Tag Archives: mccomas fiber art

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

How to Create a Color Scheme That Works

A balanced color scheme is a key component of a successful art quilt, or any other artistic endeavor. I have a method to create a solid scheme, identify a missing color, or fix a scheme that doesn’t work. I discussed this topic in my most recent Color & Composition class and share a summary of that information here. If you are intrigued, information about future Color & Composition class sessions can be found at the bottom of this article.

Create a Color Scheme with Reflective Symmmetry

The color wheel is an essential tool in this process. Most come with features that prompt various color schemes using triangle, rectangle, or square shapes.

close up of 2 color wheels showing color scheme guides

Color scheme guides on color wheels

A common feature of each of these shapes is that they have reflective symmetry; also referred to as bi-lateral symmetry. This means that you could draw a line through the shape so that one side is the exact reflection of the other. You could fold that image on the line and have both halves match exactly.

Triangle, rectangle, and square shapes with line of symmetry.

Shapes with Reflective Symmetry

Create a More Colorful Scheme

It is possible to stretch beyond the standard color schemes, and still maintain harmony and balance. The key is to use colors that create a shape with reflective symmetry. For example, when using 5 colors, think of a simple house shape. Make your dominant color the peak of the roof. The next 2 colors will be the corners where the roof turns into walls, and the final 2 colors will be the base of your walls.

3 possible ways to create a color scheme with 5 colors

Variations of a 5-color scheme

The colors may not be evenly spaced, but, if the guiding shape has reflective symmetry, you will create a scheme that has harmony and balance.

Complete, or Fix, a Faulty Color Scheme

Maybe you have a set of colors that are must-haves in your quilt project, but you want to be sure that the overall scheme is solid. In my example below, I’m starting with an ugly fabric that has sentimental meaning. To begin, I place markers on the color wheel to indicate the colors in this fabric. In this case my colors are violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, and these do not create a shape with reflective symmetry.

color wheel shows unbalanced scheme of yellow-orange, red-orange and violet

ugly fabric color scheme is asymmetrical

Ugly fabric

Add a fourth color to create a color scheme that has balance and harmony. Here are 2 possible options. First, adding blue to the scheme will balance it.

create a balanced color scheme by adding blue to create a trapezoid.

Add blue to create a trapezoid.

fabric swatches show color scheme that adds blue to the ugly fabric

Fabric Swatches show blue in the mix.

Replace blue with green to create another balanced color scheme.

create a balance color scheme by adding green to the mix

Option 2: add green to the scheme

fabric swatches show green with ugly fabric

Add green to the mix.

Make the scheme more complex by adding both blue and green. This will also create a pentagon shape on the color wheel; and a shape with reflective symmetry.

balanced color scheme with blue, green, violet, red-orange, and yellow-orange.

Balanced Scheme with 5 colors.

create 5-color scheme by adding blue and green to the ugly fabric

5-color scheme that is balanced

Learn More in My Color & Composition Class

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.

How Subjective Timbre Relates to Color Theory

In my most recent Color & Composition class, our study of color theory took us to the topic of Subjective Timbre. This is a topic not often covered in discussions of color theory. Read on for a summary of that part of the discussion. If you are intrigued, information about future Color & Composition class sessions can be found at the bottom of this article.

Subjective refers to anything based on the individual (i.e. feelings, opinions, reactions)

Timbre refers to the character of a sound or, in this case, color.

Therefore, subjective timbre refers to our personal responses to, and interpretations of various colors.

Before you read further, take a moment and look around you for a favorite colorful object, or article of clothing. If possible, have it handy for future reference.

Itten Color Theory and Seasonal Palettes

Johannes Itten, in his color theory, color system, divided colors into 4 palettes based on the seasons. He did color studies and presented them to people and found that, universally, everyone could correctly name the season being represented. Try it yourself. Below are four of seasonal paintings by Itten. Can you guess the season that each represent? You can find the answer key at the bottom of this blog. Also, make note of the color study that you find most appealing.

4 Ways Subjective Timbre Affects Your Relationship with Color

Itten observed that people had varying reactions to the color palettes. This prompted a series of experiments with his students. In the end, he came to several conclusions related to Subjective Timbre.

