well put. y'know I'd really be interested in seeing some of yer artwork outside tiles...

John,
Beautiful additions to the quilt, your great tile and your wholesome and profound observation of that often missed point, "Art is what you make it! Why not take a look at my own tile,on the last mainquilters, called, "Wanted, dead or".. There, I set about with but one interest, mainly as in your tile here, to create a photo composition that would find more pleasure in the eye, than in the mind although the mind is a worthy domain. Creating art is a fun thing for me to do, as I know, must be also a fun thing to you too. I find pleasure in the visualization of your skills as a composer of quality art and find that you dispense credibility to your artistic talent when you do not place your focus upon the "rules".Rules are necessary, like the thoughtful warning above as to flaming others who participate here because these tenets benefit us in getting along together and working (or funning), in unity and harmony. Splitting the hair of the law is a noble thing to do but throwing the baby out with the bathwater is just missing the point. Tiling is a thing for expression and the ability, by any means, to create with an eye toward the pleasantry of the image
while paying fair justice to the application of rules or other unnecessary constraints. Sometimes when I hear a song, within that melody I find a combination of notes that sound distinctly reminiscent of another piece of music by another musician. Sometimes we see this same application,even to existing imagery that finds it's way to our tiles.I like your statement because it is an enlightened thought, that allows each of us to make whatever we make of art and make that the art, of our artform. Foremost in creating in any art form, is the driving need, to create and often we do this while devoting ourselves to the craft with less of an emphasis upon the interpreted rules or however that we may seem to abberate or violate those rules, while we create.
We have those shades of gray that enable us to leave the hard lines and harsh contrast of black and white and get on with the flexibility, so necessary to creation, to moving ahead. God forgive that we become such purists, that we miss the aspect of good clean fun, in arriving at our self entertaining creations. Yes John, Art is what you make it and in this fine tile you've done a fantastic job of making art. Your outlook has done much to put you there, among my favorite artists, thank you. Eddie M.