I've been posting on Fiber Arts Friday for several years and only now am I really thinking about Art vs. Craft which seems odd to me. I think it's because I've been so focused on the craft/skill part of it.
I feel I've reached the point with my skills where I have a reasonable chance of executing the ideas in my head. Which is both exciting and scary.
In no way does that mean that I think I am an expert. I am knowledgeable. I am skilled. I have a lot (A LOT!!) to learn.
For example, when it comes to spinning.... I am continually trying different fibers... yak, cashmere, cotton and chiengora to name a few. I spin these (shorter, slippery, unusual) fibers so that when I spin sheep's wool and alpaca it seems easier.
It's about learning how they they become yarn and then work in finished objects. But it's also about the pursuit of the perfect yarn.... stable, even, consistent and not over spun. Pursuit is the key word here, I very rarely produce a yarn that meets all of these criteria as a single.
Even with knitting and weaving (though that's been a while) it's about consistency and learning different techniques.
At the Finished Object level, I've always been more interested in the details. Something that is simple but flawlessly executed is more beautiful to me than pattern, complexity or color.
The wonderful thing about it is that handmade things are almost never flawlessly executed. There's always at least one bit that is not quite right. I love that part.
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I believe I am a crafter who produces gorgeous items, but would not call myself an artist. I replicate things with sticks and strings, but do not produce something from the ground up. I guess it's really a difficult issue to decipher.
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