Obsessed with Color

Near the workshop space in Vancouver is an exhibit of fiber works that used a challenge to express an assigned color. The High Fiber Diet group is a part of the Columbia Fiber Arts Guild in Portland, Oregon. Beautiful works, abundant talent!

View of the Print Table

The end of the workshop day has my table with a partially finished work, a demo piece as well. I'd hate to have those colors go wasted, so I'll grab another fabric and lay down a background fabric. Then dinner, then return to finish other that ar waiting on the shelves. I love winter!
 

How Light Can You Go?

A friend asked for pastel colors and a bit of 'noise' (that's what I call it) and so I've tried my best to make some fabrics that fit the bill. I'm so used to saturated hue, and deep color at that, so I took her request on as a challenge. And I love a challenge. We'll see what flys!
 

Russell Wright

While padding around an antique store I came across this Russell Wright dinnerware. The color pallet is what struck ne above all else -- the cool green, the mellow yellow, the odd taupe pink, the liquid blue. These became an iconic set for the times -- 1930s -- and are still current for our modern time. 
 

Deceptive Color

Top pic is unwashed, with my mystery color (turquoise and magenta), with mixed mystery and turquoise. I know what happens, so I'm not shocked with the resulting color. Turquoise goes down dark when wet; my favorite purple is that mystery blend. I like what I have, and I'll plan to do it again. 
 

Groundwork

When I'm printing, I'll have several puddles of color, much like a painter's palette, waiting at the ready. At the end of a print session, I hate to scrape them up and wash away, so I've used them in a color block background. I'll add a background heavy motif over this allowing the colors to come through. 

 

Finishing the Last Layers

Monoprints I make as demos for workshops come home with me. They allow me to take a second look at how I'd finish them, use the print as a base or a starting layer for the square. This is not yet washed out, so I can't tell how deep the colors will be. But I do like the spread of motifs and the color blocking. 
 

Color

My IG feed has ideas for me. They know I'm interested in color, and that I'll be hot on the color palette this summer at PNWAS in Coupeville, Washington, for a class on printing in color. The color wheel is one of my peeves. I've lots of reasons, and this feed reminded me why. More? Join me in PNWAS.
 

Dose of Inspiration

Yesterday was the time to go out to drive about the Finger Lakes and stop at this farm market. Each year they plant a 'field' of zinnias. Speaks well for interspersing points of color in a color field, 
 

Color Instead

I can't think it would look as lively if the cake(s) were all in white. I learned about gel colors for decorating cakes and they work just like any other pigment. I used various shades of blue and green, and those brassy marigolds helped. Now I'm ready to cut loose and do some wild cakes. Hmmm.
 

Know When to Fold Them

What started as a color demo became this lovely garden. I'm putting aside those that are to be cut-up considerably, those to hold, and those to post for sale. This is one that is hard to figure. It may be too much like one's I've used in my work, so I might keep. But there are others, and they'll be around soon.
 

Evolution

 

Yesterday's set morphed. I think that lovely gold has overstayed its welcome. Adjusting to a different palette helped, and when I return to this group, I'll see what happens with this set.

Sunday Drive

Leaving the to-do lists on my desk, I took a ride "out in the country" as my mother would say, and took in this riot of signage at a farm store. Why it appeals, I think, is the relationship to fabric printing and choice of patterning. The apple doesn't fall far.
 

Art Imitates Life

Sunday's visit to the Maryland Baltimore Zoo and this shot reminded me of the previous post. The color palette, the line work, and the spots of brilliant color are here too. If you have a photo you find compelling, steal its qualities. 

 

Design Within Color

Portland's Design Within Reach store showcases the upholstery collection with a "one of each" selection board. Wouldn't it be great to rearrange this for them? 
 

Looking Up

It's been summer weather here, and so the urge to drive to the country presented. My cell phone's camera is always near and filing images never easier. So, the redbud's fleeting color mixed with that new green, is a combination that will show up in work someday soon.
 

Meaning of Color

Seems to be a plethora of fall leafy shots all around, I'm guilty of that too. FB and IG are full of changing landscapes. Last week I came across this barrier of posts clear and precisely YELLOW. A statement and repeated one at that. I'll remember that next time I print.
 

Down the Garden Path

 A walk in Maplewood Park tonight led me down the rose garden path. All I could think about was the printing class I had today. And trying to imagine how to translate this beautiful color, coral let's say, from light to dark. How could we do without color?

Some Things Surprise Me

I've taken a dozen yards, added an inventory number, and photographed them so I can put them on my web site and offer them (soon) for sale. Since I'm not traveling, well, why not reach people that way? But, what surprise me is how much I love these prints. Full color, pattern, and still randomly unique.

Seasonal Color

We took a walk in the Lamberton Conservatory today and were greeted by all manners of lights. This blue spotlight gave me a thrill. This no filtered photo shows the color combo I so often try to hit. But this was just a blue spot light. If only printing this was so easy!