What's different about VandyCraft?

A lot of craft blogs (and craft books) seem obsessed with re-using hideous 70's and 80's prints into ugly tote bags. I might be being a little mean here, but a lot of stuff out there just doesn't appeal to me. I do believe there is a place for diversity in craft, but it isn't all necessarily for me. So I'm making a craft bog to reflect my aesthetic, 'cause I can. :-)

Doing anything can be a valuable release, something fun and productive to pass the time, make one feel useful, or simply to do when one is feeling stressed out and needs to do something. I do like to make things with a purpose however, something someone will love. For me crafting is a fun and creative way to escape from working on specific fine art projects and commissions. A way to let the creative juices flow without worrying about having the product be professional enough or fit in with my current body of work.

Which brings us around to the art vs. craft debate. Ick. I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that I think there are some very artificial distinctions between arts and crafts. I am a firm believer in functional art, I think a lot of craft media can be "art," that art should generally have good craftsmanship, but that craft and art are not synonyms. There can be an object / project that embodies art and craft, but that pieces should be evaluated on a piece by piece basis. Craft and functional art are wonderful in that they make art accessible to everyone, and useful in our homes and everyday lives. In this day of disposable mass-produced goods I like to make my own well-made goods an buy unique and well-crafted items by local artisans whenever possible. I like to feel that my money (what there is of it) is going to support something I believe in and a purchasing something that will make me happy every time I use it and that will hopefully have some staying power.

Oh, and the pix? Just to color up my little rant there is a needle felted 3 eyed fish (probably one of the most trendy/ugly/striking color combos I've needle felted), and a recent commission I completed for some medieval style glasses.