“In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is – as it physically is. This fact makes color the most relative medium in art.” –Josef Albers Color, as we see it, results from our eyes and brains working together to make sense of the light around us. Since as early as… Read on

Anni Albers challenged artists to reject “recipes” and repetition and the safety of what they know will work. She encouraged artists to step away from formulaic making strategies, replacing them “with the adventure of new exploring.” Her life and work are a mirror for finding rich complexity and diversity within simplicity. The photograph of Anni… Read on

“A longing for excitement can be satisfied without external means within oneself: For creating is the most intense excitement one can come to know.” – Anni Albers Anni Albers was a multi-disciplinary artist best remembered for her work in textile design. She trained at the Bauhaus school in Germany, where she met her future husband and… Read on

Left to right:  Untitled (Music Series), Untitled (Blue), and Jonquils, all by Alma Thomas, showcase her unique style—a deep understanding of color theory, finding inspiration in the natural world, and a developing abstract style.    Alma Thomas, born in 1891 in Columbus, Georgia, was an art teacher, and alumni of Howard and Columbia Universities. In the 1960s, and after… Read on

As we spend more time indoors, social distancing, and getting through this time spent #TogetherApart, we can’t think of a better way to fill the time, keep our hands busy, and allow our minds a bit of rest, than making.   2020 is The Year of Color at The School of Making, and we have been exploring new… Read on

Right now, as best we can, we are looking for ways to ease anxiety. Scientific research shows the positive and calming effects that sewing, cooking, and hands-on making has on the brain. The meditative action of sewing reduces stress. It increases dopamine, the happiness hormone; it requires creativity—which improves the brain’s ability to grow new… Read on

“I found I could say things with colors and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” — Georgia O’Keeffe Our lives are full of and, in many ways, dictated by color. We express ourselves with the color of our hair and clothing. The vibe of our home… Read on

Most of us don’t really think about color, or what color is or how it’s made, and yet our entire day is filled with too many shades to count or record. In Victoria Finlay’s 2002 book, Color: A Natural History of the Palette, she writes, “the first challenge in writing about colors is that they… Read on

As the first week at Penland progressed to week two, the piles of books on our studio meeting table (and the individual studio tables) have grown substantially. We have spoken of so many things and explored SO many ideas.  Here are a few of the volumes that have made their way into our conversations:

I have had a love for the Amish people and art since I was a little girl growing up in Alabama. In fact, there is a small Amish community just north of my town that has fascinated me my whole life.

Though the actual German Bauhaus school technically existed for a mere 14 years, its legacy undoubtedly continues to expand and flourish. The school, active during the years of the Weimar Republic, sought to unite artists of all disciplines in a utopian goal of designing a new world. Until broken up by the Nazis in 1933,… Read on

In October of 2014, and as an extension of our Makeshift initiative, we began a new series of events and conversations called On Design. This series explores art, design, makers, relationships, and how those who create can elevate craft in general. Natalie hosted our inaugural event, which was an exploration of the school of Bauhaus… Read on

We’ve written before about the importance of color – from a cultural standpoint and a design perspective. At Alabama Chanin, we tend to embrace more muted tones for our design color palette. Muted colors have a reduced intensity, so any saturated color stands out in comparison.  We are drawn toward natural tones and some of… Read on