1. Dean Morrisey Ben Franklin Patriot and Renaissance Man $495.00 “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing,” wrote Benjamin Franklin. He certainly did both, becoming the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential person in creating the type of society America would become.
During his 84-year life, Franklin rose from runaway apprentice to become America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, business strategist and favorite Founding Father.
Dean Morrissey’s portrait of Franklin depicts the great statesman with a few of his well known inventions and inquiries. Behind him is his Glass Armonica, a musical instrument comprised of thirty-seven glass bowls mounted horizontally on an iron spindle. The whole spindle turned by means of a foot pedal. The sound was produced by touching the rims of the bowls with water moistened fingers. Each rim was painted different color according to the pitch of the note.
He is working on is his map of the Gulf Stream, which he was the first to chart and name. He noticed that mail packets sailing from England would often take weeks more to make the same trip as a merchant vessel. After consulting with experienced ship captains he created his chart so eastbound ships could avoid sailing against the three miles per hour current.
The key is from his experiment to prove that lightning was, indeed, electricity. In a letter describing the 1750 experiment he noted, “When rain has wet the kite twine so that it can conduct the electric fire freely, you will find it streams out plentifully from the key at the approach of your knuckle.” He was also proposed that what was then known as “vitreous” and resinous electricity were not different types of electrical fluid” (as electricity was called then), but the same electrical fluid under different pressures. He was the first to label these as “positive” and “negative” flows.
He is known as the father of the bifocal, because of a famous drawing he made of his glasses in 1784, but there is much evidence that he had created them long before that. As early as 1775 the Philadelphia optician who made his glasses references bifocals in his writings and a 1779 letter and bill from his optician in Paris, France apologizes for the delay in delivering his order because he broke numerous lenses while cutting, not grinding, the glass.
Dean Morrissey’s Ben Franklin: Patriot and Renaissance Man celebrates the intelligence and natural curiosity that drove Franklin’s search to continually discover ways to make things work better. It was only natural that when such a great and energetic mind focused on the problem of colonial exploitation such great things would come to pass.
2. Dean Morrisey Ben Franklin Patriot and Renaissance Man $850.00 “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing,” wrote Benjamin Franklin. He certainly did both, becoming the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential person in creating the type of society America would become.
During his 84-year life, Franklin rose from runaway apprentice to become America’s best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, business strategist and favorite Founding Father.
Dean Morrissey’s portrait of Franklin depicts the great statesman with a few of his well known inventions and inquiries. Behind him is his Glass Armonica, a musical instrument comprised of thirty-seven glass bowls mounted horizontally on an iron spindle. The whole spindle turned by means of a foot pedal. The sound was produced by touching the rims of the bowls with water moistened fingers. Each rim was painted different color according to the pitch of the note.
He is working on is his map of the Gulf Stream, which he was the first to chart and name. He noticed that mail packets sailing from England would often take weeks more to make the same trip as a merchant vessel. After consulting with experienced ship captains he created his chart so eastbound ships could avoid sailing against the three miles per hour current.
The key is from his experiment to prove that lightning was, indeed, electricity. In a letter describing the 1750 experiment he noted, “When rain has wet the kite twine so that it can conduct the electric fire freely, you will find it streams out plentifully from the key at the approach of your knuckle.” He was also proposed that what was then known as “vitreous” and resinous electricity were not different types of electrical fluid” (as electricity was called then), but the same electrical fluid under different pressures. He was the first to label these as “positive” and “negative” flows.
He is known as the father of the bifocal, because of a famous drawing he made of his glasses in 1784, but there is much evidence that he had created them long before that. As early as 1775 the Philadelphia optician who made his glasses references bifocals in his writings and a 1779 letter and bill from his optician in Paris, France apologizes for the delay in delivering his order because he broke numerous lenses while cutting, not grinding, the glass.
Dean Morrissey’s Ben Franklin: Patriot and Renaissance Man celebrates the intelligence and natural curiosity that drove Franklin’s search to continually discover ways to make things work better. It was only natural that when such a great and energetic mind focused on the problem of colonial exploitation such great things would come to pass.
3. Dean Morrisey The Promise of Peace and Tranquility - Father Christmas During the Civil War $495.00 Add a little patriotic spirit to your Christmas celebration this year with Dean Morrissey’s The Promise of Peace and Tranquility. After all, the holidays are the time when we focus on all we share and the blessings we have in common in this great country.
