Tag Archives: art quilt workshops

Close up of finish Close Encounter panel 2., artwork by Lea McComas

New Work: Chance Encounter

This new work is based on a chance encounter between a mountain lion and my husband at the end of our driveway. Today I’m sharing a bit about my design process and the tools I use in creating a composition. If you want to learn more about my process, stay tuned to future blog posts, and sign up for my Color & Composition class. 

Inspiration

This new work is based on a chance encounter between a mountain lion and my husband, Jim. It took place at the end of our driveway. Luckily, Jim was in a vehicle where he could snap a few photos. Here are the ones I chose for the Chance Encounter series.

Editing the Images

I initially decided that I would capture the chance encounter with a series of 4 panels. Photoshop Elements, I cropped and resized the images then used the grayscale and posterize features to create images that I could print on paper and create my patterns.

In the crop and resize phase, I kept 2 goals in mind. First, each panel would increase in width as the lion slowly exposed more of himself before coming into full view. It was important to have an element that was consistent throughout to support the idea that the viewer was looking at the same place with expanding vision. The large rock was that element. I cropped to place it along the left edge of the first 3 photos photo, and extended the right edge as the panels increased. The fourth photo did not include the rock, but I plan to add that feature into panel 4.

Here are a couple of the cropped images:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using the Golden Ratio for Balance & Consistency

Second, I sought to apply the golden ratio (1:1.618) to create balance and consistency. It was the basis for determining the dimensions of each panel. ALERT: I’m about to take you through my math calculations. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I do. After deciding the series would be 30 inches tall, so I used my golden mean calipers to divide that distance into 2 smaller measures: 11 1/2″ and 18 1/2″. These are the widths panels 1and 2. Then, it was a matter of multiplying 18 1/2 x 1.618 to get 30, the width of panel 3. I repeated the process (30 x 1.618= 48) to get the width of panel 4. In this way, the increasing widths follow a pattern that is pleasing to the eye.

Using the Golden Ratio for Placement of Elements

Another application of the golden ratio was in the placement of elements within each composition. For this explanation, I’m going to convert the golden ratio to a pair of fractions: 3/8 and 5/8. In my photo editing software, when using the crop tool, a grid appears over the image, dividing it into exact thirds vertically and horizontally. It looks like a tic-tac-toe grid, and is a guide for using the Rule of Thirds in creating a composition. This is a simplified vers

ion of the golden ratio. However, I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to the golden ratio, so I visualize the lines a little closer, creating a center section that is slightly narrower than the outer sections. I then crop to try to place key elements along these lines, and at the points of intersection. Here is what it looked like with panel 1. Note the top of the rock, and the eyes of the lion.

The important thing in this phase was to create a series of compositions where each was an extension of the previous. Eventually, I decided that the first 3 panels could hang together and tell the story in a reasonable space. Including the 4th panel, 48 inches wide, would have increased the overall width of the Close Encounter series to 108 inches, plus space between the panels. It was just too much. Really, where would I hope to hang the series so it could be viewed in its entirety? This chance encounter was beginning to feel like a long, drawn out encounter. Besides, the 4th image wasn’t essential to the story as the lion running off was implied in the 3rd panel.

Grayscale

Next, I convert each image to grayscale mode so that I can impose my own color scheme (more on that in a future post). Sometimes, elements of similar value begin to blend together, so I use the pencil tool to draw in important lines that have disappeared. In this case, I needed to outline the mountain lion to keep him separate from the rock and the foliage. Because they were darker values, I used a white line. However, sometimes, a black line is more effective.

 

 

 

Posterize

Finally, I posterize each image. I like to work with 5 values in the key figures, in this case, the mountain lion. With the very light snow background, and the very dark sticks and branches, the lion is largely mid-values. This means that I have to posterize the images at 7-8 values to get 5 values in the lion. When I refer to value levels, 1 is always the lightest value, or white. Levels get progressively darker as the number increases. The number assigned to the darkest value, black changes. For example, If I’m working in 5 values, then 5 is black. However, if I’m working in 8 values, then 8 is black. In the image below, there are 8 values, but the face of the lion appears in values 3-7.

