Color Inspiration: Mother Nature

What are your color inspirations for your fiber art creations? I often turn to mother nature who is the ultimate colorist. My passion for birdwatching at my feeders in the winter led me to wonder at the perfect color combinations in the feathers of the birds visiting my backyard.

The black, white and grey feathers of this chickadee against a blue sky gave me the inspiration for a crocheted handbag's colors. The blue grey wool is the wing feathers of the chickadee. The blue lining echoes the sky. A shiny black button is inspired from the curious dark eye of the chickadee.

Do you notice the beige in the chickadee's breast feathers? How could you work that into a color combination with the black, grey and white?

Of course, not all of my color inspirations come from nature. But my camera is not far away when I'm walking in the woods, strolling along a beach , or admiring my flower garden. It's amazing what great color combinations I find days or weeks later while reviewing my nature snaps.

If you find yourself with fiber artist's block, look to mother nature for inspiration.

Interested in what color combinations you may see at your own backyard bird feeder visit Cornell's Lab of Ornithology.

Embrace Your Inner Fiber Artist

Me, a fiber artist? Not having thought of myself in those terms before, I once had a difficult time seeing myself as an "artist". To me, artist implied some formal training in design and technique. My road to becoming a weaver of fiber with hooks and needles did not bespeak "artiste".

First learning how to knit as a girl at my mother's hands and a teach yourself to knit book, I managed one sad lonely mitten. I went through my Phentex slipper phase marvelling at the ingenious design that made those checkered ribbed wonders. Bravely moving on to sweaters and foolishly ignoring the concept of gauge, I knitted a sweater slightly too small. Have you ever tried knitting from the cast on edge of the cuff to lengthen a sleeve? Don't.

Not easily deterred, I went on to explore the world of crochet and experimented with granny squares I could never make the same size. Try sewing those together into some sort of regular sided shape. The wonders of Phentex never escaped my crochet hook either, as I made lovely pillow shams with huge red roses adorning the center. Crochet a bikini. Why not! Of course, using double crochet was not a good design strategy.

I see those early years as paying my dues. I was learning from poor design decisions and baffling color combinations. Mastering gauge and discovering the wonders of blocking, I have since become an accomplished knitter and crocheter expanding my repertoire with felting. I now confidently create my own pattterns and take inspiration from my fellow fiberites.

Using my skill with fiber and my creativity, I craft objects that are appreciated and bring pleasure to others. Isn't that artistry?

I am a fiber artist.

So, whether you knit ponchos from Phentex or crochet shawls from alpaca, hookers and needlers embrace your inner fiber artist!