Color Theory Class

Saturday, while Frank was dealing with illegally placed dumpsters and sewer backing up in the tub/showers, I was taking a Color Theory class!  I had way more fun than he did, for sure.

Sally Gordon has studied color and art history for a lot of years.  She set up an interactive class for about 13 of us CFAL (Contemporary Fiber Artists of Louisiana) members.


Our class packet included a wonderful little color wheel that has windows for determining what a color looks like if you add yellow, black, grey, blue and red.

Really cool instrument.







We started with the pages of white, black and grey and some color chips.  Without regard for composition, we played with how the color reacted when placed on each of the backgrounds.

I guess I have done this before but it was very revealing how the colors receded or came forward.  I have always liked black more than white as a background/sashing color.  To my eye, it makes the colors pop forward, and I like the effect.

Sally said that painters have it easy, they can mix the color they want.  As fiber/fabric artists we have to buy the color we want or create it in an dye vat.  Which we all know is not an exact science.  While shopping is fun, we still might not be able to find the exact color we need if the shop keeper did not order it!







Bebe made neat little marks on her papers.


I threw color on the paper like a wild woman.

We played with gouache colors on watercolor paper and made (I ATTEMPTED to make) color, hue and shade as well as neutrals.

I was really good at making neutrals and browns!














She taught us a secret to adding color effects to our quilt subjects.

She also brought in how the painters of the past dealt with shading and creating light effects.

I can say, I learned a lot about that...…..and if you see my work sheet, you will see I need a LOT of help yet!

Thanks, Sally!