I've been thinking about the purpose behind both my business and personal goals ...
...trying to distill thoughts and feelings into just a few words.
What is it that I want for myself? What do I wish to give to YOU?
My answer is simply this:
Find Joy
Be Inspired
Create Beauty
I've revamped my Artists Statement to better reflect these ideas.
In a world where too often, the images we feed ourselves are full of violence and fear, my goal as an artist is to create beauty, to uplift, and to remind us of the strength we all possess. In a many layered process I gather intriguing materials both old and new. I marvel as plain cloth absorbs dye and changes appearance. I cut, piece and stitch, print, paint and embellish. Slowly order emerges from disarray, beauty from chaos.
The tactile nature of cloth, its texture, richness and malleability are what have drawn me to this medium. Fabric has a history almost as old as humankind; we cover ourselves in cloth every morning and wrap ourselves with it at night. Quilts hold a particular fascination for me. During a time when creative women were not allowed to be artists, they were able to stitch together beautiful works of art imbedded in objects of utility. My quilts are freed from utility and allowed full freedom of expression as fine art.
Thanks to Alyson Stanfield's book, I'd Rather Be In The Studio, this was easier than it might have been. She has a great list of questions to ask yourself.
She's coming to Durham on May 20th and 21st for a fantastic No-Excuses Art Marketing workshop. It's part of the Professional Art Quilter's Alliance - South spring conference but is open to the public. I'd love to see you there! You can look here for the workshop description and to sign up.
Have you thought about the reasons you do what you do?
What are your gifts? Why do you create? What is your purpose?
If you have any thoughts or critiques on my statement I'd truly appreciate hearing those as well.