Meet Morgan Wilson | Traditional painter & unconventional artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morgan Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morgan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I don’t know that I ever consciously made a decision to start a business. When I was a kid no one ever asked what I wanted to be when I grew up; it was obvious all I wanted was to be an artist. My mother loves to tell the story that at age 5, when pressed, I would say ‘I just want to be the boss.’ The story I prefer to tell about myself is how, in 3rd grade, I would copy poses out of the Victoria’s Secret catalog in a little sketchbook and sell the drawings to boys in my class for $2 (of course I got in trouble for this.) Technically that was my first job as an artist, and today I do basically the same thing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I lost my job the day I gave birth to my daughter. I had been working under the table for years for a family owned art supply store, which was a blessing at the time. Unfortunately that meant I had no healthcare or security when I suddenly needed it. They waited until the last possible minute to tell me they had my replacement lined up. I decided that day that I would never work for anyone but myself. I had no savings, no plan, but I had enough bitterness to push me headlong into whatever life I could make for myself. I experienced homelessness, desperation, existential dread, and every kind of panic but I kept working. When you’ve been to rock bottom, you quickly realize that there’s more to life than money, and so I stayed committed to my artistic vision. I knew I would always struggle, but at least I could be proud of what I made. For me, making art is besides the point, that’s going to happen anyway: to make it a career requires a way to monetize the thing you’re already going to do. I started out by going to art markets and comic cons, making everything by hand. Finding innovative ways to market my work. I wouldn’t just sell postcards, I would hand draw on postcards and pre-endorse the back with excerpts from terrible erotic, or cryptic messages like ‘thanks for being cool about that thing that happened in Cabo.’ It’s not just a pretty painted picture, it’s ME. Every bit of charm in my brand is an extension of my personality, not just a marketable trend or commercial product. People appreciate sincerity.
I wish I could say that now I’m on top, but the truth is I never want to make it to the top: I want to always find the next peak to climb, the next impossible task. I hope I’m never satisfied. If you make something you’re proud of, you can never fail.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I prefer off-beat things to glamour, so I’m probably not the best person to trust with your LA vacation! The Edison is stunning, but I don’t drink so my poor friend would be drinking double just to be able to sit down. Id rather take a stroll through the fashion district, or any of the exhibits at LACMA, or some incredible galleries like Copro, The Dark Arts Emporium, or Sugar Mynt. I can’t imagine NOT hiking up to Griffith Observatory. They can visit the Hollywood sign some other time, I’d take them to the Echo Park Time Travel Mart or Cakeland. If there’s time, we would stop by Muscle Beach and I would impress them by trying to beat my personal best record of 1 pull-up. Of course we would have to spend our nights at as many comedy clubs as possible (sorry again friend, you’re drinking for me too.)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The one person I owe everything to is my daughter Echo. When I found myself a suddenly unemployed single mother with no clear path, I knew that my real masterpiece in life was her. I couldn’t tell her to follow her dreams if I didn’t follow mine.
For the last few years I’ve been able to participate in the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, an international trade show that puts me in front of the right kind of people to sell my art. The O&CE has been vital to my literal survival! I can’t believe how lucky I am to work with them.

Website: https://LuxNovaStudio.Storenvy.com

Instagram: LuxNovaStudio

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/LuxNovaStudio

Image Credits
Me