Barbara Hammett's William Morris Birds (2)

I first posted on these projects in January this year.  It seems appropriate that I am close to completing all three of these projects as the year draws to an end.  I began the background of the third piece last night and anticipate having this work in my hands as the family gathers around the fire during the Christmas holidays.  

I think that next week I'll have the Hare and the Fox pieces (posted in March 2013) back from the framer.  And then the question will be whether these three bird subjects will be mounted in frames, singly or in a group, or whether I'll make them up into cushions.  I also have a bell pull finished as well as another cushion.  They are all worked with the same deep blue background which sets off the colours so beautifully.

Here is Morris' definition of art in his lecture 'Art and Labour' delivered in 1884.  He said:

'…by art, I do not mean only pictures and sculpture, nor only these and architecture, that is, beautiful building properly ornamented;  these are only a portion of art, which comprises, as I understand the word a great deal more;  beauty produced by the labour of man both mental and bodily, the expression of the interest man takes in the life of man upon the earth with all its surroundings, in other words the human pleasures of life is what I mean by art.'

These words resonate with me.