In Search of Art

I've mentioned before that my fine motor skills are very poor. For many years, I thought that I wasn't artistic or creative at all. In school, the focus was on drawing and painting and other activities that invariably required manual dexterity. I have tried many arts and crafts in the past and have almost always been disappointed in the result. I will include a small list of my more recent attempts.

Mosaic - I love the intricate designs made out of small tiles. Unfortunately, you have to draw a design and cut out the pieces to approximately the right size.

Stained Glass - I love stained glass, it is one of the most beautiful forms of art in my opinion (I'm very fond of colour and light). My partner and I took a stained glass class a few years ago and I was so excited but things go difficult really quickly. The first step after choosing a pattern was to trace the pattern twice and then cut out the shapes from one of the patterns. Everything went downhill after that. The best part was choosing the glass and imagining the final result. At the end of the course, my partner had a beautiful stained glass panel and I had about 1/3 of the glass cut out.

Collage - The gluing part was easy but the cutting paper into a particular shape or ripping it artistically was not enjoyable. I was also just unhappy with the results and gave up.

Origami - What was I thinking? Seriously.

The above were all attempts in the last 4-5 years. I did have the usual childhood of drawing, painting, candle making, macrame, paper mache, cutting, pasting, pottery...

I know now that it isn't a lack of creativity on my part, it is a lack of manual dexterity and difficulty with spatial relationships. The trick, I think, is in finding something that doesn't require either of these skills. I enjoy taking photographs but it doesn't give me the same satisfaction as making something pretty. While I was away recently, I went to a batik shop. The owner showed me all kinds of techniques. Some techniques involve painting a design on fabric which may be beyond my skills but some involved more random designs. I think that it might be worth a try although having to boil the wax out of the fabric has a great potential for disaster. I will let you know how it goes when I get around to trying it.