Later, when I’m choosing fabrics for the lion, I’ll be able to expand the range of these “face” values to give the lion more depth and dimension, and enhance him as a focal point. Look for that in a future post.

Color & Composition Course

Also, consider joining my Color & Composition class. This class will run for 6 months with a monthly online meeting where we take an in-depth look at a color scheme, color concept, and a composition concept. Participants are encouraged to go out and use the information in their own work, and bring their progress back to share with the group in the next monthly meeting. to help you in your original design Here is a link for more information:

Color & Composition I

 

Share

Introduction to Thread Painting Course begins April 1.

Excitement is building as the start date for my new online class is fast approaching. Introduction to Thread Painting begins April 1. That’s next week and there are still a few spaces available.

Additionally, in the coming months, I will begin Color & Composition courses, and will offer Coaching Sessions, along with free behind the scenes content for all to enjoy.

I feel strongly that connection is essential to successful learning, and hope to build a vibrant, sharing community where creators feel emboldened to learn and apply new skills and concepts. If this appeals to you, read on to find more details about each of my offerings…


Introduction to Thread Painting will begin April 1.

-Course includes 12 lessons that increase in difficulty and complexity to help you build yourstitching skills.

-Each lesson includes an instructional video, lesson notes, support materials, and ideas for further exploration.

Because I believe face-to-face contact is so important to learning: All participants are invited to join a weekly video check-in with Lea on Wednesday evening, or Saturday afternoon.

-A new lesson becomes available each Monday for 12 weeks, with an additional 4 weeks access to all course materials.

-The cost of the course for Beta testers is $180. That is just $15/lesson

To learn more CLICK HERE

Color & Composition courses-Coming soon!

-Learn to use color with confidence by gaining an understanding of color theory and elements of composition. 

-There is so much information to cover on these topics that it will be divided into 2 courses. Color & Composition I will be available in June 2024, and Color & Composition II be offered in January 2025.

-Each class meets for a 2-hour online video session once a month for 6 months. 

-Each session features an in-depth look at a color scheme, a concept related to color, and another related to composition, along with ideas for further creative exploration.  

-Participants will respond to monthly challenges and share their work at the next meeting where we will celebrate and give feedback as requested.

-This is meant to be a very nurturing experience that provides inspiration and encouragement, while celebrating experimentation and artistic exploration.

To learn more about this, and other upcoming courses and offerings, CLICK HERE

Individual and Group Coaching Sessions available in the coming months.

-This is an opportunity to talk through iussues or obstacles encountered inyour creative process related to color, design, composition, or execution.

-Advice and guidance is also available related to submitting to competitions and exhibitions, publishing, and teaching about your work.

-Sessions are offered for 30 or 60 minutes via video conferencing.

-These are single session events, so no long tern commitment.

-Sessions are suitable for individuals, or a small group working on a single project.

 

If you want more information on Coaching Sessions, CLICK HERE to add your name to the waitlist, and you’ll receive notice and more details as they become available.

Share
diptych of 2 native American men on horseback crossing a river. On left panel the man turns to look at the viewer. On the the right panel, the man is riding away from the viewer.

Create Depth with Atmospheric Perspective

Art quilters can create the illusion of depth with atmospheric perspective when they apply four key color concepts in pictorial quilts.  Creating depth with atmospheric perspective was one of the topics I discussed in my monthly Color & Composition class.  Read on for a summary of that part of the discussion.  If you are intrigued,  information about future Color & Composition class sessions is at the bottom.

The Illusion of Depth in Art

There are two types of perspective that can be employed in your art quilts to create the illusion of depth in a pictorial work such as landscape or seascape. The first is linear perspective; the use of 1 or 2 vanishing point with lines in the composition converging on those points.  This is the most commonly recognized and used method for creating that illusion of depth.  Raphael’s painting, School of Athens, is a great example.  Notice that the architectural lines lead to a single vanishing point in the center of the composition.

