Process

The concept was clear and simple, to make a panel 300mm square inspired by The Thames at Kelmscott via some old favourites - May Morris’ embroidery (top) and my drawings done along the same stretch of the river (above). I worked on it sporadically during a few disjointed weeks, making decisions along the way guided by the materials rather than making a detailed plan and then executing it.

During this process I continue to be amazed at my incompetence. I’m not able to see whether I like what I’m making until it’s leaded up, cemented and in the window. This small panel was leaded up four times, I reused the lead again and again resulting in a slightly chewed up appearance, a good description of how I feel after finishing the piece. In the final version (number 4) I have kept the best bits of painting with little lines that reference the embroidered stitches without copying anything in the picture.

Starting by finding the pieces of glass I wanted to use; on the lightbox you can see the textures of the central piece (Pilkington’s arctic) and the purple cast chunks; first attempt at painting.

Panel masked up for painting before the next firing: version 1 leaded up and in the window: the same panel with the tracing paper backing removed, electric colours and cauliflower textures. However, I should know by now that just copying a good drawing on to glass never works.

I pulled the panel apart and preferred it like this; version 2 repainted with the corner pieces I hated replaced by scraps of painted reeds - just looked like a mess; version 3 with a yellow border - composition is unbalanced and not what I wanted.

Pulled the panel apart again and chose some peaceful watery scraps of painted glass: version 4 in the window; version 4 with tracing paper behind.

WM on the Tour de France route

I found two churches with William Morris windows on the Stage One Tour de France route. I watched the riders come through Otley this morning, then went to visit the churches. The first one, St. Wilfrid in Pool in Wharfedale, was decorated with bicycles and had a "Le church, le tour, le welcome !" sign but was locked.

The second, St. Margaret's in Ilkley, is a Norman Shaw church. There are lots of good windows inside, including one of four angels (below) designed by WM and made in 1894. It looks great and in composition is so much simpler than the rest of the windows (mostly made by Powell & Sons) in the church.

Inspiration from May

I am particularly drawn to the case of May Morris' possessions in one of the attics. Box Cottage, above and below, is giving me lots of ideas for projects while I am at Kelmscott.

Below : Part of May's frieze of Kelmscott and The Manor with WM's words (from The Earthly Paradise) embroidered in the 1890s and now in the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow.

"As a keen watercolorist, her intimate knowledge of nature came from personal observation, en plein air, an experience that her father found either uncomfortable or unnecessary." Linda Parry, May Morris, embroidery and Kelmscott.

"You see  William Morris could design embroideries but he could not embroider, any way not as well as Miss Morris could, Mrs. Morris could embroider but couldn't design, Miss Morris could and did both design as well as William Morris and embroider as well as any one possibly could..." Mary Lobb, from a letter to Eric Maclagen.

Signatures progress

The current project is progressing well, I have more then a hundred signatures. Above you can see a family who all signed their names using a diamond tipped pen on a piece of white glass. I have picked out scraps of coloured glass in pale and neutral colours for visitors to choose from, so that when I trim the pieces to fit against each none of them will jar or jump out. 

The design for the finished panel is made up of blocks of stripes which follow the dimensions of the signatures. I have started with the darkest colours for the central section, below left. The other photo, from Martin & Wendy Hiscock, I will piece in near the border with other pale bits.

The diamond tipped pen comes from www.bandhservices.co.uk and is called a lunzer lancer pen.

Portraits of real country

"The only limitations I should put upon subjects would be upon landscape painters; and to them I should insist on all their pictures being real portraits of real country. I mean I take no interest in made-up landscapes: where is it? is my first question when I see a landscape."                        

From a letter from William Morris to Thomas Coglan Horsfall, April 7th 1881.

I want to come up with a design during this residency that captures the characteristics of the landscape around Kelmscott. So far, I have been drawn to the River Thames and the rows of trees that line its banks. My drawing above was done from the path towards Buscot, looking back to the river that is hidden in the line of trees that I also photographed on my walk to Lechlade.