Do You Say, "I'm an Artist"?

There are many creative people who do not like to refer to themselves as an artist....as if that word defines some type of status or symbol that they do not fell worthy of.  

In this letter I will share with you an artist who started creating back in the 1920's and struggled with the same thoughts about himself.  I personally think he is amazing for his Mixed Media Works of art. 

His named was  Joseph Cornell.  He never received any formal training in art.  He could not draw, paint, or sculpt. However, what he loved to do was to create Collage pieces. In his diary he writes, "Collage = Life".  

 He wanted his work to speak to everyone whether they were interested in art, or not, and relate to everyday life.  He lived in Manhattan, NY as a sales rep in the 1920's, and it was then that he began to collect things.  He loved to go into junk shops and visit old book store, which is when he began collecting ephemera of things that he found interesting.   

This is one of his collages titled, Pharmacy.  It is a collection of everyday things.

From Royal Academy of Arts, Joseph Cornell, Pharmacy (1943), Box construction, 38.7 × 30.5 × 7.9 cm

Joseph Cornell didn't like the term artist, he wanted to call himself a "maker", or a designer.  It is my guess that he resisted the name of artist because of his lack of formal training.   However, formal training does not make an artist.  It is practice, desire and passion.

 I call him Brilliant!  

As I look at the pieces he has created so long ago, I begin to see a story because of the way he has arranged all of the found pieces.  I begin to connect with his work.  

So my friend, if you have a hard time calling yourself an artist, I hope you will consider this statement once again...An artist is someone who uses their imagination and skills to create in various forms. They express ideas, emotions, and experiences through their work. Whether they're making something with their hands, using digital tools, or performing, artists share their creativity with others to inspire, challenge, and connect with people.

Create Your Own 3 dimension Collage

The inspiration for a fun class that I created for My Art Sisters came from a morning walk. I called it Treasure Hunt Hike and all the items and images were either found or seen on that beautiful morning walk.

• Gather items, or take note of things that you see as you enjoy a morning walk.
• Create individual paper collages to illustrate what you found. For the base of each page I used a 3 x 6 card that ended up as a 3 x 5 once the corners where cut.
• Once you have arranged your collage pages, hang each from a branch, or something to display them.

My Art Sisters members, you can find it in your art library under June classes 2023/Treasure Hunt Hike.