During the Civil War, artist Thomas Nast created a Yuletide first: a gift bearing Father Christmas visiting front-line troops, handing gifts out to soldiers and children. Nearly all the elements he included in that 1862 drawing of Santa continue to this day: his sleigh pulled by reindeer, a long white beard, a furry hat, collar and belt. Truly, the iconic American Santa. Thomas Nast's 1862 vision of a star-spangled Father Christmas embodied the spirit of a unified and prosperous nation in the face of the divisive Civil War.
What Dean Morrissey has so remarkably brought to full-color life is just how striking that star-spangled was and how timely the thought of a unified country can be. What could be better in the coming Christmas season than knowing Santa’s pulling for the red, white and blue, too?
This is the first in a series of paintings Morrissey will be doing on the history of Father Christmas and certainly a definitive holiday statement if there ever was one. Dean Morrissey's magical work shows that the spirit of Christmas and country never go out of style. Order your canvas or paper fine art edition today and enjoy the The Promise of Peace and Tranquility¯Father Christmas During the Civil War for years to come.
4. Dean Morrisey The Chieftains $795.00 Following in the regal footsteps of the recent runaway successes The Celtic King and Anna of the Celts, we are pleased to present the next Celtic-themed fine art edition from artist Dean Morrissey. In a departure from portraiture, this action-packed scene features a pair of chieftains riding together to fend off their Viking enemies. It is set in the Dark Ages (circa 875 AD) when 250 Celtic kingdoms, each ruled by their own chieftain, extended from Ireland into Scotland and southern England. After years of being raided by the Vikings, the chieftains realized they were easy prey on their own but by joining forces in fighting their foe they would have a better chance. The chieftains were so successful in their combined efforts that the advance of the Viking hoards was halted and their expulsion from the Celtic kingdoms began.
5. Dean Morrisey Father Christmas The Workshop $595.00 “We all know about Santa Claus and his annual circumnavigation of the globe,” says the artist. “It’s quite a feat by any standard. But what is a bit less explored is what Santa does the other 364 days of the year. All year long and right up to Christmas Eve, Santa is a toymaker extraordinaire. He’s up to his elbows in a labor of love, turning out magical toys at a pace and of a quality unparalleled in the world. With this portrait, I wanted to depict the master craftsman engaged in his work. Hearing the bell above the door, he looks up to greet his visitor. Perhaps the visitor is us, come to catch a glimpse of the making of magic.”
Here at The Greenwich Workshop, the holiday season doesn’t begin until we unwrap a box from artist Dean Morrissey to reveal the year’s painting of Father Christmas. Over the past ten years we have had the pleasure of publishing Morrissey’s portraits of a very real, wise and generous man that just happens to be Santa Claus. In Father Christmas: The Workshop, he’s putting in a few hours after dinner, with a couple of industrious elves for companionship and help with the finishing touches. Why not let this picture of a twinkle-eyed craftsman decorate your home for the holidays this year?
6. Dean Morrisey Study for Abraham Lincoln The Great Emancipator $295.00 In November 1864, President Lincoln was re-elected despite widespread war-weariness in the North. Sherman’s recent capture of Atlanta gave hope that the Civil War was near its end. The Great Emancipator nickname referred to Lincoln’s 1862 Emancipation Proclamation, a sweeping political move that freed slaves in territories not already under Union control.
Artist Dean Morrissey’s moving portrait captures the President at the close of the Civil War contemplating an unknown future for the United States. Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865, a mere five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. He died the next morning. The Great Emancipator, done with his earthly, practical duties, entered the realm of hero and legend.
7. Dean Morrisey Father Christmas The Sleigh Ride $295.00 More exciting than a nip of frost in the air, more highly anticipated than the first snow, is the arrival of Dean Morrissey’s latest creation in his Father Christmas series featuring none other than the worldly traveler with a merry twinkle in his eye.
It’s Christmas Eve and the reindeer are in harness, the sleigh is filled to bursting with gifts. Circumnavigating the earth is a rare enough feat but doing so in the course of one blustery winter night, while making countless deliveries all the way around, is nothing short of remarkable. With his book of names and his sextant tucked nearby for ready reference and celestial navigation, Santa slaps the reins and his enchanted journey begins.