Inspiration for Women's Work

School of Athens by Raphael, 1509-1511.

A second method is to create the illusion of depth with atmospheric perspective.  This method relies on manipulation of color to create the illusion of depth.  Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, by Jan van Eyck provides an example of this.  Compare the elements in the foreground with those that appear to be far in the distance.

An illusion of depth using atmospheric perspective is evidenced in this painting of 2 priests in brown cloaks kneeling on the ground among rock outcroppings with city visible in the distance.

Jan van Eyck, Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, 1430

Keys to Create Depth with Atmospheric Perspective

With the great masters as our inspiration, let’s shift our focus to art quilting and the selection of fabrics for landscape quilts.  There are 4 key considerations.

Texture

Represent the textures of items that are close to the viewer such as plants, rocks, clothing, furniture.  Less textural detail should be visible in elements that appear in the mid-ground,  and eliminate textural detail in the background. Quilters also have the option of adding texture with stitching and surface embellishments.

An illusion of depth using atmospheric perspective is evidenced in these three sets of fabrics show heavy medium and light texture in three colors: gray, red-violet, green

Fabric selection based on texture and depth.

Value & Value Range 

Moving from foreground to background, the value range should narrow.  Render elements in the foreground  with a broad value range from very light to very dark. Reduce the value range to make elements appear further away by eliminating the lightest and darkest values.  Also, shift the value range to the lighter end of the value scale because darker values are lost to a greater degree than lighter values. 

2 grayscales, fingers show use of values used in atmospheric perspective. Light to dark used in foreground. light to medium dark used in background.

Value range for atmospheric perspective

An illusion of depth using atmospheric perspective is evidenced in this art quilt of park bend on outcropping overlooking receding ridges of tree covered hills in a snowstorm.

Winterscape

Clarity

Elements become less defined as they move to the distance.This is related to texture.  Texture would be how you represent the surface of a object, Clarity focuses on the shapes of objects The edges of your shapes will soften and become more blob-like as those objects move to the distance.  Below is a simple seascape composition that I created as a class sample.  In the detail view of the palm trees, notice how the outline of the palm fronds is simplified in the tree on the right.  Id I were to add a third tree further in the distance, the palm fronds would have gentle curving edges in contrast to the jagged edges of the foreground and mid-ground trees.

beach scene in fabric with two palm trees on the left and an island at the horizon on the right.

Beach scene

An illusion of depth using atmospheric perspective is evidenced in the tops of two palm trees showing greater clarity in the foreground tree

beach scene detail of palm tree tops

Temperature

Warm colors advance and cool colors recede.  When selecting fabrics for a composition, make note of the colors that will appear in the foreground, mid-ground, and background. For colors that repeat at various distances, selected warmer versions to appear closer, and cooler versions to appear in the distance.   For example, the color red in the foreground could be a warmer red-orange, while red in the distance could be a cooler red-violet.  Look below at Crossing Over.  The water in the foreground is a mix of blue and blue-green, but is rendered in blue-violet in the background.  The foliage on the distant back is green near the water’s edge and blue-green on the more distant hills.

diptych of 2 native American men on horseback crossing a river. On left panel the man turns to look at the viewer. On the the right panel, the man is riding away from the viewer.

Crossing Over, diptych by Lea McComas

Water detail in Crossing Over shows atmospheric perspective as foreground in in blue-green to blue, and back ground is done in blue-violet.

Water detail in Crossing Over

Figure & background detail of Crossing Over shows foliage in front in green colors with background foliage in blue green. Warm reds and blues in clothing of figure pop forward in the composition.

Figure & background detail of Crossing Over

Create Depth in the Sky

When it comes to the sky, we often forget to create depth using atmospheric perspective. Treat the sky as an element of the composition.  The top of the composition is the foreground, and sky near the horizon line is the background.  Sky should be a warmer, more saturated color at the top of the composition and move to a cooler, less saturated color at the horizon.  A common mistake is to use a solid blue fabric, or a printed sky with cloud fabric.  The problem is that these fabrics present a static representation of the sky that make it appear flat. They fight the illusion of depth, rather than support it.  I suggest a hand-dyed or ombre fabric to support depth using atmospheric perspective.

fabric sample of blue sky with clouds.

