Morley’s choice of craft materials and techniques over traditional paint and canvas was originally a means of disengaging from the shadow of art history. Rather than avoiding subjects and styles that were widely dismissed as art forms he embraced them and found their properties matched the content and 3D presence he wanted to achieve. The act of making a stitch is also important as it represents a specific amount of time, an element that he wanted to make visible and offer to the viewer as an opportunity to trace the artist’s hand and physical experience in the final work. The use of pattern provided Morley a conduit through which to concentrate on instinctive decisions about colours and materials rather than dwell upon the compositional complexities of painting. In addition to these ostensibly conventional works of handicraft, Morley introduced KY Jelly, wax and oils that subvert the cutesy, homespun connotations of the finish. With an unconventional mix of materials and a painterly lyricism to their appearance, his works are not as disconnected from a contemporary painting as they might at first seem.