I've been following this discussion with some interest and have been thinking about how to respond.
Part of the delay is that as I'm responding I'm also writing the talk "Quilting is a Beautiful & Complicated Art". While I've had that listed as a lecture for a while - the thought has always been that it's a trunk show however I'm now seeing this, understanding this in a different way.
In and of itself art is as defined by my good friends Merriam- Webster, a "skill acquired by experience, study or observation." Further, "the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects." M-W then goes on to give synonyms such as skill & craft to further define "Art".

When giving thought to all that goes into quilting from choosing fabrics, designs, cutting, piecing, determining batting, & thread design I'd say most quilters by the very definition are artists. Think about the choices we face in each one of those components:
fabric - color, texture, developing an understanding of what works & why

designs - whether changing up someone else's pattern or designing a simple, effective 9 patch there is a geometric understanding of how things work. The more complicated the design, the more the fabric choices need to work together. Quilters often have an intuitive understanding of math, specifically algebra & geometry although a lot of them would say they struggled with math in school. We problem solve, figure out how much yardage we need (algebra) & the geometry is a little more obvious.

cutting - accuracy is essential the better the cutting the better the quilt

piecing - piecing well taking time & care gives insight into how much skill a quilter has, it's why we admire the Amish so much, their skill level is often off the chart. Yes the patterns are not complicated however they are accurate. Then there's all the different kinds of piecing with pins, without pins, foundation piecing - including paper or fabric, appliqué (raw edge, fusible, needle turn, etc)

batting - has an effect on the look of the entire quilt when we're finished, we have to give consideration to loft and how we want that loft to effect the look of the quilting when we're finished

thread design - thread weight, color and type all have an effect on the look of the quilt. We can hide or highlight piecing issues here.

I've also been thinking about what kind of quilter I am and I'm going to start a new movement and define myself as a quilter - I'm not traditional, though my work has tendencies in that direction; I'm not contemporary (though by current quilting definitions that certainly seems to be my niche) I'm not an "art" quilter as currently defined.

I am an artist though as consistently defined by Merriam-Webster. I spend a lot of time & energy honing a craft that I love, that is my passion and in that I have a lot to offer as an artist and as a teacher.

As far as I'm concerned Eileen as long as you are constantly working on honing the craft in a style that gives you a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment I'd say you're an artist. If working with "traditional" patterns offers you that life-giving joy then hone your craft in that area. Just as there are different styles of painting, there are different styles of quilting.

My DD told me this week that the quilts I have made for her kids and her make her house a warm home. What she was saying was my art made her house cozy--a place she likes to be.

cbear wrote:
I want to add my comment about this quote.....Absolutely the truth in that statement. My heart and soul sings as I use my hands, pull ideas out of my head and heart and share them with others.

I thought this was an awesome discussion. To me the most important thing is to use my heart, my hands, my soul. I don't have to 'worry' about a 'label' until I have to choose a category when I enter a quilt in a show or competition. Then it is my decision. Some are obviously for art, some not. But we as quilters, have fired the quilt police. I am quilting a utilitarian twin quilt. But my quilting is an extension of the design on this piece and I am curious to see if other quilters will notice the unique quilting design. I think this is a fun viewpoint - do you see what I see?

I think this question about what is art has as many facets to it as there are all the types of quilting. I get the folks who are trying to make a living as an artist and/or want quilting and fiber arts to gain more recognition, wanting to make a distinction of what they do to not be confused with "making a blanket." We ALL cringe at those who don't understand at all what quilting is.

Then I have struggled with the subject of what is good art. I don't have a trained eye (other than self exploration) but can claim that old adage "But I know what I like." I have a strong suspicion what I like is good art. That's another facet of the question for us who find our heart singing by what we do.

I'm not sure I'm getting out very clearly what I'm trying to say. I guess it's just that this question seems to be unfathomable which is a good thing really because this art form seems to be unfathomable.

