I’ve dabbled in the Arts since I was in Junior High, pretty much all the arts. Writing this blog could be considered “dabbling in the Arts”, and I am not without some musical talent. But I want to talk about drawing, painting, graphic arts, collage, bookmaking….and I also want to talk about cardmaking, scrapbooking, beading, and all the fabric arts.
There is a room in my house that is filled with things that I have saved, rescued, and purchased. Indulge me while I give you a partial (just the tip of the iceberg) list:
Fat Quarters (fabric)
Pressed leaves and Flowers
Cell phone parts
Paper of all sizes and content and color
Paint chips
The complete DMC Embroidery Floss line
Colored Pencils
Rubber Stamps
Watercolors, Acrylics, Inks
Broken Jewelry Bits
Beads – LOTS of beads
Silk Ribbon
Paper Ephemera of all kinds
Yarn
Three cameras
Postage stamps (all ages, all countries)
Reference magazines and books
When I start a new project, I rarely have to leave the room for anything but food and drink.
I create in this room. I sew, paint, collage, stamp, bead and play in this room. Finally, after several years, I call this my studio. For some reason it is easy to call it ‘a studio’, but hard to call it ‘my studio’. Nor can I call myself an artist. I have sold my work (and I am more inclined to call it stuff rather than work), won minor awards, and received much appreciation from friends and strangers – but that doesn’t make me an artist. While acknowledging my talent for color and design, I know that I am not even close to being at the level of the people who fill the walls of galleries and the art fair tents. I also know that a lot of women who do call themselves artists are simply modestly talented women with husbands who are happy to support and indulge them.
Alas, without the pure talent or the husband, I am doomed never to be ‘an artist’. But at least I know I sometimes do create real art and at least I have a studio.
The fact that no one understands you doesn’t make you an artist. -Unknown
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