“I wanted to give a little of my sense of the character and the kind of wonder that surrrounds him,” says Morrissey, “both for kids and for grown-ups. Father Christmas is like Frosted Flakes«ùa lot of adults don’t admit that they still love ’em.”
This lavish portrait of Father Christmas in action is sure to be a magical holiday gift for believers of all ages.
8. Dean Morrisey Solarus the Wizard Master Works Edition $950.00 Just in time for the season of magic comes Solarus the Wizard. His twinkling gaze invites you into his study, where you may find anything from sky-sailing ships to atlases of lands beyond the ends of the earth. This richly colored portrait will make a magical holiday gift for any lover of fantasy. Just hang Solarus the Wizard to instantly transfigure any room into your very own school of witchcraft and wizardry.
9. Dean Morrisey Danu of the Celts $950.00 She stands regally, alone in the woods, clad in both chain-mail armor and red robes embellished with gold. The dual nature of her character is evident; she is both sovereign and goddess, mother and warrior, priestess and protectress. She is Danu, the Celtic mother goddess of the Tuatha DT Danann, a tribe of gods and demi-gods in pre-Christian Ireland. With Danu of the Celts, artist Dean Morrissey continues his successful series of Celtic figures and subjects, which has previously included The Celtic King, Anna of the Celts, The Voyage of the Fianna and The Piper of Tir n’ Og. Dean Morrissey has captured the fierce independent spirit of the Irish people in Danu of the Celts, making it a beautiful gift for anyone with an interest in Irish or Celtic mythology.
10. Dean Morrisey One Christmas Eve $495.00 This warm and welcoming scene conveys the adage “it is better to give than to receive” as a young girl waits up for Santa to give him a present. What would Santa need most? A globe of course! This child wants to help him find his way to everyone on his route and she is quite confident that this will do the trick. For everyone who loves the giving of gifts more than the getting, this charming limited edition will bring joy for years to come.
11. Dean Morrisey The Voyage of the Fianna $550.00 A legendary Celtic adventurer with the ability to travel through time, Finn MacCool was the greatest leader of the Fianna, the military elite of ancient Ireland responsible for guarding the High King. An unruly band, the Fianna were challenged by Finn to become models of chivalry and justice. The stories of Finn inspired many narrative poems and ballads, playing an important part in the Celtic literary renaissance. Some argue that the tales of the Fianna are the basis of the legends for the Knights of the Round Table. In Dean Morrissey’s The Voyage of the Fianna, we find the inspirational hero Finn sailing through the sea of time.
Following in the regal footsteps of the recent runaway successes of Anna of the Celts and the Celtic King, Morrissey’s Celtic canvases bring a sense of pride and dignity to any surrounding.
12. Dean Morrisey THE MAGIC DOOR $795.00 The Magic Door
Perched on the harbor in Old Bridgeport Village is The Magic Door, a mysterious shop owned by toy maker and inventor Sam Thacher. His emporium is named after the magical door û the ancient, padlocked one you see behind him û a portal through which Sam plans to some day retire from the real world to a world of imagination, a place called the Great Kettles. When Sam’s friend Father Christmas comes calling, however, he learns he’ll be embarking on this adventure sooner than he thinks . . . Published from the artist’s original oil painting.
Available in both a print and canvas edition!
13. Dean Morrisey THE WEATHERMILL $695.00 Contrary to modern meteorology, the winter storms that blanket the Northern Hemisphere of our planet originate in a castle called Weathermore, high atop a mountain in the land of the Great Kettles. Out on a terrace overlook of the castle stands the Weathermill, a very complex and temperamental machine that creates all our winter storms. Old Man Winter plays the Weathermill like a towering pipe organ, composing blizzards, flurries, dustings . . . all of it. Sometimes he can be heard singing as he works: "Snow driving heavy or drifting like a feather, I'm always at my best when I'm brewin' stormy weather."
14. Dean Morrisey THE LIGHTSHIP $325.00 As Dean Morrissey shows us, the inhabitants of his "Great Kettles" book series have a far greater impact on our world than we could imagine. The Spring Solstice, for instance, is when the cool Beacon of Winter is replaced with the warm Summer Sun. Designed to bring about lighter, longer days, it is the job of the Lantern Keeper, Maura Bump, and her vessel the Lightship to see that the golden amber ball is fixed radiantly in the sky and that the long-awaited Spring arrives.
