First, as I was reviewing the syllabus this morning I notice I had made a mistake. The reading of the first chapter and the preface for The Makers is due Feb 4th not the 11th. As such will you all please move up the reading due dates by a week. Thank you.
For this week I want you to share a story about an object of craft you own or have in your family. Describe it for us, then tell us what it means to you. If you do not own a piece of craft tell us about a work you wish you owned.
Also, talk about what you have been taught about craft(s) in school or out of school. What do you think about "crafts" in the art world. This is not a test, just another layer of getting to know each other.
My mom knits...she has for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite afghans was knitted by my mom. I can remember growing up sitting on the couch next to her as she worked on it and was absolutely fascinated by how she moved the needles to create this huge blanket! It's an off-white, cable knit that is huge! It's the blanket that we all used when we didn't feel well or just needed comfort. I'm lucky enough to have inherited it when the moved! Now, I can snuggle up and feel that I'm closer to my family. Unfortunately, there's a hole in it now, but I've recently learned to knit, so maybe one day I'll be able to fix it!
ReplyDeleteAs for what I was taught in school about crafts, honestly, it wasn't much, if anything. At least not that I can remember. I want to incorporate more craft projects/studies with my students. I think they would really get into it, especially fiber arts.
I can only crochet, but even so I have made an afghan or two. Must admit they are always slightly loop sided. I know you can fix your Mom's work.
ReplyDeleteI love introducing fiber work to students of all ages. In many ways a forgotten art. Or maybe just underappreciated.
My wife, Diane, and I used to do a lot of macrame sometime ago. Loved working with the natural jute. I was amazed what you could make by simply tying a bunch of knots together!
DeleteOne craft that has been passed down many generations is sewing. My grandmother and my mother both sew very well. Me on the other hand, I'm definitely not as good as them. They have sewn my clothes since I was born but the objects of craft that mean the most to me is the dorm room set me and my mom made together which consists of 2 pillow covers, a blanket, a comforter, some curtains, and an actual pillow. Every thing is in a brown orange gold color except the blanket, comforter, and pillow. The blanket it maroon and the pillow and comforter is yellow and pink. I take the blanket and pillow with me every time I travel. I never let anyone use them. I watched how my mother sat at the machine carefully pushing the fabric pieces through the needle and I was just intrigued at how she sewed the pieces together in a quilt like manner. The only craft I was taught in school is pottery and I actually learned to manipulate the mud from my backyard into cups and bowls. I think that when people think art they never think about the crafts of art and that should change. I feel as if crafts are just as important as creating things on paper and should be learned as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift from your mother. And I agree with you, crafts are important and I do not see why there needs to be a divide. In fact I see them as extensions of each other.
ReplyDeleteI don't have anything sentimental that was made for me or passed down to me by a family or friend. My grandmother used to run an alterations shop and that's where she taught my cousin and I how to sew. I haven't done it in a while but I remember most of the basics. I do have a favorite piece of craft I recently bought for myself from a friend that I went to high school. She's a fiber artist and makes beautiful items from accessories to home decor. Here's her website if any of you would like to check her stuff out: http://www.fibrousatx.com/
ReplyDeleteThe only time I remember being taught a craft was in elementary school. That's when my art teacher taught us how to weave using a piece of card board and yarn. I loved it so much I made more than the required amount for class. That's what I would like to try again; I haven't picked that up since then. I also make pottery when I can but I was taught pottery as a form of Art but I agree exactly with what you said Future, I also don't see why they need to be divided. For example, my friend Ellen, I'd consider her stuff works of art.
There's an activity that I do with my students combining both weaving and pottery!! They do a slab, form the basic shape, then cut a shape with a cookie cutter in the center. Then they use a pencil to poke holes in the clay. After it's dried and fired to bisque, they glaze, then we start the weaving. It takes a good three weeks for them to finish everything (I only get each class once a week), but the kids love it!!!
DeleteWhat was the object you purchased for yourself?
