I'm sure many of us pursue art forms for purely recreational purposes... others, as a profession. For all... most certainly a passion. But what does your art mean to you?

Is it an expression of your emotions? Or perhaps just random tinkering with software? Do you sell your art? Do you print it and hang it in your home or office? What other cool applications have you purposed your artwork for?

Above all else... I hope you find it extremely rewarding and fun to create. That is truly what it's all about.

Would love to hear some thoughts on the subject...
Smoosh

Purely recreational random tinkering (including a sort of "zen style" photography technique) that express my emotions... ^_^ More or less.

I thought it was "one of those" questions at first. "What is art?" has and will probably be debeted until the end of known civilization and beyond... And will never be properly resolved. ^_^

Myself I enjoy the art that I do from the fractral to some of the graphics I design for the gaming. I always try to push the boundaries of the work I do but most of all I enjoy it when others enjoys it aswell

What is art?

I think ART is the way that you express your feeling into a physical form or shape.

I think it is

As I have said many times .. I only do this so I can reach for the cheesecake at the group gettogethers without getting my hand smacked

I have always enjoyed art, and I dabble in a lot of different genres.. I mainly do it for relaxation, keep my creative brain working.. and its a good way to shut out the noise of teenagers.. lol... I have a few on my wall, my dad has a lot more plus what he takes from me he takes some to show off to his friends at a club he's in and i've sold a few there.. I've also entered a few competitions locally just to get some feedback. as for the images themselves I always put part of me into it, depending on my mood at the time is what you get in the images I do... =) and Caedes is a great way to share my work and get feedback...

oops now how did that happen... LOL double whammy

Yes...I absolutely express myself through my art. Even if obvious only to me. Many of my images have a message. Interpretation is up to the viewer, so often times the meaning goes unoticed, and often times I'm pleasantly surprised when a viewer is able to interpret the personality of an image exactly as I expressed it.

Thanks everyone for posting thus far...
As for me, the artwork I present on Caedes is *for Caedes* and recreational. By trade, I am a freelance graphic artist and most of my creations are more ad or branding oriented. I do feature some of my digital artwork at local community events, and have received good feedback both online and off. While it'd be great to sell some of my hobby work... that's not my intention during the creative process.

Most of mine evolve while playing in photoshop. I don't always have a theme in mind... I just grab the wacom tablet and go. I agree that there is a part of *you* in ever piece you create. No matter how minimal. Whether it's your color selections, subliminal messages, choice of stock to use, etc. -- it all says something about your preferences and what you enjoy.

Working in a creative field can sometimes produce very mechanical / assembly line type of work. That's why I like indulging in sites like this... to keep the juices flowing and keep it fun.

You all are a definitely an inspiring bunch!

I have loved art my whole life - I've done photography, fractals, digitals and traditionals - but I also read through a lot of 3D tutorials to get a good idea of how hard it is to create an image (helps a lot while critiquing a 3D image).

Anyway, I personally would never have a sunset on my desktop - I just enjoy taking shots of them. But I do try and express myself with digitals/trads and Apophysis fractals, although sometimes I do mess up in Apop and create a pretty good piece.

I also have a passion for many other arts - writing, languages, interior design (so I sort of have art all over my room).

I'm not really a "deep" person so I have a tendency to not see the hidden meaning unless it's really obvious. Nor do I try and create one for my images. I think art is all about expressing creativity and experimenting around.

I create because I am motivated by some mysterious, unseen force to do it. Maybe you could call that a compulsion. I don't know. I am more visually atuned to the world than I am 'aurally' and art provides the outlet for that. I like being able to share with others the beauty that life has shown me and I like this web site because it exposes me to the beautiful thoughts and visions of others and it inspires me.
I have always been drawn to various types of art and have taken several courses in watercolor, illustration and Chinese brush painting.
I have always had an interest in optics and been fascinated with the physics of light rays, waves, colors, etc. I see a symbolism in color and form and only dabbled in photography most of my life. Since discovering Caedes, I have been relentlessly interested in learning about photography and in improving my nascent skills (if they exist) in seeing beauty everywhere and capturing it one moment at a time in a photo. I find the world a truly awe filled place and beautiful photos remind me of the Creator of the universe. Sappy, maybe, but that's the truth of it for me. That's what art means to me.

