MORRIS, CAREY (1882 - 1968), artist

Born 17 May 1882 at Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Boynes Morris. He attended Llandeilo county school, and soon rebelled against the Board of Education's mechanical method of teaching art. He went to the Slade in London, and excelled in the study of anatomy under the instruction of Henry Tonks. In 1911 he married Jessie Phillips, and became a member of the numerous groups of artists who were working at Newlyn, Cornwall. With his wife, who was an author and editor, he moved to London, where he had a studio in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. There he met prominent artists of the day, as well as writers and musicians. He himself played the cello at musical evenings. He frequently returned to Llandeilo and the Towy valley to paint, but enlisted in the army in 1914, and later obtained a commission in the South Wales Borderers. He suffered from the effects of gas in Flanders and his health was impaired for the rest of his life. He claimed descent from the Morris family of Anglesey (John, Lewis, Morris, Richard, and William Morris), and one of his interests after the war was the issue of art and craft at the National Eisteddfod. He saw the need for reforming the Gorsedd ceremonies, and wrote extensively on the topic. He published articles on art, such as ' Personality as a force in art ' and ' Art and religion in Wales '.

He worked on landscapes and portraits throughout Wales, and his patrons include some aristocratic families. One of his close friends was Sir Joseph Bradney, the historian of Monmouthshire. He illustrated books, particularly the children's books which his wife wrote, and he made the illustrations for Taith y pererin, an adaptation of Pilgrim's Progress by Edward Tegla Davies. He died 17 November 1968 and was buried in Llandeilo churchyard.

Author

• Elis Gwyn Jones, (1999)

Sources

• Eirwen Jones, 'An artist in peace and war', The Carmarthenshire Historian, 1978, 29-42

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Carey Morris

Additional Links

• VIAF: 96253506
• Wikidata: Q5039201

Published date: 2001

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/