Eileen
In my eyes and heart I feel that you are an Awesome Artist! Look at all your customer quilts you have quilted and this is beautiful art and this makes you artist. You make each quilt become a beautiful piece of art no matter the quilts use and it can be traditional,painted,pictorial,ect. I believe each quilt is a work of art by there artist! There are so many ways we see an artist because there are so many art forms.
If we looked at Sharon S she is an artist in many forms. Applique/quilting are just two parts of her artistry She is an amazing artist. I have afew wall quilts that I feel are art pieces there not painted not pictorial not done by the best artist but they sure make my heart sing
Quilting is a labor of Love that makes my heart sing

Good for you, Sandi! Yes, you might consider re-making this block, but don't let the pursuit of perfection cast a dark cloud over your quilting. I know that a lot of people will cringe at this, but I really think that "FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT". I strive to do the best I can do with the skills I have today, and hope that I learn something that will make my skills better tomorrow. ENJOY THE PROCESS!

I totally agree with Ritzy. I would quilt even if I received no praise. I went to Ricky's super seminar in Ocala FL two years ago and one of the big things I took away from that (other than hand dyes and thread) was to have fun. I had only been quilting a couple years and had got a bit frustrated that I couldn't always make the perfect block and no matter how hard I tried sometimes those blocks just didn't come out 8x8, or if they did the points were skewed. I wasn't having fun and was considering stopping. I am so happy I did not. I am having so much fun quilting, and quess what, sometimes my blocks come out just right and sometimes not. I don't worry about it anymore. If it looks good enough and not quite like that block that Margo showed us (another thread and I don't know how to point you to that one) I use them. I used to watch the painter guy on tv and wished I could do that. I do...I just use fabric and it does make my heart sing that I am 'painting' now. Sandi

Thanks to everyone who posted. I'm going to take it slow for now and finish some UFOs. Myself and a very good friend challenged each other to work on our UFOs so we'd have room for some new stuff. I figure that should help get some juices flowing since I made each top because I loved the project.

OK, often you will hear people say they are an artist. Then the person talking to them will say, "What is your medium". The responses vary. We are artists whose medium is fabric. I can enter my work in domestic arts or fine arts and I can win at both--that tells me I am an artist. I think we all need to embrace what makes us happy in our quilting and not waste time or energy worrying about what others think. I like the praise but in the end, I would quilt even if I didn't receive the praise.

["She who works with her hands is a laborer. She who works with her hands and her head is a craftsman. She who works with her hands, her head and her heart is an artist."]

I love that!

I know she wont mind me copying it here, but in a past discussion on this kind of subject Mary Kay Runyan (MKNavy90) has made the following comment. In fact she has it set up on her email under her signature.

"She who works with her hands is a laborer. She who works with her hands and her head is a craftsman. She who works with her hands, her head and her heart is an artist."

Quilting is a pleasure for me and I keep multiple projects running so I can work on the things I want that day. Sometimes I do totally original art quilts that do hang though some of them are large enough that they are used as bed quilts as well. I tend to think of that work as more "artistic" than other times when I just want to follow a pattern.
There are times when I just want to run long seam lines through my machine and even then, I chuckle and have fun.

I think the point is that unless you are selling your work, "artistic" is defined only by you.

I have always wanted to be an artist and in the past felt that it was beyond me to be one. But, as I experiment with different techniqes and styles I am thinking less about 'labels' and what I'm doing or not doing is called, by me, or anyone, and more about the process and what I'm trying to achieve or express. I just finished a wall quilt for xmas that features a feathered star. I call that a work of art because I got all the little pieces to fit together properly! More than that, though, it stimulated my creativity because I started with the feathered star and just started working outwards on boarders with no idea where I was going next. I have discovered with the last few projects I've done that I love working that way and find it exciting. Now I think less about wanting to be an artist and more about what my creative spirit wants. That is what is making me happy when I quilt.

On the subject of 'quilt': I have always understood that a quilt was defined as such by being three layers tied or stitched together. After that I suppose they can be anything from fiber art to wall quilt to bed quilt. I've even heard quilts referred to as blankets! Just labels.

Eileen, did you like Hudson Valley? I've seen their website and brochures and it always looks so inviting!

Cindy