I am an ARTIST!!!

Thought I’d tell you how I came to be an ARTIST.

Remembering some of my younger days is hard sometimes…..I’ve blacked out alot and some is just not blog material.  I do recall always LOVING to draw or doodle.  I learnt to sew about the same time as Kindergarten (which by the way, I went to on horseback as it was only 1.5 miles down the road – awww ole Charlie was GREAT!).  Mom taught us to hand sew, then when she got her first electric sewing machine, we (sisters & I) were able to have her ole treadle – still had it until the house fire in 1973.

I recall in Grade 1, we did a mural for some or one of the stores on main street.  I then flash to Grade 7, where, in art class – I was told to not think about a career in anything art related.

I recall LOVING how I was drawing (& I’m still trying to remember how I did those girls sitting in bathing suits in Grade 7 that the mean woman didn’t like)…..same year I was given a “D” in home economics by another mean woman.

So, no surprise I dropped everything creative until I had the kids…..when I took up making clothes for Carrie and some for myself.  Once our son Michael came along, I got into more creative projects – took up pottery for a time, ceramics, macrame, needlepoint, cross-stitch, etc…..

In the fall of 1984, we were told that we would be grand-parents (my step daughter, Jane & her husband Rick).  I wanted to create a quilt for the upcoming baby.  I wanted MY grandchildren to have a quilt.  I tried to find books – few and far between back then.  I hand appliqued the images to background fabrics – it was hard to get good 100% cotton fabrics back then also.  I hand quilted and its still in one piece to this day.  Worn and faded but still together……AMAZING!

This was my starting off point and I have been quilting ever since!  I started designing my own patterns back in 1998 when I got my first copy of Electric Quilt, then burn out hit me in 2001 and I wanted to work small.  I joined the Quilt Art list online – best thing I ever did!  I started playing with Journal quilts – small art pieces without the worry of using alot of materials.  You could toss them if you didn’t like them.  I have done some tossing for sure….

Someone on the Quilt Art list talked about Altered Art, so I checked out some sites for that, that led to rubber stamping, then collage, then scrapbooking, etc.

I AM IN A HAPPY PLACE right now……I LOVE IT ALL!

When our daughter, Carrie, went to Alberta College of Art, I was living out my DREAM – through her.  She is in a very creative job now in Ontario. Both our kids are creative and I encourage it all the time!

I started calling myself an artist about 7 years ago……it took some time to get that to stick in my head.  Really, though, I have been an artist all my life and didn’t really acknowledge it because of the negative words and no encouragement. Encouragement was not part of our family until recently….

I am mostly self-taught but have taken a couple workshops here and there….mostly educated from magazines, books and the internet.  I LOVE the internet!!!

I have thought about taking distant learning Art courses via a college or university, I keep telling myself when I have enough money.  One day I will just DO IT!

I try to teach myself ONE new thing everyday.  I read about an artist (the internet is GREAT for this), study their art, try to sketch it out and work a fabric/mixed media piece.  These are just my playing pieces so will not be on my website……some are already tossed.  I learn from them, those mistakes are all learning experiences and I come up with a better piece the next time.  Grandma Moses is someone I admire – she just DID IT and no never mind what people thought.  She’s my kind of artist!!!  LOL.  I am drawn to Kadinsky, Hunterwasser and Klee but LOVE learning about all artists.  I have no favourite style….I LOVE IT ALL!

I LOVE colour – all colours….sometimes I am in an orange phase or a purple faze or turquoise.  They are ALL BEAUTIFUL!!!  I need to get braver at making pieces with COLOUR, that comfort and excite ME instead of what sells all the time.

I have taught myself all the design principles….sometimes worrying about that stresses me out, so I JUST DO IT!  It makes me happy and sometimes the pieces turn out GREAT and sometimes not.

I actually ENJOY drawing….its taken a long time to get that one teacher out of my head saying those mean things, but I get excited when I can see the progress I am making drawing everyday.  PRACTISE is what its all about!

I am enjoying watching Work of ART, the next great artist reality  show…..I know I am NOT a reality show person, but this one has shown me other artists, how they work through their challenges, and the critiques are educating.  I am keeping track of all the challenges and will be working on them for myself.

My favourite art supplies are my sewing machine, threads and fabric, but close behind is paint & paper.

I have many ideas to try in my sketchbooks.  I am challenging myself to work on NEW PIECES for the Double Vision exhibit…..I have grown since 2008 and alot of those pieces are not doing anything for me.  Some have sold, so this is the perfect time to RE-DO and then look for venues to exhibit.

I don’t think of this as a job….though on Art Business days, I do have to think that way.  Most days its PLAY for me and I like it that way!!!

Tagged as: Alberta College of Art, Altered Art, Dale Anne Potter, Grandma Moses, Hunterwasser, Kadinsky, Klee, Quilt Art, Work of Art