The Easton Arts Council is hosting JOURNEYS, a solo exhibition by celebrated marine artist Brechin Lee Morgan, running from Oct. 1 through Nov. 5. A public reception will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 4 to 7 p.m., offering visitors a chance to meet the artist and explore the stories behind his evocative works.
Morgan’s life has been a voyage in every sense. Raised in Guilford, Connecticut, he spent his high school years sailing the Thimble Islands in a Blue Jay sailboat he purchased with earnings from a paper route. At just seventeen, he ventured to the Caribbean, working on charter boats and eventually joining a daring attempt to sail around the world aboard a 40-foot wooden sloop, an adventure cut short by a hurricane off Bermuda.
After studying at Silvermine College of Art in New Canaan, Morgan left to work on an oyster boat, later founding a sign company in Norwalk, which he ran for 23 years. During that time, he painted large-scale nautical murals throughout the region, including a striking 15’ x 25’ depiction of the Alice Wentworth, the last working schooner out of Vineyard Haven.
In 1998, at the age of 51, Morgan embarked on a solo circumnavigation of the globe aboard his 27-foot cutter-rigged sailboat Otter. Over five years, he sailed 32,000 miles through 32 countries, returning to Block Island in 2003. His achievement earned him the Golden Circle Award from the Joshua Slocum Society.
Since then, Morgan has maintained a studio in Bridgeport, painting from the rich archive of watercolor sketchbooks, journals, and photographs collected during his voyage. His work captures the “visual poetry of the many seas I have sailed,” he says, and continues to be inspired by the ships and islands that shaped his journey.
Morgan’s paintings have been featured in numerous exhibitions, including the prestigious International Marine Art Show at the Mystic Marine Museum.
JOURNEYS offers a rare opportunity to experience the depth and beauty of his artistic exploration.
