Cigar Art Feature: Meet Darrel Morris
Recently I stumbled across an impressive artist and craftsman on eBay who does cigar-themed artwork. I loved Darrel Morris’ work instantly and knew straight away I wanted to do a feature on him here on Cigar Inspector. When I got in touch with him, I discovered he is also an affable, pleasant fellow who is more than happy to be featured.
Who is Darrel Morris? Darrel is a fellow cigar enthusiast, and a dedicated artist who has pursued his creative passions since childhood. As he states on his bio, “It is an obsession. I studied art formally for five years and explored many media, but I always come back to the monochromatic techniques. It is, for me, the best way to express pure form, without the distraction of color.” His favorite medium? Scrimshaw. If you aren’t familiar with the term, scrimshaw is artwork engraved into bone or ivory. Morris first started working on scrimshaw pieces in 1987 while he was working in a cutlery shop. He won a competition at the 1989 Knife Expo. Very cool.
In terms of expressing pure form, Darrel has done an incredible job representing the pure form of the premium cigar! Just check out these remarkable drawings. He’s really managed to capture the complex textures on a cigar wrapper. The veins, the tooth, even the oily sheen are all represented here. His Tatuaje Still Life with Skull and Pasíon are both beautiful symbolic pieces.
I absolutely love what Darrel has to say about the premium cigar industry: “In a time when Corporate America seems to have lost its way, the cigar industry is a shining example of what business should be.” Amen to that. There are not a lot of industries these days which are dedicated to quality over quantity, long-term success over short-term profits, and building personal relationships with customers. The cigar industry continues to focus on excellence in their craft—these companies embody the same values of fine artistry that Darrel himself does. It is easy to see why Darrel’s impressive skills pair so nicely with his passion for cigars.
I highly recommend checking out Darrel’s full portfolio of works (have a look at the amazing cigar cutters). You can purchase Darrel’s work here on his eBay page. And of course, Darrel is available for custom work.
