Crafty Interlude

Balance.

I do believe balance will be a recurring theme here at the business of a creative life. Mostly because it is a constant battle. Too much time in front of the computer means not enough time in the studio. Too much time in the studio means forgetting to eat. Forgetting to eat means crabby Laurie. Crabby Laurie means frightened husband. It goes on and on...

Since I feel too tied to the computer lately, time to share a potential Odd Bird Studio offering. I have been playing with some prototypes. Here's one attempt.

Upcycled fabric mouse pad made from discarded upholstery and clothing scraps. A first attempt at quilting and finishing raw edges.  Quilting is a little too puckered and edges need improvement.

All of my prototypes require further improvement. Mostly I need to improve my technique. Between my natural, at times annoying, need to understand something inside and out before I feel comfortable with it (the most stellar example of which may be my stubbornly arguing with the most dreaded and intimidating instructor in my high school over sending me to the board to calculate the answer to a simple equation using a newly introduced formula which he had yet to explain. Naturally I refused to do the calculation because I did not understand the purpose of the formula. After much shouting, threats of assigning me a zero for the day, and continued refusal on my part, he actually apologized to me after class) and my art school background which drilled into me the need to perfect a technique before distorting it, I will not be selling any items until each one is the best I can make it and I am confident in its longevity.

All of which ties into the great conversation I had the other day with Annette. Annette is an artist I met while I lived in North Carolina. Check out some of her work here. We got on to the topic of what, if anything, differentiates an artist from a hobbyist. (Like balance, this is a question I come back to again and again.) What makes one painting a work of art and another painting just a pretty picture? It can't be mastering your technique. I consider someone who impeccably completes pre-made cross stitch kits to be a hobbyist. The person who designed the kit may or may not be an artist. Much of that answer, for me, has to do with intent. We went around in circles without making any hard and fast conclusions. Then again, I don't think there are any hard and fast conclusions to be made. The whole, big question is slippery and fluid. Sometimes I think it doesn't really matter. Only until I remember how offended I am when I am introduced to someone new and tell them that I am an artist, I do photography, and the new person then thinks of me as someone who has a nice little hobby. Then it matters immensely.