I love making coffee cozies. They are a reusable cloth accessory that literally does save trees. They are joyful to look at. (Yes, I have an inner need to decorate and beautify the world). Tacitly, they are a little addicting. (Feedback given from friends). They make your cup unique so no one else picks it up by accident. And they are fun, thus giving you an extra ritual to enjoy with your daily cup. I've been making and selling them for almost two years now, and love it. One of my best coffee cozy moments was the discovery that I could make them dual functioning as coffee accessory and wrist art. Thus the launch of my "Wrist AND Coffee Cuff" line of cozies. They are lined with fleece, so soft and comfortable to wear. You can always have your cuff at the ready. I am fascinated with art objects that have more than one use. I consider what I"m doing, when I make the coffee cozies, is designing and quilting an art quilt, then cutting it up to become functional art. This is what makes them special and different from other cozies. (And I'm a big fan of other coffee cozy makers, but the way). That said, I'll tell you my inner secret........What I want to do "when I grow up" is be a gallery represented Art Quilt artist. (Somehow, I just can't call myself art quilter- perhaps I should shorten it to Quilt artist, but people just hear "quilt" and think traditional). I do make art quilts, but my love of functional art has taken precedence. The philosophical question is: does this define me as a crafter instead?
3 comments:
Being an art major, I hear this debate A LOT. Craft vs. art.
Here's my quick answer to it:
An artist crafts. What that artist crafts is art. Depending on who views it, it is either craft or art. People who aren't trained in art or who simply "don't get it" would see it as crafting. But, the artist will see it as art.
Art, to me, has a much deeper meaning. A ceramic bowl, for example, can be both... depending on the maker. The kind you buy at Wal-Mart to eat cereal out of? Craft bowl. It was made for the functionality purpose only. A bowl an artist makes in a studio... that not only holds cereal but has a meaning behind it... that's art.
Art has a voice... it tells a story.
I guess that wasn't so quick after all. :)
You are so great. Awwww. Each of my coffee cozies have a story, a name, and are functional textile art. There. How's that?
Walmart= crap not craft. I'm not a fan of the corporation. Went in once just for posterity. Rather spend my money elsewhere.
What a cool idea...I love your shop! :)
Post a Comment