I have been painting, making and teaching art most of my life , I cannot remember a time when this was not so, its at the heart of who I feel I am and how I experience the world. Despite this I have never felt comfortable calling myself an artist , putting it in the title of my website made me squirm . The word hangs around me but never finds comfortable , easy expression . Even thinking it I can hear an echo of "ooo get you ". That northern upbringing which is quick to hunt for signs that you are getting above yourself comes hurtling in and slaps down any signs of pretentious behaviour. The need to justify the use of the word artist has stalked me.... to be an artist you must be in galleries..... people must bestow the name upon you , it is not something you have the right to call yourself...... and so it goes on . And yet I have a deep desire to make things and to respond to the world with paint and wool and thread and a miscellany of other things. This is at the core of how I exist in the world. So I want to claim the word artist and be bold and call myself one because its not about selling work or the perceptions and judgements of others. So here I am on a journey , I have dared to think of myself as an artist , I have called myself an artist in print, I have made a tentative case stating why I want to claim to be one. So next time that fateful question " So what do you do ?" comes my way will I answer "Oh I am an artist " Will I heck !