Sarah Morton's original plan was to go to West Virginia and drum up some inspiration from the local coal miners.

But the artist said she slowly changed her mind the longer she stayed at her secluded studio with only her paint supplies, books and her dog Fletcher to keep her company.

"Seven months ago, I went to southern West Virginia and started interviewing workers at the federal mine academy," she said. "I spent some time at Jake's Country Bar and would just talk to miners after their shifts had ended, and walked through the coal towns.

"But once I started painting, things turned out differently than I expected," said the 23-year-old. "I was surprised."

Morton's self-titled exhibition at Red Raven Art Company on Prince Street is more about the interior landscapes of her mind than her surroundings.

Barnyard animals comprised of loving brush strokes inhabit "The Animal Years," an image Morton created mostly from childhood memories.

Then there's the elegant delirium of "The Homestead," in which children and Madonna-like figures move about mysteriously near a wooden porch, resembling one of William Blake's poetic visions.

"The Eye of the Storm" is like looking out a window moments before the thunder and lighting erupt, with a vast, moody sky that seems to move. A clothesline holding fresh laundry can be seen in the distance, offering little playful dots of colors surrounded by zesty green grass.

"There's a lot of memories in these paintings — memories of scenery, history and people," Morton said. "And the books I was reading influenced me too, especially (William) Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway.

"And there were pages of art all over the place, lots of Wyeth, Velazquez and Schjerback," she said. "My dog Fletcher was a big influence, too."

According to Morton, Fletcher's occasional outbursts reminded her to look at nature in all its chaotic glory.

In "Dog Sees God," a black and bushy canine startles his master, demonstrating how an intense sense of calm can be innocently shattered by a playful pooch.

"Those moments, when Fletcher would get excited because he saw a squirrel or whatever, were really useful to me," she said. "So my dog ended up in a lot of my paintings with a kind of unfinished appearance. It's liked he leaped onto the canvas and became part of the image."

 Morton's eclectic list of inspirations seem to come together in "The Studio," in which children, sporting ornate clothing and heavenly auras, move about a cozy barn interior h— along with a horse and a rambunctious dog.

"The meanings of the paintings depends on who's looking at them," Morton said Thursday. "So I don't think I should explain each one, but just let the paintings speak for themselves."

Last year in February, Morton's exhibit was "Reflections on the Nickel Mines Amish School Tragedy."

The paintings were more than just her reaction to the shootings at the school house in Bart Township that killed five Amish girls.

At the time, Morton said her paintings were also a meditation on the Amish as unique members of American society — a perspective she gained through close interaction with the community.

The artist is the daughter of Caroline Morton and Dr. Holmes Morton, a pediatrician and director of the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, which treats Plain children with special medical needs.

Morton said she moved to Lancaster County when she was 8 years old, but visited the area regularly before her father established his clinic in Strasburg.

In 2006, when the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia awarded her a fellowship study program, she traveled to Europe and found her appetite for history satisfied — though the young artist said there's more traveling to do in her future.

"I'm transient these days," Morton said with a smile. "And I think that's good for my work. I might visit the south of France soon. And New York is always worth visiting."

Of course, Morton is repeatedly told how finely tuned her skills are — for such a young artist. But she clearly knows that more lessons await her around every corner.

"My former studio was over Broad Street in Philadelphia," Morton said. "And there was a lot of traffic there, with people coming to look at the paintings and students and teachers visiting.

"But when I was in the more secluded studio in West Virginia, there wasn't anyone around to offer feedback — and less noise," she said. "It was a totally different experience."

She said the quiet and isolation allowed her subconscious to loosen up, helping her memories take center stage.

"Also with this show, I think it's best viewed as a body of work," she said. "You can see images and symbols reoccur in all of the paintings. They all come from the same place.

"These paintings are also about growing up with artists' eyes, and having a vision I can best describe as a lust for art history," Morton said. "Not just a knowledge about it, but a desire to be included in it."

Through February, Red Raven also will display art by Jill Althouse-Wood and Lilly Woodworth.

Works by Sarah Morton, reception today 5-8 p.m., exhibit continues through March 4, Red Raven Art Co., 138 N. Prince St.

E-mail: cdifonzo@lnpnews.com