Sky with clouds

flat light blue square

Flat sky color

blue square with vibrant color at the top and pale color at the bottom

blue sky ombre

Join our next Color & Composition Session

Interested in learning more? Every month I lead a Color and Composition class where we explore a color scheme, color concept, and a composition concept.  We meet online  the 4th Saturday of every month 1:00-3:00 PM MDT. To join us, sign up through the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

Subscribe to this blog for future summary updates on topics covered in the Color & Composition class.

Share

Unity & Variety Create Harmony & Interest

Unity & Variety are tools to create harmony and interest in art quilt compositions, and were the elements of composition that  we explored in the last session of my monthly COLOR & COMPOSITION class.  In this  blog I’m sharing some of the highlights of that discussion.

UNITY refers to a relationship between the elements within a composition that bring harmony.  The desired effect is to create the feeling that a work is a single creation with multiple parts, as opposed to, a collection of separate things.

Composition with unity

Round place mat with various items including a plant, fork, pen, latex glove, and pliers.

Composition with disunity

Techniques to Create Unity.

A number of techniques can be used to create unity.

Visual Repetition

Visual repetition is probably the most common way of creating unity.  Repetition gives a

Analogous scheme with blue & yellow parents.

Analogous scheme with blue & yellow parents.

sense of familiarity.  As humans, we prefer familiarity over anomaly.  This can play out in various ways:

Color Scheme– Choosing a scheme brings focus and consistency.  Each color is a part of a larger structure.

Line-Repetition of lines is more than having multiple lines.  It is also about repeating the same kind of line, such diagonal, horizontal, s-curve, or spiral.

Shape:  Shapes can be geometric or organic.  They can vary in size, or color. In eluding multiple versions of the shape creates familiarity and harmony.

Proximity

Placing items near each other creates unity through grouping.  This is where negative space is important.  If you are going to create a space for items to gather, there also has to be a place where they do not gather.  This “negative space” will be a topic in our next Color & Composition session.

Still life composition with potted tree in front of a window next to a trunk covered by a hand women mat. A tin cup and pitcher sit atop the trunk with a small plate with tangerines. One is peeled and divided.

Turkish Treasures Still Life, 2020.

This still life composition was created for an article I wrote for Quilting Arts Magazine (April/May 2020).  It illustrates the concept of proximity.  I communicate that these objects go together by placing them in contact with each other, or overlapping them. 

Simplicity

Eliminate unnecessary elements in a composition so that the focus can be on what is important. Too many different things competing with each other creates confusion and discomfort.

When I teach my portrait class, students work from a photo.  One of the first things I talk about is cropping out anything that is in the background that has nothing to do with the subject.  If it can’t be cropped, then distort, blur, or replace it.  This is what I did in Sweet Song From and Old Fiddle.

Hand holding the neck of a fiddle is visible with a mottled blue-green background.

Detail of Sweet Song From and Old Fiddle, 34″ x 18″, 2013.

Thematic Relationship

You may have objects that don’t share other unifying qualities, but they share an underlying meaning.  A good analogy is the sewing machine: it is made of many different parts, but, put it all together and it it works. Remove a piece, and it doesn’t.

I remember a news report on January 20,  Inauguration Day that featured Donald Trump speaking at Andrews Joint Base in front of 17 American flags.  Apparently, the number 17 was important because Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet, and Q-Anon supporters believed this was a symbol of the revolution to come later in the day.

Consider those elements: American Flags, Letter Q, # 17, Revolution.

Regardless of your political leanings, that those elements were thematically connected, is astounding.—Scary as hell, yet, astounding.

The example I have to share with you is much more benign.  I give you Busy Signal where a cell phone, a hand with wait gesture, and a face cut off below the eyes send a message about communication and connection in our world.