ReplyDeleteOh! A pair of earrings! I forgot to mention that
DeleteMy Family moved out to the country last year in March, and the house came with almost 2 acres of land. Over time my dad has turned a small section of the back yard to a garden. The rest of my family got really involved with gardening when the strawberries were growing like crazy! We were growing produces out of our ears! My dad has always enjoyed baking and cooking and one day he decided to make jellies. We had produced so much! we started selling at farmers markets in the dfw area. This was our family craft we did together. We created so many different types of flavors, sweet, salty, and spicy jellies. We spent countless late nights bonding and having family conversations while helping my dad decorate the jars. As a family, we came up with creative names for each jelly and even a logo and website to look more professional. The best part of all this is at the end of all this baking we treated ourselves to a plate full of crackers and jelly and relaxed together after a day of hard work.
ReplyDeleteHere is the website to Papi’s Kitchen!
https://www.facebook.com/Papis-Kitchen-1709459512689646/
As for what I was taught in school about crafts, my middle school art teacher always reminded us that their was a differences between craft and art. The two words had different meaning. He will always tell us not to use things like glitter in our projects, because it was a “craft” and no one in the world will considered it art or take us seriously as artist. He was extraordinary art teacher but very strong on his point of views, and made us very aware of it.
I think baking and cooking can totally be considered craft... it takes on a different aspect of creativity!
DeleteHopefully this class, this book will help you grow beyond that lesson. And for the record I love glitter!
ReplyDeleteI sat here for a while, trying to figure out what the difference between arts and crafts was. I looked up some definitions, found some websites, and don't really agree with most of them. They go on to state that craft isn't art and that it's easy. They mention that craft is a learned skill, but couldn't you say the same for art? Crafts are a form of creation and can be a form of expression, just like what most would call art.
ReplyDeleteI'm still uncertain about what the line is between art and crafts (maybe they're the same thing), but I'm assuming the throws that my aunt crocheted for me would be considered a craft. I tend to prefer this over store bought items. It has more heart, love, and character. They are very special to me. Just like Katy mentioned, they are a form of comfort.
I also love hand-carved wooden figurines. I got a little obsessed with netsuke's for a while. I love earthy crafts- wood carvings, fiber works, ceramics, etc.
I don't think anyone has really taught me much about crafts. The most I recall about it would be when I was in the brownies (girl scouts) and we would have craft time. It consisted mainly of pipe cleaner art at that time.
I have some pictures to post here, but I'm not sure how. I tried to cut and paste them, but it won't allow me to. Am I able to do this?
ReplyDeleteyou should be able to post...you are an author...you may have to create a new post...look at upper right hand of corner of page...for now no need to share images...just tell us about one wood piece...this is for you to practice describing art works.
ReplyDeleteAs I have mentioned this class will help with the created division between art/craft
When I was a kid, I remember my Mom made things all the time on the sewing machine. There were 8 kids in our family and she made all of our halloween costumes, quilts, knitted us home made socks etc. She also made me pajamas with a sheriff star on the front. But the thing I remember the most was a blue polkadot dress that she wore all the time, for years.
ReplyDeleteI was just a kid at the time, and was oblivious to the circumstances. I just thought she loved that dress.
But a couple years ago I found out that it was the only dress she had for many years and that she made it herself to save money as we were going through difficult times financially. She said that she sometimes was embarrassed that she wore the same dress all the time when all the other ladies had new ones. But she said that she did it so that my seven siblings and I could take music lessons and play sports etc.
Since the time that I learned the full story about that dress, polkadots/blue polkadots have become a huge symbol of love, and the things people do to sacrifice for the people they love, among other things. But it’s a profound symbol for me.
I've posted a family photo which shows my Mom wearing the dress
Deletebeautiful story...and a new insight on one of the reasons for crafts
DeleteI have a matched set of Morris chairs and foot stools that I made a few years age. I was lucky enough to know someone who owned an original. He let me take photos and make measured drawing. Instead of using a shop full of power tools, I decided to use only hand tools. Took me twice as long, but I not appreciate them that muck more.
ReplyDeletePlease excuse the typing. I have a finger that doesn't work as good as it should.
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