Out

It's official. This evening it occurred to me, and now it's there, looking at me, asking me, "now what?"

I am an artist.

Having denied this all my life, perhaps embarrassed by the haughty aire the word seemed to have, I now see there is no use in trying to hide from the truth.

I am an artist.

It is what it is. It doesn't mean this or that, it doesn't change anything, because it always has been. The only difference is that I can say it now.

I am an artist.

This is a preliminary sketch - a concept idea really - for a card design I've been asked to make.

This is a page from my art journal. When I look at it I see a big influence of the styles of some of my favorite artists who post their art online. There's a bit of Camilla in the side-ways drop-shaped bubble, I see some of Kim's style in the stick legs of the bird, the bird itself is reminiscent of many artists, because the bird motif is rather popular.

I think artists find inspiration in each others art, and often the influence shows up in their creations. Though unique, they recall faintly a kind of common spirit. When I page through a magazine like Somerset, for example, or when I'm browsing the flickr art pictures, I always notice trends. Maybe it's the trading card trend, or collage trend, or art journal trend, or the trend to illustrate something based on a word each Friday, or a technique each Tuesday. I love this awesome art community online! What an amazing way we can, via the internet, communicate, share, influence and inspire... how cool to want to try to sew a sketch (sketch-sewing!) after seeing Fiona's wonderful work, and how exciting to participate in an Art Challenge when a package of supplies arrive from Joleen?

Now, I am not going to quit my day job. What I am going to do is answer "Yes! Yes, I am." the next time someone asks me, "Are you an artist?"