Hello Reader,

Welcome to the February newsletter. I'm grateful that you are taking the time to read this and truly hope you are well and holding up through these stressful times.

We are well into our second pandemic winter and if there is one thing that's hitting home right about now, it's the repetitive nature of the daily routine.

After two years of this pandemic, each day seems pretty much like the previous one. Weekend...what's that? I'm convinced it feels this way because that there's so much repetition day in and day out. Thank goodness for my zoom fitness classes at 9:30am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They remind me what day it is and make me feel like I'm accomplishing something as the weeks fly by. Fortunately, when time flies by in the winter months, it means one thing: spring is on its way. I've never loved seeing the snowdrops as much as I do this year!

Repetition can certainly become drudgery, but as always, there's a bright side. For one, it's how we get better at something or learn a new skill. For example, I'm trying to train my Tashi to do high-fives while we are at the beach. We head to the same log each day and do a right-handed, a left-handed, and a double fisted bump. Each day she gets better at it and she rushes for the log when we get to the beach.

Repetition is also a wonderful thing when it comes to design. And that's what today's Artsy Tip is all about.

Repeating a fabric in your collage creates visual rhythm because repetitive elements cause the eye to wander as it bounces from element to element. This gives a sense of movement and draws the viewer closer to discover what other ingenious tricks you used in making your portrait.

It just so happens that we humans are hard-wired when it comes to repetition. We can spot it rapidly and we can also become dis-interested just as fast. But, in a fabric collage, there's a twist: the repeated elements (fabrics) all different shapes and sizes. And that's a good thing because instead of becoming bored, we become engaged as we absorb the variations among all those repeated fabrics. It sparks our curiosity and we want to gaze at the piece to understand all it has to offer.

Let's look at an example. Below, I have highlighted one of the repeated fabrics in the portrait, a dark grey. The circles mark the location of the fabric and the red lines link the possible path a viewer's eyes might follow. There are other repeated fabrics as well, and together, this repetition piques the viewer's curiosity and encourages them to linger for a longer look.

In the portrait below, I have highlighted three fabrics that were repeated. Zoom in to see these and at the same time, notice the repeated use of fabrics with dots or circles: some are bold while others are subtle. That's also a form of repetition but there's no lack of variation in this fabric collage portrait, making it all the more engaging.

In summary, here are some tips to consider when selecting fabrics for your fabric collage.

• If you use a single fabric for a particular value throughout your portrait, repetition will automatically become part of your design. That lends unity and balance to your piece.
• Repetition is a perfect solution if you want to use a fabric that has a different colour, texture or scale from the rest of the fabrics. On its own, the fabric might stick out like a sore thumb, but if you repeat it in 2 or 4 other locations (our brains like things in odd numbers), you can introduce balance and unity... and interest.
• Consider using repetition in the background, as well. It's a great way to promote the illusion of depth and will add to the overall sense of 3 dimensions in your subject.
• If you repeat a colour from the portrait in the background, it will help to connect and ground the portrait.

I hope this short explanation encourages you as you search through your stash or scrap pile for fabrics that you'll use in your next portrait. This is a small snippet of what you will learn in my online class in Fabric Collage.

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To learn more, click here:

Note: the CourseCraft platform that hosts Anne's online classes, Fabric Collage and Quilting & Finishing, will close April 2022. All registered students receive unlimited access to the course at the new site so you won't lose your momentum!

Each month, I choose a different Fabric Collage topic so stay tuned for the next newsletter and do let me know if there's a topic you'd like to see in a future edition. You can check out the January newsletter for more Pet Portrait fabric collage tips.

Thanks for reading and, until next time, be well.

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