Instructor Name:

Lea McComas

Instructor Bio:

Artist Statement

People fascinate me; everyone has a tale to tell. I love to watch those who cross my path and imagine the nature of their stories. In a world, too often polarized, I believe we connect with others when we stop, look at each other, find our commonality, and respect our uniqueness.

My art is an extension of that fascination with the human experience. It's about capturing stories with fabric and thread. Each piece is meant to introduce the viewer to a character, or characters, and highlight a common experience, and unique perspective . My inspiration comes from images of daily life, both past and present. I work in a style of contemporary realism, but with a medium and process that is quite unique.

As a young girl, I learned the skills of traditional quilting. Later, I developed a keen interest in the works of classical paintings, particularly the works of the Northern Renaissance. While I have studied the techniques and approaches of classical portrait and genre painters, I choose to work in textiles. Fabrics bear witness to all of our life experiences from the blanket that wraps a newborn, to the uniforms of our sports teams, and the suit we don for that important presentation. Fiber art is a burgeoning medium with a myriad of materials and techniques available. I find it is easy to be overwhelmed by all the options, so, my personal challenge has become, "What can I do with basic materials of fabric, thread? How far can I go using just these basic elements to create images that are compelling?"