Monday, February 28, 2011

New Fabric Artist - Old Quilter

It's taken me a while and considerable introspection, but I have concluded that yes, I am an artist.  I work mostly with fabric, although I like to play in many mediums. I used to say things like "I like to sew" or "I'm crafty" or "I'm a quilter". These are all true, but not true enough. I love to create. I love to see things and make things that are just a bit different than everyone else. And I love to recycle. If I can reuse something, and end up with a piece that pleases me, I'm tickled to death.

I'm married to man who does not seem to have even 1 art gene in his make-up. He has many other good qualities, but can not find a reason or a use for art. "Why? " he asks. Even art in the form of a warm and snugly quilt gets a "Why don't you just buy a blanket?" from him.  That's OK; he tolerates my passions like I do his. (How can someone get so excited about a bouncing ball?) He's part of the reason I have never before referred to myself as an artist. (I can hear his groan even as I write this.) That, and the fact that I'm never 100% satisfied with my work. But I've decided that being an artist is mostly about the process.  It's the searching for beauty in our world, and the act of creating (or recreating) beauty. For me beauty is the means by which I can recognize and appreciate everything around me. So I'm making it official DH (Dear Husband) - I'm not just a sew-er, a quilter, a crafter; I'm a creator of fabric arts.

I plan to use this blog to share my projects. I'll do my best to add a lot of photos, and even some how-to's. I'd love to hear comments from you, the reader.  What do you like? What do you have questions about? Are you interested in any of my work?