Busy Signal, 25 in x 36, 2017.

Add Variety to Create Interest

Variety-of elements creates interest, breaks the boredom, and adds interest.  Again, there are various ways to do this.

 Altered Repetition

Incorporate an anomaly, a change in the repetition.  In the Circles in Squares example below, all of the elements share a color scheme, and the sizes and shapes are consistent, but offsetting, or slight shifting of elements adds interest.

Circles-in-Squares color study

Interrupt the Pattern

Another option is break a pattern my inserting a another element.  I did this in my tribute to Malala, by placing her image over a large floral border.

Portrait of Malala wearing a red scarf with a white background. A Islamic floral border of blue and red flowers with green leaves. The center text is a quote by Malala Yousafzai, "With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.

Malala, by Lea McComas, 30″ x 50″, 2019.

Color & Composition Monthly Workshop

Interested in learning more? Every month I lead a Color and Composition class where we explore a color scheme, color concept, and a composition concept.  We meet online  the 4th Saturday of every month 1:00-3:00 PM MDT. To join us, sign up through the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

Subscribe to this blog for future updates on topics covered in the Color & Composition class.

Share
Bamboo by Lea McComas, features echo images of bamboo in analogous color scheme of yellow-green, green-blue-green.

Analogous Color Schemes Create Harmony

Analogous Color Schemes were one of topics discussed in my last

online Color & Composition class.  I hope the information presented here will inspire you to explore this color scheme. If you find this helpful, and want to join me for the next session, you will information at the bottom.  

Analogous color schemes include a run of colors next to each other on the color wheel.  These schemes can include 3, 5 or 7 colors. They work best when built around primary colors.  Like a monochromatic scheme, analogous schemes are great for conveying strong emotion. They also have

Analogous Scheme with mother Yellow.

Analogous Scheme with mother Yellow.

greater potential for energy and interest.  

 Analogous is a word that references a collection that has something similar, or a direct connection that applies to each element. The strong relationship among the colors in this scheme creates a sense of harmony.  There is a kind of kinship.

Analogous run with 7 colors

Analogous run with 7 colors

Analogous Colors Schemes are like Families.

One way to build analogous color schemes is to begin with a primary

Analogous scheme with red mother

Analogous scheme with red mother

color.  Think of this as the mother, and then expand to include the color, or child,  on each side.  Expand the scheme further to 5 colors by including the father of each child.   In this analogy, it is easy to understand that managing the harmonious effect of this scheme becomes more challenging, as the family gathering expands.

Analogous scheme with 2 primary parents

Analogous scheme with 2 primary parents

Another way to build analogous color schemes is to choose two primary colors.  Think of these as parents.  Then, include all of the children, or colors, in between.  Reduce the color scheme to 3 colors by eliminating the parents and using  just the siblings,. 

In either case, the scheme can be expanded further to include 7 colors. However, expanding this much requires incorporating a set of direct complements. Direct complements bring a lot of energy. That drama can disrupt the family harmony. Think of these as the mother-in-laws.

Analogous run with 7 colors

Analogous run with 7 colors

No Sleepy Schemes

With the colors being so close on the color wheel, analogous color schemes have the potential to be a bit boring, or sleepy.  Increase variety within the scheme to combat this.  One way to do this is through an expanded scheme.  The advantage of a 5-color scheme over a 3-color scheme is the ability to increase the color contrast.   Look at the examples below.

fabric swatches for 3-color scheme

fabric swatches for 3-color scheme

fabric swatches for 5-color scheme

fabric swatches for 5-color scheme

Another strategy is to emphasize one color within the scheme over the others.    Any color within the scheme can be the star of the show.  However, luminous colors, such as yellow, will naturally want to be the center of attention. Manage the scheme by using purer hues, and more intense versions of the color to be emphasized. Likewise, use more tints, tones, shades, and less intense version of the other colors.