1. Everyone has an affinity for one of these palettes over the others.

Which seasonal palette do you prefer? Now, take a look at your favorite object. Does it reflect this same color palette?

One of my favorite objects is this carpet that I purchased while living and teaching in Turkey.

My preference for an autumn color palette is reflected in my favorite rug.

Lea’s favorite rug from Turkey

2. Based on personal coloring (skin tone, hair color, eye color) a person will look better when standing next to one of these color palettes. Here are photos of me standing in front of 2 pieces of art that I created. One of these pieces reflects my personal color palette. Can you guess which seasonal palette I prefer?

Artists look better standing in front of works done in their preferred seasonal palette.

Lea in front of Crossing Over. Autumn palette.

Artists don't look good standing in front of a palette that doesn't match their personal coloring.

Lea in front of Puppy Love. Spring palette.

Itten’s work on subjective timbre became the basis for personal color analysis applied to makeup and wardrobe selection (ie: Color Me Beautiful), and interior design.Think about your favorite outfits, or articles of clothing. What seasonal palette is reflected in your favorite wardrobe choices?.

3. A person’s preferred color palette, the one they are naturally drawn to, is the same palette that is consistent with their skin tone, hair, and eyes or their personal coloring.

Are you noticing a pattern here? Are the colors of your favorite clothes consistent with your preferred color palette?

4. Finally, as artists, we do our best work when we are using our preferred palette.

Apply Subjective Timbre to Your Color Choices

Understanding subjective timbre and your personal color preferences can be helpful in your own creative journey. Think about your best artistic works. Are they done in your preferred palette? Also, consider pieces that you have created, and hated. Is it possible that the color palette is a factor?

I found that this is true for me. My preferred palette is autumn. Visit my Portrait and Genre galleries to see how this plays out in my work. You may notice that I occasionally stray from my preferred scheme. Depending on your preferences, you may find this pleasing, or not.

When seeking advice from others related to color, be aware that they are likely to respond based on their own subjective timbre. Likewise, when creating a piece of art for someone else, be considerate of their subjective timbre.

The point of this article isn’t to say that you always need to work in your preferred color palette, but rather, understanding subjective timbre can help you be more successful when working outside of your natural comfort zone.

Blame it on Subjective Timbre

Have you ever . . .

…attempted a guild challenge to use a specific fabric or color scheme with unfavorable results?

…attempted a new work of art based on the identified “color of the year” and struggled to make a composition work?

…seen work by an acclaimed artist and thought, “I know it should be working for me, but it just isn’t.”

…received an article of clothing as a gift from a dear friend, or relative that you deem hideous.? They saw it, loved it, believe it is beautiful, but you won’t be caught dead wearing it.

Understanding your personal relationship with color helps to make sense of all of these situations.

Learn More in My Color & Composition Class

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ANSWERS to Seasonal Paintings

Winter, 2. Summer, 3. Autumn, 4. Spring.

My color palette: Autumn

Positive and Negative Space in Art Quilting

Effectively using positive and negative space is key to creating compelling art quilt compositions.

Positive space is the area of the composition that is happening, or of interest

Negative space is the area around the positive space, and the area that is NOT happening, often referred to as “The Resting Space”

You can’t have one without the other, and both serve attention.

Manage Positive & Negative Space in Art

Negative space doesn’t have to be boring to be effective. It is possible to focus the eye and draw attention to the positive space, but not waste the negative space.

In my portrait quilts, I often create the figure, then audition it on several backgrounds to see what works best. White space worked well for my tribute to Malala, but something with more color and visual texture was needed to offset the solid mass of the figure in Busy Signal.

Portrait of Malala wearing a red scarf. Negative space is created 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.

Mottled and textural print fills the negative space to contrast with the bold figure irepresented with solid spaces.

Busy Signal, 25 in x 36
2017.

Auditions for Negative Space

Selecting appropriate fabric for negative space in your art is a skill that can be practiced in isolation. As with any skill: repetition builds proficiency. I suggest you do the following exercise in a deliberate and thoughtful manner. This experience will increase your knowledge base and make the process easier in the future.

