art or craft

99% is craft. Most use storebought patterns, and follow a line. Some have the ability to raise it to an art, when they have a vision of an end product that's somehow new and different. This in no way should diminish what you do.

What we "do" is work in a particular medium. What we use that medium for determines whether the result is "art" or "craft"

If you follow someone else's pattern, it's craft. If you design your own, it might be art... or it might be crap. ;-)

Were the paint-by-numbers in the art tent as well?

The intricacy or amount of time it takes isn't a determining factor. Is a paint-by-number kit with 128 colors, and 1024 separate areas any more art than the one with 12 colors and 100 areas?

Whether you designed it or not is the primary criteria.

No.

No. Art is created. Craft is recreated.

(Art, Artist ... one who practises fine art, especially painting ; one who makes his craft fine art;)

I call myself an artist / craftperson, I do painting, sculpture, pottery, and other works of art/craft, but they are one off items so fine art. But yes I get very annoyed when my art gets lumbered in just as craft, and not as art. You see I believe it is the art of the craftperson, for we all have to know our craft. Elaine.

Fair enough, I can see that using a store bought pattern makes it a craft. In one sense, using a store bought pattern compares somewhat to a paint by number set, although the actual work, or craft, entails much more effort.

But, as far as using a pattern, do many artists not do a preliminary sketch either in rough or on the actual canvas, and then build on it? (i'm not an painter or drawer so I'm just guessing that they do a preliminary). is this pretty not much the same as the patterns we use?

How much originality does an "artist" who displays 15 paintings, all variations on one theme, show?

How many vases full of roses, or daisies, or geraniums, or petunias, or lilacs, or dandelions must one see before the originality wears off? How many wolves standing knee deep in snow, howling against a backdrop of bare trees and sombre sky must be created before the idea or theme is no longer original?

And I do agree with you, whatever it's called, it should not demean our efforts. I suppose "art" is in the eye of the beholder?

Okay Frank, how does our *use* of the medium determine whether it's deemed art or craft? Making 5 nearly identical panels for sale is craft or art?

Dennis Brady, a gentleman who's presence here isn't overly welcomed by many, produces a varied line of stained glass sailing ships. I can honestly say I've never seen that done elsewhere. Ergo, to me at least, it's original. However, he does it with a commercial bias, he's only in it for the money. Is he an artist or a craftsperson?

Grin, most of my own designs fall into the later designation Steve. Not craft, not art, but crap. Hell, I couldn't draw flies if I was covered in s.....sugar.

As far as the paint by numbers, I'm sure they were there, but the "artiists" of these fine masterpieces had the foresight to make sure to put extra paint over the numbers so they couldn't be seen. Damn crafty move if you ask me . . .

True enough, I suppose the intricacy or detail isn't a concern. There is stunning work in all mediums, and the detail, or lack of, is often part of the magic of the art.

If we use the criteria of "designing it yourself" as the calling card to art, I can kind of agree to that to a degree. However, if I design a vase of roses, regardless of how I lay the pattern out, 3,

5, 7, or 11 roses, isn't the whole theme rather stale? Do I not lose on the originality aspect and revert back to a craft?

Gr>>>

Sounds like you kinda agree with Steve, and I do like your outlook on it. We learn and practice our craft, so we can produce our art, so long as we step it up from reproducing pre-drawn patterns.

Kind of a neat and succinct definition.

As far as glass crafts being lumped into the craft tents at art shows and exhibits, I'd dare say it's more of a practical organizational decision on behalf of the oranizers. Most of the glass booths at the exhibit that originally brought this topic up, were trying to sell suncatchers and trinkets buy the dozens. There wasn't one booth where I didn't recognize patterns released by Spectrum and other popular pattern publishers. Of the 6 or so booths, there was only one, in my opinion, that actually had original art on display, for display's sake, and at that, she too was peddling the popular trinkets and such.

Is the whole idea stale? Santa is sure a stale theme. In one xmas party came in a Santa dragging one leg swearing how hot it is here annoyed by the noise "You two - OUT!!" "Are there good girls here? Damd, once more I get into wrong Xmas party" etc.

It was not stale, it was not craft, it was a great performance of art

Can you do that with your vase of roses and make it art

-lauri

Charlatan.

How about when your glass art is lumped in with Garden Art!!!! as in artigras for one, and there's another i can't recall just now! i refuse to even apply as i feel my work is demeaned! The craft is the technique, as far as i'm concerned, the art is the design and execution of the work. Any idiot like brady can craft the piece and/or teach some yahoos to do the work but designing originals and creating them with flawless workmanship is harder to stumble upon. That is the art. m

ABOUT 10 PERCENT

Artists consider their work art. It seems to be important to them. Those of us that do SG to make a living, for the most part are artisans, doing and redoing the same stuff by changing the sizes and or colors. Many think what I do is art, I always thought it was craft. I don't correct them.

Hi JK, it is art. I have been playing with glass as well, I love the colours and shapes you can do. But paint & ink are colours too, you make shapes out of that as well, and paint a picture or print an etched plate all shape & colour, pottery and glazes are shapes and colour as well. We can say sculpture is shape and colour too. I just love it, and it is all ART.

Elaine.