3 Analogous Experiments

I spent a day experimenting with various analogous color schemes. Working with 5 colors, I chose a hue, tint, and shade of each color, and then mixed in  a collection of neutral gray fabrics.  In each experiment I created 48 half square triangle blocks and then arranged various compositions on the design wall.

Experiment 1: Mother Red

This analogous run stretched from violet to orange.  Here was my final composition. The grayscale image shows how value is also at play.

Analogous scheme built around red.

Analogous scheme built around red.

Grayscale view of Red analogous scheme.

Grayscale view of Red analogous scheme.

Experiment 2: Parents Blue and Yellow

Here is my analogous run with two primary parents and their children. The grayscale image is also included.

Analogous scheme with blue & yellow parents.

Analogous scheme with blue & yellow parents.

Grayscale view of Yellow-Blue scheme.

Grayscale view of Yellow-Blue scheme.

Breaking the Rules

What happens when the analogous color scheme is built around tertiary colors, instead of primaries? 

In my third experiment, I built a scheme with blue-violet as the central color, stretching from red-violet to blue green.  Using the family analogy, this is like loosing the parent red at one end of the run, and bring in the mother-in-law at the other end of the run. My results were less than ideal, but not a total disaster. Blue-green definitely feels like an outlier in this scheme.  It is the only color with a touch of yellow.  See my results below.

Scheme based on tertiary colors

Scheme based on tertiary colors

Grayscale view of tertiary scheme.

Grayscale view of tertiary scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the next Color and Composition class we’ll delve deeper into the analogous color scheme and take a look at an Accented Analogous Scheme.  We meet on the 4th Saturday of every month 1:00-3:00 PM MDT. To join us, sign up through the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

Subscribe to this blog for future updates on topics covered in the Color & Composition class.

 

 

Share

And Now, A Word From My Student

Life has been crazy busy for the last year, leaving precious little time to blog, so I’ll let one of my students from the Festival of Quilts 2019, Birmingham, England, tell you about her experience.  Take it away, Kim…

Having been quilting for a number of years I wanted to expand my skills and fancied having a go at a portrait quilt.  At school I was useless at art – drawing – so my confidence level was really low. I wasn’t sure that I could do it but really wanted to have a go – do you know what I mean?

Looking through the Workshop list for the Festival of Quilts in August 2019 I saw a portrait quilting course by Lea McComas.  Biting the bullet, I booked a place with severe trepidation. The course list duly arrived, and I began to feel really nervous.  What if the tutor laughed at my failing skills? What if everyone else was so much better than me?  

Putting on my Big Girl Pants I went along to the course. 

Other participants were working on portraits of dogs, grandchildren, husbands, children friends etc.  I had chosen to work on a portrait of my long-time idol – Donny Osmond (Husband and Dog assured me that they were not jealous at all)

So I spent a glorious two whole days working on my portrait, Lea being the most marvellous tutor.  I will never forget bringing the portrait to life by adding the white of his eye. Obviously two days isn’t long enough to complete a portrait so there was some homework to do and slowly, slowly I plucked up courage to continue my project with lots of encouragement from Lea.

In October I went to London where I met Donny and showed him my quilt so far.  I cannot tell you what he said about it as I was quite literally a gibbering wreck.  I managed to get him to sign my label too.

Lea I want to thank you for your expert tuition, encouragement and friendship.  To those of you who may not have done a course with Lea I really encourage you to do so – you will really learn a lot and expand your skill set.

Thank you Lea.

Kim Wood UK

Here is Kim with her Donny quilt.  Some think it looks like she printed the image, but NO.  This is a fused appliqué portrait.  Want to learn to make your own?  Take my online portrait quilt class. 

 

 

Share

New Work: Dogs & Cats

My last blog entry was last summer when I gave a teaser about my new work, and now, we’re fully in the winter holiday season. Has it really been that long?  The winter solstice, at our house, is a time to stop and reflect on the events & accomplishments of the closing year, and set goals and expectations for the approaching year.