Select a small motif. Begin with something simple, but repeat this process with more complex motifs.
Select a group of fabrics to audition. Look for connections to the motif, i.e. color scheme, shape, line, texture.
Place the motif on each of the fabrics and take a photo reference.
Make notes about the effect and the appeal of each combination.
Also, not the kinds of contrast that are at work: color, value, pattern, line.

a simple seashell motif is auditioned on a variety of fabrics.

Auditions with simple motif.

options to fill negative space with complex motif

Auditions with complex motif.

Notan: Light-Dark Harmony

Notan is a Japanese terms that means light-dark harmony. This is a way of looking at positive and negative space in terms of value.

The concept is that a composition works well when the light and dark spaces appear in balanced proportions and they work together to create interesting shapes. The light areas should group together and the same for dark areas. Notan commonly done in 2 values, can also work with 3 or 4 values.

Easy Notan Exploration

A simple exploration of this concept is to create mirror image compositions. The photos below show the process with a simple tree drawing, and black and white fabrics.

Begin with a simple drawing. Add lines to indicate where the design can be cut into 2 halves.
Transfer the drawing to paperbacked fusible and iron to black fabric
Cut the design in half and then cut the tree from the background.
Fuse the back pieces onto white fabric as shown.

simple tree drawing for notan exploration

Explore notan using a simple design.

Mirror image tree with 2-value notan.

Here is another version of this experiment using 3-value notan.

tree drawing is used to create various versions of a 3-value notan

Mirror image tree composition created with 3-value notan.

Evaluate Positive & Negative Space Using Notan

The concept of notan can be used evaluate or develop a pictorial composition that is balanced and pleasing. Here is a 5-step process:

Open an image in a photo-editing program
The Long Goodbye
Grayscale the image
Composition in grayscale.
Posterize at 2 levels.
Composition posterized in 2 values.
Change mottled areas to white, or black.
Composition in 2-value notang.
Evaluate the interaction of black and white shapes. If the interplay between black and white; positive and negative space is interesting, this is an indication that the composition is appealing.

Managing positive and negative space is no guarantee that you will create a masterpiece. Consider this just one of the ingredients in the recipe for success.

Learn More in My Color & Composition Class

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Suffragette Movement: Lucy Burns on Women’s Work

Lucy Burns (1879-1966)

Lucy Burns on the quilt Women's Work, stands in the foreground holding a sign in front of her that reads "Votes for Women". She wears a white dress with a blue stripe sailor collar.

Lucy Burns, voting rights activist.

Lucy Burns, a key figure in the Suffragette Movement, appears on the Women’s Work Quilt at the very front, holding a large protest sign that reads, “VOTES FOR WOMEN”. She was a dynamic force in the National Women’s Party. Her courage and sacrifice helped lead to the passage of the 19th amendment.

An Apt Scholar

Lucy was born in Brooklyn, New York into an Irish Catholic family in 1879. She had a quick mind, an engaging spirit, and a gift for language. After attending Packer Collegiate Institute where she received instruction in social graces and religion, Lucy went on to study at Columbia University, Vassar College, and Yale University. She earned a teaching degree and taught English at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn for two years, but had a strong desire to continue her own studies. She was lucky to have a father who encouraged, and financed her education. Lucy headed abroad to study at the University of Berlin in Germany, and Oxford University in England. She used her linguistic skills to charm audiences with her spoken, and written words.

Trading Education for Experience in the Suffragette Movement

In England, Lucy learned about the suffragette movement. She abandoned her studies and took up the cause. Lucy practiced her skills and became an eloquent “Street Speaker” who was arrested four times for being a public nuisance. While in jail, she met and became good friends with another American, Alice Paul.

Together, they brought the militant tactics they had learned in England to the suffragette movement in the US. However, as members of the National Women’s Suffrage Association, they were impatient with progress and split to form a new group that eventually became the National Women’s Party (NWP).

The Suffragette Movement: Silent Sentinels at the White House

suffragette movement deploys women to line up in front of White House to pressure Pres. Wilson to support 19th amendment inspired the presentation of Lucy on the Women's Work quilt holding a picket sign.

