Born in Fox Valley, Oregon, Morris Graves is recognized as one of the most influential artists of the Pacific Northwest. Self-taught, Graves received no formal art education, instead developing his own methods of seeing and painting. In the 1930s, Graves met Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson, two other artists residing in the Puget Sound area, deemed members of the Northwest School.

With the influence of Tobey, as well as his travels to Japan, Graves was engaged in a lifelong study of Zen Buddhism. His spiritual practices impacted his approach to painting and drawing. He developed an iconography which referenced nature and explored the transcendent.

In his later life, Graves built a home in Loleta, California, which he referred to as "The Lake". Living in relative solitude, he continued to develop his work and cultivate his relationship with nature until his passing in 2001.