All lectures are available for virtual meetings through Zoom. Contact Lea@LeaMcComas.com for more information, or to schedule an event
Cost: $450 for a 1-hour presentation to include a PowerPoint presentation with live commentary and time for Q&A, and a look at some of Lea’s quilts.
Women’s Work
1-hour lecture that includes PowerPoint presentation
Women’s Work is the epic art quilt created by Lea McComas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment and women’s struggle for equality. The quilt features 57 female figures from across the ages and honors their achievements in the fight for gender and racial equality, and the protections of human rights. In this presentation, Lea shares the inspirations and challenges related to designing and creating a quilt of this size during a worldwide pandemic. She will also tell some of the stories of courage and commitment of the women featured in the quilt in hopes that these will inspire others to continue the work.
Pictorial Quilt Primer
1-hour lecture that includes PowerPoint presentation and trunk show.
This lecture will serve as an introduction for those interested in creating pictorial quilts based on photographs. The lecture will address the selection of inspiration photos: what to look for and what to avoid, with a follow on to these photo editing topics: cropping and the “Rule of Thirds”, grayscale, posterizing, and resizing. Additionally, the lecture will address important concepts related to color, such as scheme, value, and temperature. Finally, the presentation will turn to elements of composition to include line, balance, contrast, and repetition, and will conclude with a question and answer session as time allows.
Making Faces with Lea McComas
1-hour lecture that includes PowerPoint presentation and trunk show
Lea’s portrait quilts have won international recognition. Discover the influences of history and culture that inspire her pictorial quilts. She will share information about principles of composition, the geometry of faces, and how value, color and temperature work together to create realistic pictorial quilts, as well as a brief overview of her techniques for fused applique and thread painting.
Color Theory for Quilters
1-hour lecture that includes PowerPoint presentation and trunk show
This lecture will address key concepts for quilters related to the selection and use of color in quilting. Topics will include the following: The Color Wheel: history and composition of the color wheel; Color Schemes: combinations that work, and fixing those that don’t; Value: why light vs. dark is actually more important than color; Temperature: the visual and emotional effects of colors and Proportions: some colors are timid, others are bullies, learn to manage them so that they all play well together. Suitable for any level.
Driving in the Dark: My Journey in Fiber Art
1-hour lecture that includes PowerPoint presentation and trunk show
The journey from traditional to art quilter has taken Lea through many countries and numerous fiber medium. Beginning her journey sewing clothing at age six, she moved on to traditional quilting, spinning yarn, knitting and weaving. A decade of working and traveling overseas provided more opportunities to explore textile arts and surface design techniques around the world. She will share her “Rules of the Road” that have guided her in the creative journey to successful quilt artist, teacher, and author. Find inspiration for your own creative journey.Lea
Border Wall Quilt Project
1-hour lecture that includes PowerPoint presentation and tour of the Border Wall Quilt Project installation.
Lea will take you on a tour of this collaborative art project that brings together nearly 360 works from over 200 artists She will share the challenges and joys of curating a project that addresses a complex and divisive issue such as immigration policy and border security. This collection of fiber artworks presents a chronology of the American debate is it explores all aspects of these issues in a spirited, but non-threatening way. It address political, environmental, cultural, and economic factors with the goal of encouraging viewers to engage in conversation that respects and includes all ideas and opinions.
