Ah, the Artists' Statement, that wonderful document that tells your art story succinctly and provocatively.  It is Important.  It is Very Necessary.  Everyone Must have one.  Serious business this Artists' Statement.

Alyson Stanfield, whom I love, has a great article on writing one that start:  write in the first person.  You can see more here on Alyson's take on the dos and don'ts fo writing a statement.

And here are a couple of links because there are tons of them out there, all purporting to help you make a good statement:

How to write an Artist Statement by the Arts Foundation.

How to write an artist sta tement by Nathaniel Stern (posted 6/1/09 and asking for responses).  He says there are no rules, but he offers guidelines such as "describe [your work] as an object, installation or situation in a way that enables visual and/or sensual comprehension." 

Finally, here's Molly Gordon's take on it (she's another of my favorite artist on-line helpers):  How to Write and Use an Artist's Statement and she says:  "Your artist's statement can be a moving testament to your creativity and integrity.  The expression of this commitment will vary, but the effectiveness of your artist's statement stems from the authority with which you write it."

All kind of scarey when faced with the need for a statement and a very large 8.5 x 11 piece of lined blank paper (or worse, a blank computer screen).

So today I'm offering you Krissy Downing's artist statement, gleaned from the back of her Art Book 2009 which I just purchased yesterday at the last ArtOMatic Marketplace day…because it has a lot of her art in it and have I mentioned I love her art? (you will find my interview with her this year here).

This is the most spectacular, delightful, evocative artist's statement I have ever read and I'm going to work very hard at capturing some of this energy in my own statement the next time I must write one (and that's coming soon).  See if you enjoy it as much as I, and see if you think it captures her art:

Krissy Downing was born in Seattle, WA on December 16, 1976 and is currently craving Thai food.  She has green eyes and a tiny, weird knot in her left ear as well as a small collection of rubber fish.  Krissy has played the violin for 20 lemon-scented years and detests the very thought of anyone consuming fried liver.  Even the thought of duck liver is rather repulsive.  Krissy's favorite band is Modest Mouse, her favorite color is yellow, her favorite chore not to do is 'the dishes,' her favorite brand of toilet paper is Cottonelle, and she studied science and music in college.  Krissy currently works as a graphic designer in the insurance industry, but would much rather be working as a musician or composer in the film industry.  She plays electric 5-string fiddle for the band, American Sinner, and owns a cabinet full of various adhesives and wires to be used to the construction of a paper mache family.  Krissy rather loves the summertime, her two kitties, her fiance, her family back home, traveling, cheese, paid sick leave, sleeping, writing autobiographical paragraphs boasting numerous inconsistencies in flow as well as copious cornucopias of run-on sentences and silicone spatulas.  Krissy can't quite understand why anyone wouldn't want bell peppers on their pizza.

  There it is, folks.  A complete tour de force of an artist's statement.  What do you think?  If you haven't clicked over to her art, close your eyes and imagine what you might see, then go look.  Close?  For me it's perfect!