BILL MORTON

Available at the Alberta Craft Gallery in Edmonton

Bill Morton is a Calgary-based artist and teacher. His work is collected and shown in the United States, Japan, China, and Canada. A graduate of Alberta College of Art (1967), he studied in Japan from 1969-1983 including ten years apprenticing with a Master Dyer.

Bill Morton is the recipient of the Alberta University of the Arts 2019 Board of Governors Alumni Award of Excellence, and he is Alberta University of the Arts Professor Emeritus (2020).

Artist Statement:

I have chosen silk as a means of expression or maybe it has chosen me.  Silk is very responsive and takes dyes in a magical way.  It brings colour to life.  It responds well to gentle handling. My studio practice starts with drawing.  The drawing is traced on the back of the silk and I start directly dying and waxing by brush.  It takes about a week to dye a scarf.  I like to be meticulous in technique.  My aim in working is to be direct, spontaneous, efficient, and totally engaged.  Process leads me on a voyage of discovery every time and I am always grateful for the experience.

Alberta Craft Council exhibitions: Cultivate Instigate (2019), Cloth in Context (2020), Craft Collaborations (2022).