Goth moods find rainbow-colored expression
One of the most colorful artists in the area, Morgan Oostra, smiles as we jest about her being the woman in black. With phrases like, “You don’t know me” and “Go Home” incorporated into her work, Shut Eye Designs invites intrigue with honesty and realism with a cartoonish kick.
“I’m not a very bright person when it comes to clothing but most of all my work is very colorful,” she explains. “I love cartoons and children’s books, especially pop-up books. I take bright child imagery and spin it with a grown-up feel.”
Character traits of Tim Burton, Adventure Time, and ‘90s Nickelodeon cartoons come through in her eyes without pupils, skeletal like body shapes, and jagged edges. The familiar bags under the eyes in both her humans and animals provide a tired and tireless portrayal that is both dark and demure.
A Chattanooga native who has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the art scene for the past twenty years, Morgan has been actively selling her work since she was fifteen. Formerly the Woven Dumpster, Shut Eye Designs was a vendor at every Sunday market where she consistently sold her handmade creations. “For several years, I was able to make a living from my art sales but then it changed.”
At nineteen, she decided to take on a steadier gig and accepted a job at the inspirational Blue Skies. This move allowed her to create more with less stress of having to depend on the income gained from her art. After a handful of years at the well-known Northshore store, she opted to delve back into her art full time.
Having experimented with sculptures and stuffed dolls, wood and acrylic, she best likes resin as she can layer up the art using elements like glitter. One of her largest pieces was an 8-foot cardboard Cat Dragon displayed at a pop-up show. She also did an 8-foot wall hanging that was made of cardboard and had a scaled tail that draped down to the touch the floor. Her 6-foot red-and-white wood canvas on display at the Bazar Arthouse within the Palace Theatre is the only wall hanging fixed in location.
Currently, Morgan is molding the digital medium to incorporate physical mediums to provide a universal palette for all her skills. She is working on 3D print, where she digitally draws and prints, then utilizes those pieces in a multi-dimensional display. I immediately envisioned a diorama which I absolutely loved when I was a kid and she did too. “I used to hand draw dioramas that included moveable pieces, but it destroyed my hands.”
Ten years ago, everything she created was handmade because the digital technology wasn’t available like it is now. “Painting is more therapeutic as it takes on a life of its own; however, digital art generates more satisfaction because I can execute my vision quicker,” she says as she shows me the difference between her hand-drawn, pastel- and earth-toned mermaid on a wood canvas versus her intricately detailed, digitally designed, altered catholic icon on print.
Life has been a bit complicated since 2017 and so she is thankful to have the artistic advances that allow her to find time to create in the most unexpected places. With no signs of complications beforehand, Morgan had a stroke when she went into labor with her first child, Vesper.
Because of that, Vesper was stillborn and, after being resuscitated, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and HIE. Since then, any time in the studio has been replaced with constant doctors’ appointments, working to acquire a wheelchair-accessible van, and partnering with Family Voices of Tennessee.
Since becoming a wife, stepmom and mom of a special needs child, Morgan no longer wishes to consistently set up at markets like she did in the past. However, she is interested in an occasional exhibit and some upcoming pop-up shows around the area will provide an opportunity to get a firsthand account of her work.
Main Line Ink is hosting a Stranger Things themed event on Saturday, July 6th, where Morgan will have Shut Eye Designs on display. She is also attending the Emission Theory Art Show at the Woodshop in St. Elmo on Saturday, July 13th.
As the paint is still drying on her website, the best way to reach her is at EmailShutEye@gmail.com (and yes, there is an “email” included in her email address) or through her shut_eye_ Instagram. “I absolutely love having a direction when I create so commissions are welcome.”
With a portfolio ranging from cake toppers—one including the newlyweds’ dog—to Blue Skies’ storefront window, size is no issue for Morgan.