Artwork by Morgan Gray
"Champagne Still Life"
18" x 24" acrylic on canvas by Morgan Gray
In 2024, Morgan Gray painted “Champagne Still Life” while experimenting with simpler compositions. “They were about being quick and fun and intuitive,” she said, “and not getting bogged down by the details.” Although a glance at her Instagram (@morganpaintsstuff, where she has amassed 129,000 followers) reveals work that incorporates all sorts of motifs—from celebrities to swans to classical statuary—the scene of a table set for entertaining is one to which she returns again and again. In a city, and indeed a state, where the quotidian acts of dining and drinking are elevated to an art form on a daily basis, perhaps it’s no surprise that a painter should be drawn to this subject matter. “When you’re in New Orleans there’s art everywhere, there’s food and drink everywhere," Gray observed. "I’m inspired by that environment—the playfulness, the interplay. Combining the two is my way of showing appreciation for the cuisine and the culture that I’ve grown up with.”
For this annual Cuisine issue, let that serve as a timely reminder that we are fortunate to dine, drink, and dwell among the vivid colors and flavors of the Gulf South.
[Read more about Morgan Gray’s work here.]
See more of Gray's paintings at morganpaintsstuff.com.
