What Does it Mean to be an Artist?
Art is in the eye of the beholder, different to interpretation by each person. What is garbage to one, could just as well be considered beautiful to another. In my eyes if you have the sense of creativity and the gumption to create works, you can be considered an artist. However there are different levels of artist, for example my work could never hold a light to that of Andy Warhol. Yet a true artist does not even need to be someone who displays their works, it can just as well be a pocket journal full of sketches. Art is so personal and different there can be no true definition of an artist, only if that person considers them self to be.
Beginning and Turning Points
I started off in Exploratory Art freshmen year with hope of getting to try a range of mediums. I quickly learned that while I can color inside the lines I am not very creative when it comes to drawing and painting. Sophomore year I wanted to continue in art, however, so I took Ceramics one and absolutely loved it. It was not so much that I was some amazing ceramicist or had fabulous techniques, but I found I could actually create when it comes clay. I could never look at a piece of paper and create something. Yet I could stick my hands in a ball of clay and create something. My mind tends to be way more creative when it comes to clay than anything else. Though it may seem pretty simple when you just make either a bowl, plate, or mug, it ends up being a lot more than just that. The simplest mugs can look so different: the shape, the handles, the mouth. Especially when it comes to throwing your hands tend to just lead the clay in some unknown direction and eventually an entire bowl appears. Then there was a whole other level with clay. Once you have created the body and form, there's glazing and etching designs into clay making the piece whole. Ceramics is a many layered art form where I can truly get my creative juices flowing and feel free to do whatever I want.
Beyond the Art Form
I like my work to have a very organic feel. That can mean in many different ways. One way is for the form of say a cup to be not as straight but more rounded and to like it was personally made, rather than trying to perfect it to look as though it were made in a factory. In addition I like my glaze to look organic as well. I love when there's bubbles, running, crazing or uneven glazing. It makes it look less imperfect and it sounds crazy but I love that look. I don't mean any of this in a sloppy way, but something that feels more homy than something I tried to make look perfect in every aspect. With my AP project, sustained investigation, I ventured quite literally into organic/earthy pieces by using a stick as the handle for one of my pieces (seen on my portfolio page). A lot of the time the earthy feel will mean deeper colors like dark greens, blues, and reds. All colors that give me an earthy sense and feel. I want people to feel at peace when they look at my work, almost to mimic the idea of walking through a thick forest. Something calmly that makes you feel connected again with the earth around you.
