell some of them. I was living in Chicago at the time and began taking photos of city parks, animals and flowers that I found there. On a visit to Chicago's Millennium Park, I discovered Lurie Gardens full of plants and grasses native to Illinois. Since Illinois is known as The Prairie State, I did a photo shoot from the perspective of the city growing out of the prairie, featuring the beautiful Chicago architecture as the background to the various plants and grasses in the gardens. It became a very satisfying project and I ended up selling many framed photographs. This allowed me to purchase higher quality equipment and I was hooked. 

Over the past 25+ years, I have focused on trying to capture God's amazing creation. From crashing surf at sunrise to misty mountain mornings, God's artwork is on display. My camera seems to be consistantly drawn to animals, especially birds, and macro photos of flowers, honing in on God's incredible design and symmetry. This is probably rooted in my engineering background. Henry David Thoreau captured my feelings when he wrote, "Nature is a greater and more perfect art, the art of God." 

My hope is that whoever views my photoart will be drawn to our great Creator.

- Steve Morton