Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Baldwin.
Hi Morgan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. It’s always been such an integral part of my life, no matter what the phase of it was. It’s as much a part of me now as when I drew my first portrait at 8. In a chaotic world where I’ve always been trying to navigate life’s challenges, I’ve always taken solace in my art. When you feel like you’re constantly at battle with yourself, I believe my history with severe depression and anxiety amplified that passion. When so much of your life is spent being told by your mental illness you’re not good enough, finding something that you truly believe that you are, you grasp onto and hold on for dear life. Drawing was that for me. No matter what crises I had raged on or battled with, I believed and knew I had a talent.
So I clung to it, fed it, mastered it. Made it something I could be proud of and confident of. Even when I wasn’t confident or proud about anything else, I always had drawings to build me back up when times were darkest. It truly saved me. That drive led me to find a love for hyperrealism in my art. The challenge to make something look like a photograph fueled me, with people as my constant muses. There’s always been something about people that inspires me. Everyone is so different, so unique, and they all are one-of-a-kind. Being able to translate their aura and essence into a portrait has always been my goal.
I still had not received formal training by high school, but I would have won state competitions and prizes. And by college, I had the most extensive art scholarship you could earn, paving my way. But art school isn’t for the faint of heart. It breaks you down to build you back and then repeats the process. I remember one professor telling me, “You can draw. So what. What else can you do?” and telling me I would never succeed in the industry. And honestly, that fueled me to work even harder out of spite.
I decided before college that I wanted a creative degree, but I wanted to save drawing just for myself. My parents are musicians; they’ve told me how turning a passion into a career can take the joy out of it by doing it daily. So I listened and followed another passion: graphic design and fashion. I work for Neiman Marcus and oversee all design directions ranging from campaigns, events, 360 activations, and more. I’ve found my bread and butter, and my eye for detail from my drawing has helped me succeed this far at only 30.
But following that path, it’s allowed me to keep my passion for drawing alive and thriving. I’ve expanded in other areas beyond realistic portraits (although that’s still my bread and butter), such as murals, illustrating children’s books, fashion illustrations, and even some illustrations for Neiman Marcus. This past holiday season, I was honored to represent the iconic Fantasy Gifts that Neiman’s has every year. This allowed me to collaborate and draw for brands like Disney, Ralph Lauren, Cadillac, and the American Ballet Theatre. The illustrations were printed in the annual Christmas Book and displayed at their annual Fantasy Gifts launch party. But, as I mentioned, realistic charcoal portraits are my bread and butter and still my favorite to do. I’m working on a portrait series (which briefly a few were up at Angad) of 10 women, and I would like to have my show. I’ve never had one, and being able to share with others something that sings so profoundly to my soul and the years it’s taken to accomplish would mean the world to me. I’m halfway there; the goal is 2025 to have it in a local St. Louis gallery.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle in this artistic journey was myself. Firstly, I let myself get in the way. Depression is a fickle mistress, and even though drawing was my one source of confidence, there were times when I doubted myself or couldn’t even pick up a pencil. It can be paralyzing. I’ve been blessed with a family who’s always believed in my ability and cheered me along on the sidelines. My parents never told me to go a different route or that art was a silly career. They fueled me, and I have always been so proud of the work I created, especially my parents. With their constant support, I made it as far as I could.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in hyperrealistic charcoal portraits mixed with clean abstract lines of the form. I love juxtaposing the two and combining top drawing techniques with minimal bare bones. But it’s the ability to capture the personality and essence of a person in a portrait as a static drawing, which I always strive to do. Everyone is unique and different, and that deserves to be celebrated. I’m also so inspired by people and their nuances. People are beautiful beings, and capturing that aura each one possesses is my forever goal. For a while, I was known on social media for illustrating my images to fuse two of my passions: drawing and fashion. I have always sought a way to share both with my followers. I liked to use clean white lines with shading to create whimsical and witty drawing accents with each photo. I am taking a break from this as I focus on putting all my creative energy into my portrait series. Still, I plan to have these line illustrations play a part in something coming up, which I can’t wait to experiment with and share.
Can you talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy?
Exploring new places inspires me so much—specifically cities and especially countries. There’s so much to be learned outside of what you’re raised to be familiar with, and every time I travel, I learn something new and challenge myself. There’s so much uniqueness and beauty to be experienced and appreciated.
Pricing:
- I’m currently closed to taking commissions, but will be selling prints of some previous portrait work soon.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mbdesignillustration.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganrbaldwin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morganbaldwindesign
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-baldwin-10247610a
Image Credits
Joan Fisher (credit to the colored background shots. The illustrations over the top of them are by me)