Silent Sentinels picket the White House

Suffragette Movement Women hold large banner on display when dignitaries visit.

Large banners for special visits.

Lucy organized protests and edited The Suffragist, a weekly NWP journal. A key player in organizing the “Silent Sentinels”, Lucy oversaw more than 1000 women who picketed in front of the White House during the Wilson administration. When important dignitaries visited the President, Lucy made sure that extra large banners with messages such as, “America is not a free democracy as long as women were denied the right to vote.” we’re prominently on display.

Woodrow Wilson found the protests irritating. In a letter to his daughter he wrote that these women “seem bent on making their cause as obnoxious as possible.” He also encouraged the police to crack down on the demonstrators. Police brutality increased, and they began arresting the women for charges such as “obstructing passage on the sidewalk.”

Lucy Burns was taken to this three story stone building, along with other suffragettes, in paddy wagons.

Suffragettes taken to prison for protesting at White House.

Officers took the women to the Occoquan Workhouse, outside of Washington, DC. Conditions were dire. There were maggots in the food, the water was dirty, and the bedding was filthy. Arrested six times, Lucy never backed down. She led a hunger strike within the jail. For this, the warden put her in solitary confinement. She persisted, and he initiated forced feedings. This was a brutal practice that involved strapping the victim to a chair and shoving a tube down her throat. As time passed, the sentences increased in length, and the brutality worsened.

Suffragette Movement and The Night of Terror

The most brutal events occurred on November 14, 1917. Thirty-three women, who had been

Lucy Burns sits before a jail cell door possibly holding newspaper containing published account of the Night of Terror.

Lucy Burns in Occoquan prison

peacefully protesting, were arrested and brought to Occoquan. They demanded to be treated as political prisoners. Exasperated, the Prison Superintendent instructed his guards to teach the women a lesson. They drug the women down a hall and threw them into dark, dirty cells. Through the night, the women were beaten and tortured. Guards threw them against iron beds and benches until some lost consciousness. They cuffed Lucy’s hands to the top of her cell door so that she was forced to stand through the night. One woman, witnessing the violence, had a heart attack, but was denied medical treatment until the following morning. By that time, she had died.

Lucy kept a diary of her experiences in the jail, and others shared their stories. Published accounts of what became known as “The Night of Terror”

Suffragette movement gains public support as Lucy Burns and others were finally released from Occoquan. One women helps another, wrapped in a blanket, as they walk away from Occoquan prison

Prisoners released from Occoquan.

prompted public outrage. The Prison Superintendent, under pressure released the women. Eventually, the women received pardons on all charges With public sentiment now on their side, this night became a turning point in the campaign for the 19th amendment.

After passage of the 19th amendment, Lucy withdrew from prominence in the suffrage movement, and she performed charity work for the Catholic Church until her death in 1966.

My Personal Take Away…

The courage and determination these women determined to gainthe right to vote astounds me. Even more, the brutality of the opposition startles me. In the present day, I know that my right to vote is now secure, but I’m also aware that the voting rights of other US citizens is at risk. Just as others fought for me, I feel compelled to fight for equal treatment of all citizens. However, we live in strange times where truth and fairness are under assault. I’m left wondering: What am I willing to endure? and, When the time comes, will I make the necessary sacrifices in the name of justice?

What about the Workhouse?

The Occoquan Workhouse has been converted into the Workhouse Arts Center. It now offers over 800 arts education classes and workshops in a broad spectrum of art disciplines. Each year the Workhouse Arts Center provides more than 100 exhibitions, 300 performances, and it hosts multiple large-scale community events for the region. The Arts Center also houses The Lucy Burns Museum.

The Workhouse Arts Center is located at: 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA 22079. If you can’t visit the museum in person, visit the website. Hear the words of the suffragettes read aloud by museum staff from the original diaries and writings:

See the Women’s Work Quilt

Lucy Burns appears on Women’s Work holding a picket sign as she might have done in front of the White House. The Women’s Work Quilt will debut as a featured work in the exhibit Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights, at the Clinton Presidential Library, in September 2021. Look for more details on the Events page of this website.

