The crossover between picking up a paintbrush and holding a softball in a glove is a very similar feeling for softball standout Morgan Day. It’s all about being meticulous and doing the small things correctly the first time, since you can’t go back and erase anything. It’s all about attention to detail for the Tuscola, Illinois, native, so being a softball pitcher while growing up an artist has helped her really develop that skill.
“In softball, mistakes can be made as a pitcher, such as giving up hits, hitting a batter, and walks. In art, big mistakes can be made with one simple brush stroke; it cannot be erased, and the paint must dry before it can be covered or else it will mix with the color used to cover it up,” Day shared. “I have discovered similar tendencies between being an artist and being a pitcher, and it’s important to go about each with confidence and meticulous actions.”
Day first discovered that she had an artistic gift during her elementary school days, and would rearrange her schedules throughout middle school and high school to make room for an art class.
“The more I continued to utilize art as an expressive, creative outlet throughout grade school, the better I became at putting exactly what I wanted on the canvas, paper, or anything really,” Day said. “My parents have always been extremely supportive in all of the hobbies I’ve pursued, but my art teachers growing up in the Tuscola School District helped me hone in on my passion and potential as an artist.”
When asked what type of artist she acknowledges herself as, Morgan considers herself to be a multimedia artist, as she doesn’t necessarily use only one medium or one style to complete her pieces. “I like to experiment depending on the piece I’m working on. I’ve always enjoyed drawing with graphite or colored pencils on paper, but now I have found that I am naturally drawn to painting on canvas.”
The possibilities are endless for Day, and anyone who has seen her work would agree. Whether its drawing, painting or experimenting, the coolest part for her is not setting any expectation and then seeing her vision come to life.
“My favorite piece I ever created is a sunflower portrait I completed my sophomore year of high school,” she said. “I was just experimenting with watercolor one day in class and pleasantly surprised myself with my performance using a technique I wasn’t all too familiar with. I love the portrait itself because I think sunflowers are beautiful and represent visual happiness with their vibrant orange and yellow tones. The sunflower was also the favorite flower of one of my grandmas, and that makes it that much more special to me.”
Both art and softball have played an important role in Morgan’s life growing up. While she views her watercolor sunflower piece as her most influential piece of art, who influences her on the softball field?
“Both of my parents helped me find the fire in myself to work hard and put my full effort into anything I was passionate about,” Day expressed. “I have had many motivators and influencers in my life that propelled me toward my love for softball, but my dad really helped me pursue that passion. He helped me to find my love for the game and grow as a person within the sport. As a young softball player, my dad influenced me to become a pitcher and he would catch for me. My mom wasn’t necessarily doing as much of the hands-on part of practice, but she has always been my biggest fan throughout all of my endeavors and inspired me to pursue all of my dreams, including playing softball at the collegiate level.”
Whether she’s perfecting her craft on canvas or paper, or on the softball field, Day has used the combination of the two to help her discover her creative side and unlock a different perspective of viewing the world, and bring a smile to everyone’s face through her work.
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