Jackie Morris - Artist and Writer

For those of you not familiar with Pembrokeshire artist and writer, Jackie Morris, I urge you to seek out her work. She has recently created a beautiful book called The Lost Words with Robert MacFarlane and has just launched Mrs Noah's Pockets with artist James Mayhew. I'm not an artist myself so I lack the requisite verbal toolkit to adequately describe her art. I see it as a fantastical representation of nature's blending with humanity, rich in unique colours and fired in the imagination of a seriously talented creator. Every illustration is imbued with joy and also the quiet dignity that comes from Jackie's enjoyment of and respect for the natural environment.

As well as being a book creator in her own right, Jackie has also provided art for others, notably Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm. Jackie's blog too is a veritable treasure trove of beautiful imagery, words and meditations on life, nature and the making of art. A complete set of Jackie's books can be found at Solva Woolen Mill as well as other independent bookshops and larger retailers.


A short interview with Jackie and a glimpse inside her studio:

A: What led you to art?

J: My dad was doing a drawing one day, when I was young, about 6 I think. That's what I wanted to do. Use a pencil to make a bird land on a page. I didn't know about art, artists, galleries etc. I just wanted to make that magic happen.

A: How important is nature as an influence in your work?

J: Nature isn't an influence. It's the air we breathe, the food we eat, the ground on which we walk. It's life. It is us. We are it.

A: In your most recently published book, Mrs Noah's Pockets, you provided the words and James Mayhew the art. Are there times when you can see another's work bringing your words to life as you write them?

J: I wrote Mrs Noah for James. In my head there was not a single picture of what it looked like. It was always James's vision that I wanted. I loved watching him move from a way he had of working into a new way that fits so utterly delightfully with the words I gave him. His pictures were, are, the most wonderful gift returned. He put flesh on the bones of my words, breathed life into a character I hope we will develop.

 

A felt eagle heads for the skylight

Thistles taking shape, awaiting goldfinches

Tools, vessels, prompts, distractions

Hound and hare frozen in time

Lists, lists, lists

See below for a selection of Jackie's beautiful art, reproduced with her kind permission.

Jackie also has a gallery online called The House of Golden Dreams where you can inquire about purchasing individual pieces of artwork.

The Snow Leopard

One Cheetah, One Cherry

The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow

The Names of the Hare, or Only The Wind and the Hare

Sailing in a Strange Boat