15. Dean Morrisey The Crimson Comet $595.00 Storyteller and artist Dean Morrissey brings his boundless imagination to his latest splendidly detailed canvas. He explains of "The Crimson Comet," "It is an adventure story about a five-year-old girl named Nora who has talked to the moon ever since she could remember. Often Nora would drop off to sleep right in the middle of the conversation. But on this night, as she was listing some of the things about being five that she was not particularly happy about, the moon suddenly blinked out like a bulb in a giant nightlight. Afraid of the dark, Nora runs to her eight-year-old big brother Jack, who, secretly, just so happens to be a superhero called "The Crimson Comet." In a panic, Nora explains what has happened and Jack swings into action. Within minutes, the pair is soaring off into the night sky on his magic vehicle in search of the dark moon. The story of this journey is about the power of imagination and how these kids use it to resolve a dreadful situation. Their job is nothing short of returning celestial elements to their natural order in the universe, and, let"s face it, you just can"t do that without a healthy dose of imagination."
16. Dean Morrisey St. Nicholas: Work Day's End $450.00 Dean Morrissey has been drawing and creating characters since his childhood in Boston. Inspired by Disney matte paintings and comic book heroes early on, he grew to appreciate the works of the masters, such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pyle and N.C. Wyeth. Morrissey worked a variety of job until deciding to paint full time in the late 1970s. He worked as a freelance book cover illustrator for over 15 different publishers in New York and won numerous awards. Morrissey is self taught, and considers the demands of cover illustration to have been his “art schoolâ€. In 1991, Morrissey began to paint some images from a story that he was creating. His books include Ship of Dreams Harry N Abrams (1994), The Great Kettles: A Tale of Time Harry N Abrams (1997), The Song of Celestine Little, Brown and Co. (1998), The Christmas Ship HarperCollins (2000), A Christmas Carol Greenwich Workshop Press (2000), The Moon Robber HarperCollins (2001), The Winter King HarperCollins (2002), and The Monster Trap HarperCollins (2004). His awards include The Society of Illustrators Gold Medal for The Great Kettles, The Chesley Award for The Light Ship (2002), and he is a current nominee for this years Chesley Award for Anna of the Celts (2003). Morrissey lives with his wife Shan and his son on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
17. Dean Morrisey Redd Rocket Anniversary Edition $795.00 n 1994, Dean Morrissey published his illustrated childrens book "Ship of Dreams," the story of a young boys voyage with the Sandman across the night sky. The book was an instant success, winning praise from "People" magazine, "The New York Times Book Review" and others. In the years since its publication "Ship of Dreams" has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into several languages. "Redd Rocket" brings together all the best features of a Dean Morrissey painting: rich, deep colors; fastidious attention to texture and detail; skilled composition and a little touch of storytelling magic. It will make a timeless and festive addition to any holiday (or year-round!) collection.
18. Dean Morrisey Father Christmas The Sleigh Ride $185.00 More exciting than a nip of frost in the air, more highly anticipated than the first snow, is the arrival of Dean Morrisseys latest creation in his Father Christmas series featuring none other than the worldly traveler with a merry twinkle in his eye.
Its Christmas Eve and the reindeer are in harness, the sleigh is filled to bursting with gifts. Circumnavigating the earth is a rare enough feat but doing so in the course of one blustery winter night, while making countless deliveries all the way around, is nothing short of remarkable. With his book of names and his sextant tucked nearby for ready reference and celestial navigation, Santa slaps the reins and his enchanted journey begins.
“I wanted to give a little of my sense of the character and the kind of wonder that surrounds him,†says Morrissey, “both for kids and for grown-ups. Father Christmas is like Frosted Flakes"a lot of adults dont admit that they still love em.â€
This lavish portrait of Father Christmas in action is sure to be a magical holiday gift for believers of all ages.
19. Dean Morrisey Bridget the Celtic Angel $675.00 Bridget the Celtic Angel
20. Dean Morrisey The Crossing of the Ghost Ship Bonnie Bowes $325.00 The Crossing of the Ghost Ship Bonnie Bowes