Learn More About Lucy Burns and Women’s Work…

Lucy Burns Museum. https://www.workhousearts.org/lucyburnsmuseum/

Nappier, Terri (August 17, 2020). Of Prison Cells and Suffrage. The Source: Washington Magazine. University of Washington in St. Louis. https://source.wustl.edu/2020/08/of-prison-cells-and-suffrage/

Pruitt, Sarah, (4/17/19). The Night of Terror: When Suffragists Were Imprisoned and Tortured in 1917. https://www.history.com/news/night-terror-brutality-suffragists-19th-amendment

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Sky with clouds

Flat sky color

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

blue sky ombre

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Shirley Chisholm on Women’s Work

Shirley Chisolm fabric portrait from Women's Work quilt, front view, wearing lime green dress, walking down stairs among protestors and legislators

Shirley Chisholm on Women’s Work

Shirley Chisholm(1924-2005) on WOMEN’S WORK, is located at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a lime green dress. She is situated between legislators and demonstrators marching forward down the stairs. Shirley, known as a courageous, and tireless champion for the poor and working class, is famous as the first black woman to serve in Congress. She was also the first black female presidential candidate from a majority political party.

Fierce Advocate

Born Shirley Anita St Hill on November 30, 1924 to Caribbean Immigrants from British Guyana and Barbados, her father was a factory laborer, and her mother was a domestic worker and seamstress. The family lived in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Believing it would provide a safer environment, Shirley’s parents sent her and three younger sisters to live with their grandmother on the island of Barbados. The girls lived there for about 7 years. Shirley attributes much of her success to the early education she received in the traditional British school system of Barbados. Upon her return to New York City at the age of 10, she performed well in the integrated, but mostly white classrooms.

After high school, Shirley earned a Bachelor of Arts at Brooklyn College where she also won awards for debate. Then, she worked in an early child care center, married Conrad Chisholm, and earned her Masters in Elementary Education from Columbia University. She worked her way up to director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center in the 1950’s, and became an educational consultant to New York City’s Bureau of Child Welfare from 1959 to 1964.

Shirley learned to fight for social justice in her teens from her father who was an active member of a labor trade union. Her confidence, speaking skills, and grit made her an effective advocate for civil rights, women’s rights, and workers rights. She was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1965, and became the first black woman elected to the US House of Representatives in 1968. She served her constituents as a fierce, and vocal legislator.

Unbossed & Unbought

Shirley’s campaign slogan, “Unbossed and Unbought,” was an apt description. At first, Shirley

was appointed to the Agriculture Committee. This was the result of efforts by Southern

congressmen to put her in a place where she would have little influence or power. Angered, she waged a campaign to be reassigned. This was unheard-of since freshmen representatives were expected to follow the rules without complaint. In the end, Shirley got her way, but not before she found a silver lining in agriculture. In the late 1960’s farmers in the midwest had surplus food that they couldn’t sell. Shirley teamed with Senator Bob Dole from Kansas and, together, they started what would become the Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to provide food supplements to at-risk women and their infants.

Long desk with 3 black male legislators and Shirley Chisholm sitting behind

Congressional Black Caucus.

During her seven terms in Congress, Shirley successfully helped pass numerous pieces of legislation that gave voice and power to those who were ignored by the government. She opposed the VietNam War and fought to reduce military spending in favor of increasing funds for domestic social programs. She pushed through legislation that expanded funding for day care and education, and expanded minimum wage protections for domestic workers. In support of women, Shirley hired only females to work in her congressional office, and half of her staff were black.

Presidential Run

Finally, in 1972, Shirley decided to run for President as the Democratic candidate. She became

Campaign Poster

the first black candidate from a major party, and the first woman Democratic party candidate. A major obstacle for her campaign, were the black male colleagues within the party. Shirley claimed that she faced more discrimination for being a woman, than for being black. Winning the nomination was a long shot, but, Shirley hoped to amass enough support to be able to influence the party platform. She planned to demand a black vice-presidential candidate, and insist on diversity in cabinet, and agency appointments.