oops

Wow, you guys are all so gifted with words. Hmmm, I really like what Cynlee had to say and I think I jive with her concepts a lot. My motivation for art is also something I would call a compulsion. I am not an artist who uses my work as an occupation, though I have sold some of my works.
I use the mediums of paint, clay, plaster, media mosaic, some photography, digital manipulation and various needlework and knitting projects. I am driven mostly between Surrealism and Folk art. Ha ha right, as opposite as it can get. I have an affinity for the Elven world and faery and folk tales. That may show through on some of my work. I love character driven work with people or creatures as the subject. I read too much,( and trust me that is possible) but I am much inspired by the things I read. History, Geography, Cultural Anthropology and Science Fiction influence me in my work.
I am a community driven artist and like to be involved in collectives. I like to get involved and that is one of the big reasons Caedes is a attraction to me. The community spirit here is very strong and people have maturity and integrity and very giving nature. I like to challenge other people and myself to excel at their arts, I like to teach and be taught.
So all in all, thanx to those who have taught me and continue to. And thanks to those who have befriended me, and those who have shared common artistic visions. Your encouragements and critiques have made possible any of the digital work I've accomplished. I knew nothing about digital art until I joined Caedes three years ago, I am blessed by the community who has made my learning of it possible.............peace.....Amaris

I do not consider myself an 'artist' but got a bit of a thrill seeing it beside my name after posting my first picture here. I came to Caedes to 'have a look round' and can not find the way out !
I love my camera :) and find great satisfaction in learning how to get the best out of it - and this is the place to do it. New doors to creativity have been opened for me and I see my world through new eyes. Pre-Caedes my camera was used occassionally - to record family events etc - now I understand it can be so much more than that.To the rest of my family my 'art' means late meals, more dust, and a profusion of weeds in my garden. I have discovered even the weeds can be beautiful.
So I guess to me it is a voyage of discovery.

as someone hyper-aware of all stimuli visual and aural, this is an opportunity for me to share at the very least a fraction of the amazing things i see, and perhaps some others see as well, but are for too often overlooked by most

I never considered myself to be very artistic until I got involved with this site. That's when a good friend talked me into trying Apophysis. Since then I've tried Tierazon, Xaos, Fractal Forge and Vchira. I truly enjoy creating fractals and sharing them with others. More importantly it has created a way for me to make more friends than I ever thought possible. It's been a great experience for me..=)

To me, it's an expression of who I am. I've always been creative, and my other major hobby besides digital art is writing.

Whatever I make that comes to mind...is my Art...Surreal, Pop, Dada..I really don't follow any set style, or mood...it's all in the eyes of the observer...If others have issues with it...move farther down the hall...

You are what you create. :)

I am?

Hmmmm.... I do this for recreation and fun, and share it because I enjoy the community of friends and feedback I get. It also has helped me to move lightyears ahead of where I started - thanks to many kind folks who give valuable critiques. Maybe someday I'll even sell one. :)

Perhaps we create what we are? :)

I'm quite sure you could sell your pieces Nathan. You should know you are that good. ;)

i'm going to have to second that. from the admittedly small selection of your work that i've seen, anyone who can make me like an artform i would've previously dismissed...thats saying something...might be time to dip your toe in the water, sir

Three strikes! I also agree, lol. I gtg. cya

Heh- I like that Klas. :)

Art is expression to me. I feel as if each individual piece has its own meanings, and, because we all see things from different perspectives, each meaning different to each person. Just as the writer uses words to form an idea, emotion, or thought, the artist uses their medium to create them as well. Every one of my pieces has a specific meaning to me, and its interesting what others see in the pictures, and suprising when people see the same meaning as I do.

Also it gets me away from stress of college classes, gives me something to enjoy, allows me to strengthen the miniscule artistic ability I have, and interect in a wonderful community of artists such as you all.

I've also had a love of all things technical since I could first hold a screwdriver, and I've always found photography to be a fascinating place where techy and artistic worlds collide. It's either that or I've been so endlessly frustrated by my inability to draw freehand (although I can copy quite well) that I enjoy getting to thumb my nose and sneer at those artists who think an f-stop is a ban on swearing in public.