Comments on: What Makes an Artist? http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/ Unique jewelry creatively made with care at The Ranch in San Marcos, Texas Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:55:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Karen http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1969 Karen Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:09:46 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1969 Betty, Thanks for adding your great comments to this post. Everything you said makes perfect sense. I especially like your thought that being critical of your work gives you something to "build on" and "learn from". I'd never thought about it in quite that manner. As I work, the words others have shared run through my head. I'll remember these! Betty,
Thanks for adding your great comments to this post. Everything you said makes perfect sense. I especially like your thought that being critical of your work gives you something to “build on” and “learn from”. I’d never thought about it in quite that manner. As I work, the words others have shared run through my head. I’ll remember these!

]]> By: ART BEADING by betty smith http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 ART BEADING by betty smith Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:40:09 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1965 Hi Karen, Love your philosophy which is mixed up with your creativity. I, too, must create. It is something that must occur EVERY day! Hand painted needlepoint has been my desire and luckily my business, but lately jewelry making is PASSION personified ! Yes, we are ARTISTS ! I have come to believe that through friends who appreciate my work, and oh, I owe so much to them. I am critical of my work, both positive and negative, and that only adds to the making of an artist. I build on it, learn from it and get excited in imagining and creating the "next piece." Hi Karen,
Love your philosophy which is mixed up with your creativity. I, too, must create. It is something that must occur EVERY day! Hand painted needlepoint has been my desire and luckily my business, but lately jewelry making is PASSION personified ! Yes, we are ARTISTS ! I have come to believe that through friends who appreciate my work, and oh, I owe so much to them. I am critical of my work, both positive and negative, and that only adds to the making of an artist. I build on it, learn from it and get excited in imagining and creating the “next piece.”

]]> By: Karen http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1440 Karen Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:22:33 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1440 Sherry, You have the key word . . . MUST. When someone would ask my creativity mentor why she did this or that, she often replied "because I must!" At times there seemed to be no other reason for some of the unwise things she did. When I would say something to her about my creative daughter, she would reply "let her be . . . " We might follow the same advise for an artist. Let the artist be. Sherry,
You have the key word . . . MUST. When someone would ask my creativity mentor why she did this or that, she often replied “because I must!” At times there seemed to be no other reason for some of the unwise things she did. When I would say something to her about my creative daughter, she would reply “let her be . . . ” We might follow the same advise for an artist. Let the artist be.

]]> By: Karen http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1439 Karen Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:16:26 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1439 Liz, I imagine you do the right thing by not waiting to master one thing before initiating another. I believe that each new technique we learn has a chance to add more depth to our knowledge of others even if for nothing more than comparative purposes. That freshness of learning something new which stimulates our dendrites to branch can't be bad for what we already know. Liz, I imagine you do the right thing by not waiting to master one thing before initiating another. I believe that each new technique we learn has a chance to add more depth to our knowledge of others even if for nothing more than comparative purposes. That freshness of learning something new which stimulates our dendrites to branch can’t be bad for what we already know.

]]> By: Karen http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1438 Karen Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:12:53 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1438 Passion and the artist could be a long discussion. Suffice it to say that passion is part of the art process whether negative or positive. Reading about bipolar disorder among poets, I know that artists often believe the very best work comes at the heighth of the mania which is so powerfully filled with passion. Some refuse to take their meds for fear of losing "the gift". I believe that passion either drives an artist to try to say something with the piece especially in music and visual work or the art process itself becomes the passion of the artist and he/she creates through emotion without trying to share any statement with others. Their are so many connotations to passion that its really hard to nail down. We all should be welcome to our own opinions. Passion and the artist could be a long discussion. Suffice it to say that passion is part of the art process whether negative or positive. Reading about bipolar disorder among poets, I know that artists often believe the very best work comes at the heighth of the mania which is so powerfully filled with passion. Some refuse to take their meds for fear of losing “the gift”. I believe that passion either drives an artist to try to say something with the piece especially in music and visual work or the art process itself becomes the passion of the artist and he/she creates through emotion without trying to share any statement with others. Their are so many connotations to passion that its really hard to nail down. We all should be welcome to our own opinions.

]]> By: Sherry http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1416 Sherry Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:11:15 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1416 Addendum - You, my dear, are definitely an Artist!! I adore your way with wire and other metal! You spur me on to ever greater heights! Thank you, from the bottom of my grateful heart!!!! Addendum – You, my dear, are definitely an Artist!!
I adore your way with wire and other metal!
You spur me on to ever greater heights!
Thank you, from the bottom of my grateful heart!!!!

]]> By: Sherry http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1415 Sherry Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:07:07 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1415 Welll, my airbrush teacher had a long diatribe on whether we wanted to be artists or arteeeeests. One making money and the other having attitude and being broke. hehehe I think my personal definition of artist is someone who Must Make Things! Doesn't matter if any one else in the whole world acknowledges them as artist. It's in the soul. And further such esoteric blather... Karen, I do so admire your thoughtful insight to the deep places of learning! I, myself, just blunder on without looking around or stopping to examine anything... Sometimes it works, sometimes, it's work! hehehe Luv you much, sweetie and so very glad to count you as friend, even better that we get to share air once a month! huggiez!!!!! Welll, my airbrush teacher had a long diatribe on whether we wanted to be artists or arteeeeests. One making money and the other having attitude and being broke. hehehe

I think my personal definition of artist is someone who Must Make Things!
Doesn’t matter if any one else in the whole world acknowledges them as artist. It’s in the soul.
And further such esoteric blather…

Karen, I do so admire your thoughtful insight to the deep places of learning! I, myself, just blunder on without looking around or stopping to examine anything…
Sometimes it works, sometimes, it’s work! hehehe

Luv you much, sweetie and so very glad to count you as friend, even better that we get to share air once a month!
huggiez!!!!!

]]> By: Liz Hart http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1414 Liz Hart Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:47:45 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1414 Karen, excellent food for thought, as always! I too strive for that balance between trying new things, and the peaceful execution that happens when my skills and vision align. I sometimes wish I were one of those people who master one technique or stitch before beginning work in the next one. But then I wouldn't be me, would I? KipperCat Karen, excellent food for thought, as always! I too strive for that balance between trying new things, and the peaceful execution that happens when my skills and vision align. I sometimes wish I were one of those people who master one technique or stitch before beginning work in the next one. But then I wouldn’t be me, would I?
KipperCat

]]> By: Sara DowntoEarth http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-1413 Sara DowntoEarth Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:40:39 +0000 http://dreamcatcherranch.net/designs/2010/01/what-makes-an-artist/#comment-1413 Karen: Your work sure looks like art to me! Where, in your opinion, does passion come into play for the artist? Is art an expression of passion, is passion required for art (or at least great art) or is passion something that must be tempered so as to not get in the way of art? Does an artist create their best art at the height of their emotions, or when they are most aligned with the goodness of the universe in which they live? Karen: Your work sure looks like art to me!
Where, in your opinion, does passion come into play for the artist? Is art an expression of passion, is passion required for art (or at least great art) or is passion something that must be tempered so as to not get in the way of art?
Does an artist create their best art at the height of their emotions, or when they are most aligned with the goodness of the universe in which they live?

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