Shirley invited all to “Join me on the Chisholm Trail” as she campaigned across the country on a shoe-string budget, and heavy reliance on volunteers. Her policy positions included support for:

Anti-poverty legislation
Shirley speak at Democratic Nat’l Convention
Ending the VietNam war
Abortion rights
Gay rights
National health insurance
Legalization of marijuana
Fair housing laws
Busing as a temporary means to desegregate schools

Shirley built a broad coalition of supporters, but, she did not win the nomination. She did, however, come in 4th in a field of 15 candidates at the Democratic Convention. She inspired women worldwide, and was voted as one of the 10 most admired women in the world. After the election, Shirley returned to Congress where she served another 10 years. In retirement, she remained involved in many political organizations, spoke at colleges to encourage student activism, and continued to fight for women’s rights.

What about those demands at the convention…

In her run for president, Shirley hoped to gain the clout to demand a black vice presidential running mate, and diversity in cabinet and agency appointments. That was in 1972. Not until the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, nearly 50 years later, did those demands became a reality. At the inauguration ceremony, Harris wore purple as a tribute to Shirley Chisholm whose campaign colors were purple and yellow.

My take away…

The pace of equality is much too slow. In researching Shirley Chisholm, I must confront the question, “What are you doing about it?”.

As a high school teacher, I work with many students from marginalized groups: young women and children of immigrants. They often do not have a family history of education or activism, so, I try to plant those seeds. I challenge students to be the first in their families to graduate from high school, to set a goal of attending college, and to register to vote. These steps can change the path of an entire family for years to come.

girl standing, inserting ballot into collection box outside in snow storm

1st Time Voting

In the 2020 election, a former student contacted me because she wanted to vote. She didn’t know how, and no one she knew had ever voted in a US election. Over the phone, I talked her through the registration process. When her ballot arrived, I explained each of the issues, and shared a booklet from the state voting commission with more information. After talking her through marking and sealing her ballot, I drove her to the drop-off site and told her, “Next time, bring two friends and we’ll do this again.”

See the Women’s Work Quilt

See Ida B Wells on Women’s Work in person. This quilt will debut as a featured work in the exhibit Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights, at the Clinton Presidential Library, in September 2021. Look for more details on the Events page of this website. Follow this blog for more stories of amazing women. Follow this link to see more of Lea’s Portrait Quilts.

Learn More About Shirley Chisholm…

Michals, Debra. “Shirley Chisholm.” National Women’s History Museum. 2015. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/shirley-chisholm.

History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, ““Catalyst for Change”: The 1972 Presidential Campaign of Representative Shirley Chisholm,” https://history.house.gov/Blog/2020/September/9-14-Chisholm-1972/(January 30, 2021)

Shirley Chisholm: First African American Congresswoman (March 31, 2020). Timeline-World History Documentaries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz-dfJIprkY

Shirley Chisholm Biography, Encyclopedia of World Biography, (January 30, 2021). https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ch-Co/Chisholm-Shirley.html

Dovid Zaklikowsk (January 20, 2021) Turning Disappointment Into Food for the Hungry. The Rebbe.org. https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/558041/jewish/Turning-Disappointment-Into-Food-for-the-Hungry.htm

History.com Editors (December 10, 2020). Shirley Chisholm. A&E Television Networks. https://www.history.com/topics/us-politics/shirley-chisholm

Ida B. Wells on Women’s Work

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931) appears on Women’s Work on the main level of the quilt, walking arm in arm with Gloria Steinem. She is included because of her contributions as a journalist, and is notable for her investigative reporting on lynching in America.

Ida was born to slave patents in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862. However, at the age of 6 months, she and her family were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. Following the civil war, her parents were active in Reconstruction. Her father joined the Freedman’s Aid Society and helped start

head and shoulders sketch of Ida B Wells, circa 1940.

Journalist, Ida B Wells. Circa 1940.

Shaw University. This school for newly freed slaves is where Ida received her early schooling.

