Declaring yourself an artist and handing the piece over are two different things entirely

Update on the "I am an artist" first experience: Yesterday, I entered the Mid-Cities Fine Arts Juried Exhibition with my self-designed piece of embroidery that I had matted and framed. I'll attach a picture of it to this blog. If I've done an attachment before, well, too bad, I'm really proud of this piece. Back to the story............

Gulp. Now this show isn’t exactly the MOMA in New York City. For pete’s sake, it’s in the Hurst Recreation Center. I don’t know what I thought was going to happen. Well, actually, I did. I'd had daymares as well as nightmares of what submitting a piece was going to be like. I was sure that I would be laughed at, or even worse, sneered at and told to take my "craft" home.

After all, St. Paul people like my pre-designed kits and flowers, and admire my technique, but no one there has been too receptive to my own designs. Well, I took the picture over to the Hurst Rec Center, and the first thing that happened was some midget middle-aged helmet haired woman wearing what looked to me like a housecoat said, “What’s this supposed to be?” “What’s it made out of?” Where are we supposed to put this?” I just wanted to vanish like a wisp of smoke and take my picture with me. My worst fears were unrolling right in front of my eyes in real time.

Fortunately, a couple of angelic savior women working the show came over and said, “Wow. That’s amazing.” “You designed this yourself and did all the work?” “Of course, we’ll put it in ‘mixed media’; it’s spectacular.” So I started breathing again, and smiled for real instead of continuting this sort of rictus grin – you know the kind you see in a Halloween fright movie of the insane killer? The roaring in my ears stopped enough to hear that I’m supposed to be there Sunday afternoon at 3:30 for the reception and the awards, I guess. There are prizes which are probably the equivalent of state fair ribbons. I don’t care. My picture is hanging on the wall WITH OTHER ARTISTS. I’ll let you know what happens. To be continued.....................

I am an artist.

Friends,

I have an announcement: I am an artist. Here's how this epiphany came about. As everyone knows, I embroider. I'd probably embroider the shirt you're wearing; I so obsessed. What many of you don't know that the heart tin that I travel around with is just my boring, amuse myself, traveling piece that I've usually bought on ebay for a couple of bucks. I have no real attachment to these pieces and tend to just give them away to whoever really, really likes the piece when I'm done with it. To me they are like "paint by number" kits that showcase - hey, Jan does really nice work. They are craft items. Nice craft items, but craft, not art.

These pieces also tend to wind up in the fall festival live auction at my church because they are usually very representational and safe and people like them. In actuality, I live and breathe to create my own designs. I love the challenge of a blank piece of cloth waiting to be drawn upon. I've been a closet artist for a couple of years now. These pieces are much, much harder for me to part with. I usually choose very carefully who gets these. (Well, except for the piece that I put in the silent auction a couple of years ago - and it turned out the right person won it.) If you own one of my original pieces, then you are truly a special person to me. I sign and date these pieces.

To continue..................I had just finished an original creation and showed it to Cody Aarons. This sixteen year old friend is an artist himself - he paints, and is a photographer, and just has an artistic eye. He flipped over this piece. When I tentatively asked him, "Do you think this could be art? - his reply was puzzled surprise that I would even think to ask that stupid question. Of course, the piece was art.

Carpe Diem - The very next day was the announcement of the Mid Cities Fine Arts Juried Art Show sponsored by the City of Hurst. I'm picking up my piece from the framer this afternoon, and I'm entering it in the show which will be displayed at the Hurst Rec Center on Mary Drive next weekend - August 11th from 11:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m is the judging. The reception August 12th, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Other than when you can bring your piece, that's all I know. Oh, and you have to be older than 18. I defininately have that covered.

What I don't know is if they will accept my piece. Here's my thinking: (1) Most people will not laugh in your face; they will wait until your back is turned. (2) Sarah's coming home to give me moral support, and she's very enthusiastically encouraging me. (3) It's only the Hurst Rec Center - this ain't exactly the Lourve. (4) My piece may be abstract, but that doesn't mean it's not "fine art" and (5) I'm pretty sure that there will be no one else working in my medium (See? I'm already throwing around the art lingo!) What I mean is there won't be any other thread pictures. Come and see - maybe if I can get huge numbers of people saying, "LOOK! THAT'S JUST MAJESTIC!" , it will drown out the comments I'm afraid I'll get: "DOES THIS WOMAN THINK THAT'S ART? SHE'S CRAZY!"

I'm stepping out. I'm declaring in a public forum: I'm an artist. Boy, is this emotionally scary.

Fingers crossed. Heart thumping. Absolutely determined to do this.