This past weekend I spent a great portion of my time photographing my wire jewelry for my website. While taking these photos I couldn't help but admire my own work on some of the pieces that I designed. Some of the pieces just kinda hum to me, they are really quite aesthetic. I'm thinking that my love of those pieces is probably why they haven't sold (put thats fodder for another posting).
After shooting some 800 pictures (gotta love the digital), I then had to take the time to go through them all and decided which to keep for processing. Talk about time consuming. I took about 5 shots of each piece to be sure that I got a "real good" one. Well, it seems I created and even bigger problem in that most all the pictures turned out pretty dang good and I had to spend way more time deciding which was "the best". At this point I am only half way through sorting and then comes the time needed to process. This was definitely NOT a weekend project. I reckon that this will take me at the least a month to work all through with all the other things I do on a daily basis.
In the middle of this work we took time out to visit my mother-in-law. She had called and said that she and a friend had wanted to see the new metal pens that my husband and made. These are high end exclusive made pens so any opportunity to get them out into view was great. My husbands mom said that she would like to take them to a meeting she had on Tuesday to help network for us and how could we not jump at this chance. She and her friend spent 3 hours admiring them and talking about the uniqueness and artistry put into each piece. In the end, they ended up purchasing five for themselves. I was thrilled beyond believe, and to say my husband was shocked is putting it mildly.
However, the point that I was leading up to with this prattle is that it made me starting thinking about the word "artist" and concepts and understandings attached to it.
In growing up, for me anyway, the word "artist" was only associated with a painter or a sculptor. It was not until way later in life that I realized that this word applies to so many other talents.
My definition of an "artist" is ANY person who produces works, in any field, that is aesthetic and enriches the lives of those that see it. An artist is one who is able, by virtue of imaginati0n, talent or skill to create their own aesthetic piece of work and bring joy to others.
I have a love for creating aesthetic things. My current active love is into creating jewelry pieces, creating etched glass pieces, and to turning wood into useful things for others to enjoy.
I have found in several of my friends have these creative passions as well and I want to pay tribute to them and acknowledge them here for the "artists" that they are...
My first acknowledgement goes out to my husband. Though he will not fully acknowledge his artistic abilities, he has many. He to is a woodturner, though a beginner, he has made some beautiful things. That talent has led him to the new project of making metal pens as mentioned earlier. Watch for his products to appear at www.exclusivepens.com.
My second acknowledgment and tribute is out to my friend Dickie who designs and creates the most gorgeous quilts. I love quilts and always wished I had the ability and patients to make them. And Dickie's quilts have my full admiration and take my breathe away. The colors are so vibrant, the artistry is so exquisite and the workmanship is superb. I am not surprised that her quilts are so aesthetic, because aesthetic is her M.O. Her photography is this way, her home is this way, her dress is this way and even her cooking projects this. This person exudes "artist". Check out this picture of my favorite quilt and check out others at her site at www.dragonquilter.com
My next tribute goes to my friend Linda who's talent with a brush makes me so envious I could cry. After raising her family (and then some) she re-discovered her incredible ability to bring life to life on a canvas. Below is one of my favorite (actually one of many) pieces that Linda has given life to...so life like. She my fit into my original understanding of the work "artist" but her talents do not start and stop with just painting. She, too is an incredible photographer. Check out her work at www.lindakipsey.com
I want to also acknowledge Linda's husband, Darrell for his contribution to "artistry" in the world which is shown in the incredible woodworking that he has left in many a home over many a year. Anybody who makes others home's more beautiful because of their artistry in the finished woodworking has my awe, and Darrell has left many with his talents.
Another friend that I call and artist is my friend Carol. She is an artist in the kitchen. She can make a healthy meal seem like a five star restaurant main dish. Healthy eating isn't usually fun, in my household anyway, but eating it made and served by Carol is fine dining at it's best.
My whole point of this blog is just to totally and completely acknowledge all "artist". Whether your an actor, painter, musician, photographer, cook, or seamstress, your talents make you an "artist" in your field of love and creation.
1 comment:
Thanks for the compliment and you are so right....you can be an artist in so many different forms. The aesthetics is what it's all about. I think more people would use their talents if they hadn't had 'artist' pigeon holed into too few categories when they were growing up.
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