Al Morris is an artist and the owner and designer for the Richard Allison brand. His first name is Richard and his middle name is Allison hence the name Al. His mother Alice was an artist and art teacher and wanted a namesake and therefore named him Allison for Alice’s son ( Allison).

Al was born and raised in Rayville Louisiana, a small town cotton farming community in North Louisiana. His father was an exceptional pianist and then lawyer and judge, so he came from an artistic family where music and art were able to thrive. He began drawing mostly in his childhood but was always fascinated with colors and blending colors. After studying at LSU he moved to Atlanta and began a sales career while also painting as a hobby mostly as an abstract painter. “Some people play golf for hours I will paint for hours,” he said of his hobby back in the 90’s which progressed into a full time occupation pursuing his love of creating original art.

In the mid 90’s he learned about a type of painting called “Color Field” which is a form of expressionism that came out of New York after WWII. Jackson Pollack is one of the most celebrated artists with this form. It was when Al came across a book about the color field artist Morris Louis that he knew instantly this is what he wanted to do. He read many art history books on Color Field art along with other art forms i.e. Fauvism, Abstract Expressionism, Impressionism. Among his favorite artist include his mother Alice Heard, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaller, Joan Miro, Willem De Kooning, Sam Francis, and of course the famous Fauvist like Henri Mattise and Impressionist Claude Monet. Al’s love of blending color and also the diverse ways of applying color to canvas allows him to create a unique one of a kind work of art with an emphasis on color. He is noted in saying “sometimes the accident is what makes the painting” and “I love to play around with color and see if it dazzles the eye”. His love of painting has allowed him to transfer his art to a clothing and home and lifestyle brand. In essence, his art is available to wear or add to your home furnishings and lifestyle. He personally designed each item for sale, manipulating his art until he got exactly the design he wanted for each item.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of designing and am thrilled about ever evolving with this form of expressionism in the future.”