At age of 16, Ida lost both parents and an infant brother in a Yellow Fever outbreak. As the oldest, she had to care for younger brothers and sisters. So, she convinced a local school administrator that she was 18 and was hired as a teacher. Over the next few years, Ida arranged for her brothers to work as carpenter apprentices, and moved her sisters to live with an aunt in Memphis, Tennessee. Ida returned to college and honed her journalistic skills at Fisk University and continued to work as a teacher.

Injustice in the South

In 1884, Ida bought a first class train ticket in Memphis. She boarded the train, but was denied a seat in first class. The conductor told to sit in the car reserved for blacks. Ida refused and an argument ensued. The conductor and fellow passengers forcibly removed her from the train. Ida sued the train company and won a $500 settlement in a circuit court. On appeal, the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the ruling, and charged Ida for court fees. Outraged, she channeled her energy into several editorial articles published in black newspapers. Using the pseudonym “Iona,” she criticized Jim Crow laws and treatment of blacks in the south. Eventually, Ida owned and published her own newspaper, Free Speech, in Memphis.

In 1892, three balck men opened a grocery store in Memphis. Their success drew customers from the white owned store across the street. One night, a group of white men gathered to vandalize the store. In defending the shop, several white men were shot and injured. Officials arrested the black store owners. Later that evening, a white mob took them from their cells and hung them.

Investigation of Lynching

Outraged by the death of her friends, Ida carried out her own investigation of

Cover of book The Red Record by Ida B Wells, showing image of a lynching party.

The Red Record, documents lynching in America

lynching in the South. First, she published her findings in a pamphlet titled Southern Horrors. Later, she traveled to give lectures and wrote a book, A Red Record, detailing the treatment of blacks in the south. She documented the practice of lynching black men who challenged the authority of whites, or dared to be successful in politics, or business. Using her words, she effectively painted a picture of conditions for blacks in the South. In a speech she delivered in Boston on February 13, 1893, Ida reported,

…since invested with citizenship, the race has been indicted for ignorance, immorality and general worthlessness declared guilty and executed by its self constituted judges. The operations of law do not dispose of negroes fast enough, and lynching bees have become the favorite pastime of the South.

The brutal honesty of her reporting angered whites who descended on her newspaper office, destroyed the presses, The mob proved her words correct when they threatened to kill her if she returned to Memphis. Ida escaped to England where she continued her anit-lynching campaign, and brought international attention to racial injustice in America.

In 1895, Ida returned to the US, settled in Chicago, and married Ferdinand Barnett, a lawyer and newspaper editor. Together, they raised 4 children and continued to fight social injustice on many fronts. Ida was active in several social justice issues, including women’s suffrage, and equal education for blacks. She was a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Ida continued to write and lecture in the US, and abroad, until her death in 1931.

The False Characterization

Ida’s investigative reporting uncovered a common justification for lynching. Whites justified the murder of black men with the assertion that those men would sexually assault white women. Essentially, whites believed that lynching was necessary to protect the virtue of their wives and daughters.

It is important to note here, that multiple sources, over many decades, consistently show that sexual violence data, disaggregated by race, shows that perpetrators are most likely to be white. In fact, sexual violence by whites occurs at a level of more than double that of blacks. For current statistics visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website: RAINN.org.

My personal take away…

The research for Ida B Wells on Women’s Work led me to a startling realization. The false notion that black men are inherently “dangerous” exists in my own consciousness. Growing up in a white suburb of Kansas City, I had very few interactions with blacks, so how did I learn this? Upon reflection, I realized that the lessons were part of my growing up. For example, when my family drove into the city, through predominantly black sections of town, my parents instructed us to lock our doors. Now, in my 50’s, I’m adamant that I’m not racist. However, driving through Denver, the thought that I should lock my car door sometimes pops into my mind. Those irrational ideas still echo in my head. Because I’m aware, I will stop it, and I’ll speak up when others perpetuate that idea.

See the Women’s Work Quilt

Learn more about Ida B. Wells…

Biography.com Editors (2020, June 24). Ida B. Wells Biography. A&E Television Networks and the Biography.com website. https://www.biography.com/activist/ida-b-wells

Norwood, Arlisha (2017). Ida B. Wells-Barnett. National Women’s History Museum. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-wells-barnett.

