A new ebook is launched today and it concerns the pattern work of William Morris. The book William Morris and the Pattern of Nature, deals with the designer's passion for and intrinsic understanding of nature and how that was then reflected in the pattern work he produced over his career.
Using quotes from Morris himself explaining his approach to nature and pattern work, as well as a wide range of colour illustrations, the book helps to explore Morris as practical as well as visionary designer. Chapter headings include William Morris and his Relationship with Nature, Nature with Pattern: From Natural Observation to Stylised Interpretation, The Thames Tributaries Series: An Example of William Morris at Work, and Original Artwork of William Morris.
Morris firmly believed that the natural world should be the foundation marker of all pattern work, that the inspirational point for any exploration of colour, line and shape in decoration should be inspired from nature. It was a powerful message that came to dominate English pattern design through the later nineteenth and much of the twentieth century, and could be said to be one of the most important elements that drives pattern design today.
By exploring Morris connection with nature we can identify some of the most important elements in his character and the passions that drove his career. His intrinsic connection with nature was possibly his most rewarding and fulfilling long-term relationship, and it is important to recognise that his approach to the natural world as an inspiration for the vast majority of his work can never be just about the practical and the technical, it was also about the emotional. Morris found solace and escape in nature as well as endless fascination creative inspiration.
The book itself has 58 pages and 27 full colour illustrations. A few sample pages have been added to this article to give you some indication as to the nature of the book.
William Morris and the Pattern of Nature now sits alongside four other ebook titles: Ann Macbeth and the Glasgow Embroidery Style, Pugin the Pattern Designer, Nature and Surface Pattern, and Islamic Decoration and Ornament as Seen by Owen Jones. It is hoped that this title will be a worthy addition to The Textile Blog's ebook collection and I hope that you both enjoy it and find it useful.
All titles including the latest can be purchased by clicking the Ebooks tab just below the blog main header, or by clicking on any of the book cover illustrations to the right hand side of the blog.
