Color exercise

Recently I made up a color exercise on request from a reader. Disclaimer: I'm not a quilt (nor art) instructor. I've started quilting a year and a half ago. How best could I teach someone what I know about color? I tried to approach it from an artist's viewpoint.

This exercise ended up in four parts – two in mixed media, two in fabric. It's a start. I'm waiting for feedback from my reader before developing a couple more complicated color exercises. I'm curious if these exercises succeed in elevating one's comfort with color and developing a sense of color.

If you want to try this first exercise, promise me some feedback. E-mail me (click on view my complete profile) and I'll send it to you.

La colorista

I've been an interior designer for 19 years now. Add another 6 years of art and design classes, that's 25 years altogether. Though color is not the only thing an interior designer selects, I've been through the paces. A few times I get to start from scratch. But most of the time it's a work-around what will not change. Ever try creating a color scheme that includes an oddball color from 20 years ago? I can't claim success every time.

Despite the years, I am still learning about color. What works for interior design may not work in a quilt. Sure, the basics are there. I don't have to look at a color wheel to find a complementary color. I recognize a color even when it is muted. I know color gets the credit but value does the work. But I love the eye candy!

I am a colorist. I love playing with color. Others complement me on my color choices. Yet I'd get into a color rut if I'd relied only on myself. So I keep an eye out for fresh color perspectives anytime, anywhere. Often it is serendipitous – from a momentary juxtaposition of color objects. Often it is subconscious – it resurfaces from long ago. Other times I deliberately seek out new color combinations. I just play. It looks easy. But really - I draw from a huge color selection tank.

Good color sense doesn’t develop overnight. In a recent Robert Genn's Twice Weekly newsletter, he cited Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers author, about how cognitively complex pursuits require ten thousand hours to get good . That's 3.4 years of 8-hour days 7 days a week. Or more realistically, 10 years at 1,000 hours each year or about 2.74 hours per day. So if color is a struggle for you, be generous with yourself and just keep working at it.

How do you go about selecting colors? Where have you found your color inspirations?

Ribbons of progress

Have a plan for the ribbon quilt started in the workshop. Make more. Finish the exercises. Just do it! Quilt was really growing. Pulled off green ribbon - too bright - too bossy!

A preview of some ribbons:











Kinda stuck now. Nearly all fabric strips used. I think I could work with these two.


But these last two - I don't like these color combinations. What was I thinking? Last night was a real struggle working with the last one. How does the saying go? Making a purse from a sow's ear?

May be thinking too much. New fabric strips or new plan? Do need bigger design wall.

Yikes, holidays coming! Gotta do as much as possible this week 'cuz holidaze means art takes a back seat until end of the year. Sigh.

Moth Willowshimmer

My fairy is called Moth Willowshimmer

She is a caster of weird dreams.

She lives close to crystal caverns and stalagtite grottos.

She is only seen when the first flowers begin to blossom.

She collects crystals to wear on her dresses. She has delicate green coloured wings like a cicada.

Get your own free fairy name here!

Investment

I'm replenishing my solids stash. At the last workshop, I'd sold four pieces and used three yards of the black out of four. Of the colors, if I have at least a 30" - that's my cutting off point - length left, I'm not worrying about it. But I have less - the shortest 17.5" - than that for about a dozen colors. Out of a hundred colors, not bad.

Decisions. If I find the same color, how much do I buy? Only a half yard? Then I'll end up with two short pieces. Another full yard? If I go for more workshops next fall, I'll most certainly be going through this again. I decided on 1.5 yards. Same for any new colors. That should hold me through the 2-week spring workshop at least. And maybe more.

Recently I spent 5 hours to press, catalog, and organize 12 new solid fabrics. That works out to 25 minutes per fabric. Imagine doing 100 fabrics - 25 minutes x 100 = 2500 minutes or 41.67 hours. Not even including shopping and laundering. That's quite an investment! Good thing most of my prior investment is still intact.

Addendum: The updated supply list says at least 1.5 to 2 yards of each solid color. The one-yarders may not be enough.

Ohio & Michigan

After the week at the Crow Timber Barn, I met up with my friend Karen, whom I hadn't seen since her move back to Michigan 11 years ago. We meandered through Ohio on the way to her home near Detroit.

Highlights of my four days:
1. beautiful hilly (and green) eastern Ohio – Amish country: stopped at Amish stores and ate at Amish restaurants;
2. introductions to sweet potato fries – yum!
3. met Marilyn and Sonia, whom I'd only known online when we did the Artist's Way together a few years ago;
4. a trip to the Detroit Institute of Art - great art collection;
5. helped Marilyn eat her birthday cake - a decadent chocolate cheesecake made by Marlon - yum, yum!

6. made won ton noodle soup from scratch with Marlon - yum again!
7. learned about true obsessive-compulsiveness in Karen's graduate psychology class - gee I'm not really obsessive-compulsive;
8. practiced Tai Chi together and compared moves - we both study Wu style, but she for 10 years as opposed to my one, and with different instructors;
9. visited Pewabic Pottery - a working museum of pottery, tiles and glazes;
10. toured inside a townhouse and spoke with one of the original residents in the magnificient Mies' Lafayette Park in downtown Detroit.

Yes I ate well and gained back the few pounds lost during the workshop.

I had such a terrific time spending time and reconnecting with Karen and was really sorry to leave my good friend.