My Tribe

I spent the past week with my local sculpting tribe. As I was drafting my post about the work I created in the Kate church class I was thinking about how much "more" I have become since I took my first sculpting class.

It was a fluke! I had just joined a doll 'list' through yahoo groups and the very first week I saw a post about a doll class. I read through it and saw that it was in my town so I did an internet search for the Artist... Wendy Froud. as you can imagine I signed up immediately.

Not only did I fall in love with the art form, I feel in love with the people. Artists are a special breed, they push the limits, try new things and engage. Just being in the room at that first class was powerful. My first doll was not pretty. I had the least amount of knowledge in that class but I knew I had found something special.

The class introduced me to several local artists and I was invited to be part of a local sculpting group. Nothing formal, just a group of artists interested in the art of the doll. We get together once a month. Sometimes we work on projects, sometimes we just talk.

These women have become my friends, my artistic tribe. I admire them, enjoy their company and get to share their lives and art. Some of them are very well know in the Doll Art world, some are accomplished artists in other mediums, all of them are amazing. It has been an honor and privileged to be part of this group.

My art has brought me so much. I realized this week that every class I go to brings new people into my life. Some for a small time, some for life. My artist tribe has changed me. I have learned to push forward with my art, bend the rules and leap over boundaries. I've been exposed to new styles, new techniques, new materials and so much more. I've grown as an artist and as a person because of my tribe.

I am more because of my tribe. More confident, more engaged - not only with the art world, but with my family, and overall I am more present in my world.

Thank you to all of the people who have been part of my art world, those who read my blog, those whose classes I have taken and those amazing women that I call friend!