R.V. Trail

“R.V. stands for Recreational Vehicle, and is a catch-all that can apply to any sort of powered transport used for enjoying the great outdoors. Today, the term is mostly applied to a motorhome or trailer. Morse’s travels and explorations of Western lands were episodic, epic, and covered many years. He used the R.V. Trail Series designation starting in the late 1970s as part of his artwork made from photography, drawing, and painting generated during hiking, camping, backpacking, hunting, and fishing trips.  Morse was amused to find himself an inheritor of Western frontier settlement, with time, disposable income, and the means to explore the complex of roads, highways, and freeways created in the Post-War era. These roads, the ‘R.V. Trail,’ ironically allowed access into the remote and wild landscape of the Southwest, which captured his imagination and fueled his painting.”
- Aaron Morse

Morse spent as much time as possible in nature – hiking, hunting, fishing and camping were favorite activities and he undertook trips during university breaks. 

In the autumn he would hunt for the mule deer, elk, quail and javelina native to Arizona. In the spring and summer, he would backpack with friends and family members in wild and remote areas including the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Grand Gulch and Arches National Park.

The Morse family made annual trips from Tucson, Arizona to Oregon visiting National Parks, camping and fishing along the way. He was a physically tough, adventurous, curious, resourceful and entertaining companion. The only complaint ever levelled against Morse were the delays caused by him wanting to stop and sketch, paint or photograph the landscape for ‘just a little while longer.’  

Morse was never without his sketchbook and kept his camera close. He documented his extensive travels in watercolor and preferred this medium because of its immediacy and ability to capture the light, atmospheric conditions, and grandeur of the landscape.

The R.V. Trail Series is a record of Morse’s travels. The landscape comes alive and is ablaze with color and brilliance. Some of his most effective paintings depict the breathtaking canyons, deserts, and rugged mountains that he visited.

Morse said in a sabbatical report in 1995 ‘I never tire of studying the West; it is wonderful, immense and dynamic, filled to overflowing with images, places and interpretive opportunities.’

He drew inspiration from the great painters of the Southwest – Thomas Moran, Marsden Hartley, William Henry Holmes, Maynard Dixon, and Gustave Baumann.  His vision of the landscape captures the mystery, beauty, and respect that comes from an intimacy developed over decades spent outdoors.

Morse’s mature style was a result of extensive study, time in the landscape in all seasons, and reflection and thought back in the studio.