Artists Passion

Knitting. Crocheting. Cross stitch. Sewing. Baking. Scrapbooking.

They all fall under the category of pseudo-art to most people. Not quite art, even though the people who craft devote their time, loads of money, and their creative talent to the crafts they are passionate about. In fact, handmade crafts can be more expensive to produce than some art forms. Yarn can cost up to $20 a skein for the good stuff, anywhere between $1-$6 a skein for the yucky, scratchy stuff. (Sugar and Cream and Peaches and Cream cotton yarns are the exception; they’re inexpensive, soft, and live through many laundry cycles.) Making jewelry requires wire, beads, clasps, pliers, wire cutters, and countless other pieces and trinkets to make a nice piece. Scrapbooking is the same way, except with expensive paper, books, pens, and glue.

Why aren’t crafts considered art? The products are meant to please the senses. They cost time and money to make, and can be sold and given away as easily as “real art.”

With all of the effort going into it, a squid I knit realistically would cost about $10 if I wanted to sell it.

My Orianna Kurrus original (which I paid for in coffee) would realistically cost a few hundred dollars if bought from the artist or a gallery.

(I originally wrote about “Blood and Milk” here and later followed up on Orianna Kurrus here.

It isn’t just regular folks out there who get crafty, either. Artists do, too. Etsy.com is full of artists who craft; Orianna Kurrus used to crochet little hats with kitty ears and sell them on her Web site.

So, why is it people view artists who work in traditional artsy mediums artists and people who work in crafty mediums hobbyists? I think it has something to do with the artist mystique. Artists are somehow more than regular folk. They’re more tormented. They’re more creative. They’re more in-the-know.

Fortunately, with all of the blogs, shopping sites, and magazines dedicated to crafty folks, crafts are beginning to gain ground.

And, for those who like to do instead of reading about others doing, Jummy is holding a crafting challenge: handmade birthday cards.