Steptoe, T. (2007, January 19) Ida Wells-Barnett (1862-1931). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/barnett-ida-wells-1862-1931/

Editors of BlackPast.org (2007, January 29). Ida B. Wells, “Lynch Law In All Its Phases” transcript of speech delivered at Boston’s Tremont Temple on February 13, 1893,as published in Our Day magazine, May 1893. BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/uncategorized/1893-ida-b-wells-lynch-law-all-its-phases/

Ida B Wells, The Red Record Lynching in the United States. Available free through pdfbooksworld.com. https://www.pdfbooksworld.com/The-Red-Record-by-Ida-B-Wells-Barnett

Wells-Barnett, Ida B., “Southern horrors : lynch law in all its phases,” Digital Public Library of America, http://dp.la/item/3f4d5d3a67f8ce16f1b00b3cb01dc143

Ida B. Wells, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front. , None. [Between 1940 and 1960?] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2009633545/.

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.

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 Colors Schemes are like Families.

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

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

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

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 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.

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.

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

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.

Women’s Work: When Will It End?!?

Women’s Work, a masterwork that has consumed, and fed, my artistic spirit for the last year and half, may finally be coming to an end. This journey started in September 2019, when I was approached by a representative from the Clinton Foundation about creating an art quilt for Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights. This is an exhibit to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote in the US. Originally scheduled to open at the Clinton Presidential Library in September 2020, COVID-19 delayed the opening 1 year. Not to diminish the devastating effects of this virus, but isolating at home gave me the opportunity to create the most ambitious project I’ve ever attempted.

What do you want to do?

This question stopped me in my tracks. Initially, I couldn’t decide on a single person or event to celebrate in my work; there are just too many options. The more I researched, the more difficult the decision became. Finally, inspired by Raphael’s painting, School of Athens, I realized that I could create a piece celebrating the work of dozens of women whose voices and deeds have contributed to the fight for women’s votes, rights, and equality.

Raphael’s painting titled School of Athens.

My vision:

In my mind, I saw a gathering of women representing a variety of time periods and vocations, and gifts. I would group them by theme to demonstrate how women’s work has progressed through the centuries, with each generation building on the progress of the previous.

Now, this was a bold, big idea, and big ideas need big space, so I decided to make the piece 10 feet wide and 8 feet tall. The unintended consequences of this decision are fodder for a future blog post titled “Bloopers and Blunders”.

How Do You Eat an Elephant?

Having a vision for Women’s Work, and knowing how to bring that vision to fruition are two very different things. My progress stalled as I just couldn’t decide what to do next. The project was enormous; something like eating an elephant.

One Bite at a Time.

Women's work: Lea drawing a life-size pattern of the quilt

Drawing the pattern

Finally, in November 2019, this vision took off in 2 directions. First, create an appropriate setting

for the composition. Second, choose the women to be represented in the quilt. The project started to disaggregate into bite size pieces, and I found a way forward. Hungry for progress, I began to devour the tasks.

On physically active days, I drew a life-sized pattern and built structures from fabric. I discovered that organza made a great glass ceiling, as pillars morphed into caryatids. All the while, insufficient amounts of fabric prompted creative design decisions.

Women's Work: progress photo shows entry, steps, floor, wing walls, glass ceiling, pediment carving and distant sky

Distant sky is creative solution when there is not enough fabric.

Women's Work: shows first 2 phases of creating building setting of the pictorial quilt.

Glass ceiling and marble floor.

Women's Work in progress: working out statuary.

Working out statuary with paper versions.

On mentally active days, I researched women and their achievements. Going “old school”, I

Lea, conducting research for Women’s Work

wrote information about each woman on a 3×5 notecards. Over and over, I laid them out, rearranged,, stacked, and paper clipped them.

Now, with Women’s Work is nearly complete, I’m impatient to share what I have done. Please, subscribe to this blog to get the full story. (A pop up window will appear when you leave this page.) In the months to come, I’ll share essays about the women who are depicted in the work, (there are more than 50) and tell you more stories about how the quilt was made. Later, when the conditions are right, I invite you will join me to see the quilt in person.

Solo exhibit in the time of COVID