Jean Wells - Intuitive color & design: adventures in art quilting

Publisher: Amy Marson

Creative Director: Gailen Runge

Editor: Lynn Koolish

Cover Designer: April Mostek

Book Designer: Christina Jarumay Fox

Production Coordinator: Tim Manibusan

Production Editor: Alice Mace Nakanishi

Illustrators: Gregg Valley and Mary E. Flynn

Photo Assistants: Carly Jean Marin and Mai Yong Vang

Inspirational photography by Jean Wells and instructional photography by Diane Pedersen of C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted

Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the many students I have had the privilege of teaching. It has been a joy to be involved with you as you created beautiful quilts. When I have been away from the classroom for a while, I find that I need my student fixthere is nothing quite like being a part of opening the door to the creative process and mentoring that experience. Thank you to all of you!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Through the years I have worked successfully with many different teams at C&T Publishing. It takes the cooperation, expertise, and organization of them all to pull a book together for publication. My appreciation goes out to all of them.

Working with Lynn Koolish as an editor is delightful. She gets me and what I do as an artist and educator, and that makes a big difference. This book had its challenges, as we kept some of the contents from the first edition and married it to new text and photos. It was a breeze, and not nearly as challenging as I had anticipated. So, big hugs and thank you to Lynn.

Amy Marson, publisher, continues to believe in the concepts that I am so passionate about, and her support for the second edition is appreciated.

To work again with Christina Jarumay Fox as the book designer is very exciting. From the very first time I worked with her, I fell in love with her style and approach to the inspirational aspect of my vision as well as to the text. She is so talented at marrying the text to the photos.

Designing the cover is so important for a book, and April Mostek is a genius at this task.

And what would we do without the production team of Alice Mace Nakanishi, Carolyn Aune, and Tim Manibusan. Thank you as well to Diane Pedersen for the flat shots of the quilts and to Paige Vitek, Valori Wells, and John Pearson for their photography.

The head of my personal team of supporters is my husband, John, who puts up with lots of papers spread out on the tables, quilts everywhere, and at times a frantic wife. My daughter, Valori, an author and textile designer, is my go-to person when I am in doubt or need to affirm an artistic decisionher honest, straightforward answers are always right on. The staff at The Stitchin Post have no idea how supportive they are for me, but they are. They do their jobs so well, allowing me the time to teach classes and write books.

FOREWORD

If you consider artwork to be autobiographical, then Jeans work shows this admirably. Engaging, carefully considered, and exquisitely composed, her work draws us closer in to delight in discovering its details, lines, textures, and spaces. What a privilege it is to have this opportunity to write about this intriguing, complex work and the artist who makes it. Line, color, composition, and attention to detail are only a few of the aspects of Jeans work that come to mind when I think about my fortunate association with this amazingly talented person. The person that I have come to admire and value as a friend is so much more than her well-known artworks.

As an accomplished artist, Jean possesses a love of her surroundings that shows in her work. We see Central Oregon through her eyes and she encourages others to see what they have around them. She has shared not only her exquisite home and garden with its magnificent views with me and others but also her vision of trees, rocks, and aspects of the landscape.

Jeans generosity of spirit, enthusiasm, and passion for her art inspires students and viewers alike. As a teacher she encourages her students to develop their creativity with new techniques and vision. Although she herself is a respected artist, she never sets herself above anyone else; she inspires with her passion, taking care to nurture and develop other peoples skills. She has encouraged total beginners, hobbyists, experienced quiltmakers, and artists who want to take their work into another realm using the medium of fabric. She has enthusiastically engaged with other artists and embraced materials that support and develop her own work. No doubt these students and colleagues will all enjoy this stimulating book as an addition to their collections.

The town of Sisters has blossomed into the remarkable international center for quiltmaking that it is thanks to Jeans vision for going beyond her own work. Her shop, The Stitchin Post, is a haven for quiltmakers and fiber lovers, who come to look, learn, and purchase. Every summer, the town swells by the thousands coming to see the amazing Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, celebrating its 42nd year in 2017.

This delicate balance of artist, teacher, and author can only be achieved by someone of integrity and honesty who inspires others, as Jean does.

Jean, thank you for sharing your life, passion, and friendship.

Rosalie Dace
Textile Artist and Instructor
Durban, South Africa

PREFACE

I came to know Jean through an artistic collaboration when a gallery asked the two of us to create some art pieces together. We worked at merging paper, cloth, pen, pencil, and stitchery, each of us sharing and learning about the others techniques and style of creating.

Through our collaboration we found ourselves sharing a common vocabulary in terms of how we discussed the piece. It might be It needs more line work; how about less texture, maybe adding a shape? We constantly found ourselves using the word balance, wanting to balance one area of the piece with another, looking to repeat elements and colors, playing with value changes.

Whether you realize it or not, you have been making color and design decisions daily. When you open your closet and select clothes and shoes for the day, you make color and design choices. When you arrange furniture or pick the flowers and plants for your garden or a table arrangement, you are making color and design choices. Working with cloth is just another area for your creative choices to come into play.

There is no one correct answer. Solutions to a quilt design are as varied as the people who design them. After 55 years of designing and creating over a thousand paintings and drawings, I am still learning. My favorite quote is from Michelangelo, who on his deathbed is reported to have said, And still I am learning. A powerful statement, to say the least!

Sometimes it is hard to begin. Whether you are detailed or spontaneous in your approach, you will find ideas and inspiration in Intuitive Color & Design, Updated 2nd Edition. Just do it! After reading Jeans books, I felt encouraged in my continuing journey in moving from paper and stretched canvas to creating my own painted cloth, resulting in two- and three-dimensional wall pieces.

Judy Hoiness Artist and Teacher

Jean and I met in Atelier 6000 when she took a workshop from me and later had a collaborative show with Judy Hoiness. At that time I became acquainted with Jeans book