Over the lockdown, De Morgan has been working with different groups to inspire creativity, encourage learning, and relieve some of the tensions of the past year.
When William De Morgan’s ceramics business closed in 1904, he suffered badly with depression. His wife Evelyn encouraged him to begin writing and he went on to be a best-selling author at the age of 65. The positive impact of creativity on mental health and wellbeing cannot be underestimated. But it also has the additional benefit of producing beautiful things.
Hanelle Levine, Lead Tutor in Visual Arts at Idea Store Learning, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, taught the Arts and Crafts movement to her drawing and painting classes. Hanelle contacted Sarah Hardy, curator of the De Morgan Foundation who kindly delivered an art historical talk to the group. Students became even more inspired with their creative works and are delighted, at Sarah’s invitation, to share some of these completed artworks with the Foundation .
Jacqueline Reay
De Morgan Tiles
A4
Pen and Ink, and watercolour on paper
I wanted to adapt the De Morgan red tiles and chose to draw with green ink to see if it altered the impact when viewed altogether. It is a much softer look than the red. The Isnik plate is drawn freehand and painted using watercolour.
Mandy Taylor
Mystical Ruby Creature
14.5x20cm
Acrylic
I tried to capture the spirit of De Morgan’s mystical Ruby Lustre themed tiles. So I painted this mystical creature with the arabesque pattern behind it and the Ruby coloured leaves and flowers.
John Carroll
Mystical Galleon
20 x 20 cm
watercolour
Based on William De Morgan’s ship tiles but incorporating his ‘mythical creatures’. When looking at the ship tiles, De Morgan adds a lot of detail that you don’t notice from a casual look. My artwork makes it a little more obvious!
Tom Lyddon
Galleon
24x22cm
Watercolour.
A very bright and breezy piece of art with its flying pennants and billowing sails by William De Morgan for The P&O Steamship Company.
Mandy Taylor
The Mystical Zebra
Dodo Inspired Tile
both 22 x 28 cm
Acrylic
As William De Morgan enjoyed painting mystical creatures, I thought I would do a mystical zebra. I loved the patterns and contrast of the black and white colours on a zebra.
I was inspired to do this Dodo tile as I loved the different blue tones and the flowing curved lines of the levers behind the Dodo.
Tuuli Lindburg
Pegasus and ‘The Twins’ inspired by William Morris’s unicorns
19 x 19 cm and 32 x 14 cm or individually 16 x 14 cm
Acrylic
I like to draw horses, and was inspired by this legend, a horse which brings luck to kings at war and us regular mortals as well, I hope.
I was fascinated by the legend about unicorns, creatures which bring luck in the war and are therefore favoured by kings.
Ali Hirst
Study Of Classical Drapery
30cm x 23cm
Charcoal and pastel on tinted paper.
Evelyn De Morgan’s studies of drapery are exquisite and inspired me to make a study of my own.
Current restrictions meant that I was unable to draw from life, as she would have done, so instead I chose to work from a photograph I had taken during a trip to the Palatine Museum in Rome.
Ali Hirst
Sea Dragon Tile
21cm x 21cm
Watercolour and gouache on handmade cotton rag paper.
I have long been inspired by all things oceanic. Studying William De Morgan’s Sea Dragon tile panel was the perfect opportunity to experiment with my own ideas for a ceramic tile design.
I particularly love the beautiful, blue swirling pattern he created for his ocean waves – a perfect backdrop for his regal sea horses and serpents.
My sea creature was loosely inspired by studies I had made of the weedy sea dragon which can found off the coast of southern and eastern Australia.
Jelena Rusina
Copy of tiles by William De Morgan
20x20cm Acrylic on canvas
Nature in Art Tiles with flowers.
Tom Lyddon
Bird
25 x 25 cm
Watercolour
I was intrigued by the design of this tile, the curves and arabesques . tiles depicting birds and mythical animals.
Tom Lyddon
Galleon
26 x 36 cm
Watercolour.
Inspired by a tile panel produced for the P&O Steamship Company by William De Morgan.
Sarah Paxton
Evelyn De Morgan
A4
Pencil on paper
I was attracted to the radical ideas of Evelyn De Morgan and her beautiful paintings.
Jenny Vobes
Peacock tiles
21.5 x 33 cm
Watercolour, gouache, coloured pencil
My work is inspired by the peacock motif used by William de Morgan on dishes and tiles.
Pru Clements
Cows in Clover
26 x 26 cm
Watercolour
Inspired by William De Morgan’s ruby lustre I used a series of sketches of cows from a project, many years ago, at Trevego Farm in Cornwall.
Jenny Vobes
Kingfisher plate
26.5 x 26.5 cm
Gouache, watercolour
I was inspired by William de Morgan’s plates with a kingfisher motif
Ilenia Targhettini
Tricorn Tile
18 x 18 cm
Acrylic pens on ceramic
I was inspired by William De Morgan’ designs on luster tiles. I share his passion for fantastic creatures.
Ilenia Targhettini
Chameleons
18 x 25 cm
Watercolour on paper
I was inspired by William De Morgan passion for designing animals with a little bit of fun.
Janet Andrews
Interpretation of a de Morgan vase
40 x 29 cm
Acrylic
The shape of the vase is the same but I changed the colours from blue and green. I also changed some of the decoration from fish to a deer which I took from a de Morgan tile.
Jane Roberts
Medusa plate design
21 x 22 cm
Graphite pencil and watercolour
I wanted to make something that referred to both artists. I was intrigued by Evelyn de Morgan’s image of Medusa and by William’s bowl with coiled snake.
This image is not the final design as I wanted to try and make the face look more like Jane Burden.
Jane Roberts
Sketch for Gorgon Plate
13 x 14 cm
Pen, ink and watercolour over pencil
This is another take on the Medusa theme. I have been researching images of the Gorgons and I have tried to create a design that references both De Morgans.
Jane Roberts
Chinese Zodiac Tiles
18 x 27 cms
Gouache and watercolour with pencil ink and conte pastel
These tile designs are influenced by William de Morgan’s ceramics. I chose the Chinese Zodiac as a theme as we were studying his work at the time of the Chinese New Year.
Jane Roberts
Two studies for Gorgon Plate Design
21 x 29.5 cm
Watercolour, pen and ink and pencil on paper
This is page from my sketchbook showing some of the research and an idea for a ceramic design of Medusa and her sisters. I researched Ancient Greek and Roman collections at the British Museum for depictions of the Medusa myth inspired by item from the De Morgan collection.
Catherine Phillips
Mythical Bird Plate
10 cm diameter
Felt pens
I was inspired by William De Morgan’s intriguing creatures, particularly his birds, and created my own plate design using vibrant colours.
Catherine Phillips
Hope
30.5 x 40.6 cm
Oil
I have painted a portrait of my niece holding irises – a symbol of hope – inspired by paintings of women by Evelyn De Morgan.
Tom Lyddon
Helen takes a selfie
34 x 24 cm
Watercolour
A slightly humorous take on the story of Helen of Troy
Ali Smith
Birds and Beasts Tiles
19 x19 cm
Watercolour
This artwork was inspired by the William De Morgan ceramic tiles.
Ali Smith
William Morris linocut
20 x 15 cm
Multi block linocut with oil based relief ink
This piece was inspired by the wallpaper patterns created by William Morris, a contemporary of William De Morgan
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