Body Building

I set a goal last year to lose some weight and get in shape (sound familiar?). My body building efforts were really about  building up a body of new work.

Got Kibble? at CF Gallery opening,

Got Kibble? is just one of the new works that I completed this year.  It was a hands-down favorite at my show in the Creative Framing Gallery in Louisville, CO in Sep-Oct.  Pet compositions are fun to show in the Boulder area is because we are such an animal oriented community.

 

 

Cat Nap, 44″ x 24″, fabric & thread, © Lea McComas, 2018.

Not to be left out, that other favorite pet, the cat, is featured in my new piece, “Cat Nap”.  This work was inspired by a photo I took while traveling in Greece, back in the mid-1990’s.

Pet Portrait class sample

Previously, I completed a couple of small studies using this image.  Two versions were made for my online Pet Portrait class. Here is one with a tetrad color scheme. Prior to that,  a small work was donated to a charity event. Finally, after 20 years, the full up composition has come to fruition. Now, it’s subtle charm makes it one of my new favorites.

Cats VS Dogs?

At the show, a survey of viewers revealed that cats are more popular pets than dogs. Now, I’m getting a lot of pressure (and fun photos) for a series featuring cats.  What about you? Are you a dog person? or a cat person?

I’m thinking dogs rule.

    Cats rule, Dogs drool!

Stay tuned, there is more work to share in a future blog. In the meantime, if you’ve been inspired to attempt your own pet portrait in fabric, check out my online Pet Portrait Memory class with The Quilting Company.

No time for that?!?  I do commission work.  Contact me and let’s talk about capturing a favorite image of your pet in fabric and thread.

Border Wall Quilt Project

Can’t write a blog without mentioning the Border Wall Quilt Project.  We’re still accepting bricks and the wall continues to grow.  

Share

Making Faces All Summer Long

As a school teacher, I love summer vacation as much as my student, maybe more.  For me, it’s a chance to spend more time showing my fiber art, talking about my process, teaching my techniques, and of course, making thread-painted portraits.

This summer was no exception.  Check out this photo travelogue”

Thread-Painting workshop in Colorado Springs:

We made mouthsLook what I did!

 

 

 

 

 

 

5-day Summer Retreat in Lyons, Colorado:

Portraits on Parade

Portraits on Parade

Fused fabric portraits in Wichita, KS:

Teresa does Grandbaby

Blue dog in progress

Jo's self portrait

 

A quick visit to Longwood Gardens with Cheryl Lynch after speaking to the Calico Cutters guild in Philadelphia, PA:

 

And a mini-workshop and gallery lecture in Brigham City, UT

Brigham City Workshop

But the fun doesn’t stop…  There are more opportunities in the fall.  Join me if you can:

Workshops in LaConner, WA and Fort Collins, CO. See my “Upcoming Events” for more details

 

Share

Let’s Make Faces

Look what I did!

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful summer: picnics, camping, swimming, baseball…

But, when you are ready to come in, cool off, and do something creative, I invite you to join me in a portrait quilt class or workshop.  There are spaces open in these locations:

CraftU Courses are once again open for registration: 

 August 13 – Brigham City Museum, Brigham City, Utah.

Jo's self portrait

Jo’s Self portrait

September 30-October 2, 2016 – Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival, LaConner Quilt & Textile Museum, LaConner, Washington

October 15-16, Jukebox Quilts Store, Fort Collins, Colorado

Portraits on Parade

Portraits on Parade

 

“Portrait Quilt Workshop” Sat-Sun, October 15-16, 2016. Call (970) 224-9975 for more information.

January 19-22, 2017, Road to California Quilter’s Conference, Ontario, California

Share

Fused Applique Portrait Class

My Fused Applique Portrait class at CraftU begins March 7. There is still time to sign up. Here’s a link if you are interested:

Fused Raw-Edge Applique Portraits

https://www.craftonlineuniversity.com/courses/fused-raw-edge-applique-portraits

 Here are some samples of portraits done with this technique:

portrait-Jim Lea applique portrait

Share