cat collier::the art of - newsletter july 2010

Cat Collier::The Art of

Newsletter - July 2010

Upcoming Shows::Events::Projects

July 22nd::Art.a.ma.jig 2010
Art.a.ma.jig is a unique fundraiser for the Arts & Education Council that combines the culinary and fine arts for an evening of exploration with chefs, artists and community members. The highlight of the event is the silent art auction featuring 48 works by local artists, all created around this year's event theme..FIERCE!
Can't wait? Take a Sneak Peek of ::Fearless Fierceness:

August 7th::Sundown in St. Elmo Show at Umbra Essence
Sundown in St. Elmo is a community-wide open house held on the first Saturday of the month from 6-9pm. Come out and enjoy artist receptions, live music, restaurant specials and more from the great local businesses in St. Elmo! Events will take place from June thru October so stay tuned each month for all the latest happenings!

Come visit with me and find your favorite piece of Cat Collier art as Umbra Essence hosts an artist's reception for yours truly. Enjoy light refreshments on the garden terrace during my reception and discover a piece of art that speaks to you. Showing with me at Umbra is Sarah Hiles of Artizen Metal - Metalsmith.

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Future Events
Fall 2010::Our Clothesline Art Show
The Ladies of Our Clothesline Art Show are working on this year's show. Stay tuned for details on date and featured artists. Don't miss this annual weekend-long event and celebration of local artists.

December 2010::Leo Handmade features Cat Collier
Leo Handmade is a retail shop and gallery on the Northshore featuring handmade (and often locally-made) products exclusively. The space features work from a different artist or duo monthly and December 2010 is Cat Collier month at Leo Handmade. Come check me out, yo!

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Keep Up
It's easy to keep up with what I'm doing...
Check out my pics on Flickr... You can read my thoughts on my Blog... See what I'm doing right now on Facebook... or simply get in touch and write me an email at catcollier@hotmail.com

::fearless fierceness::

a little less than a week ago i completed ::fearless fierceness:: for the Arts & Education Council's upcoming annual Silent Art Auction; Art.a.ma.jig. as soon as i knew what the word or theme was i decided to try my hand at painting cacti. i knew i needed a lot of time, so i got started as soon as possible. i felt like creating the type of work, i'd never tried before, something i'd never seen except for inside my head. i knew that i would be challenging myself to create a highly detailed work that might not actually be all that successful in the end. i began searching for an image or a photograph that might help pull the ideas out of me. i found this and this. that and cut out maps i'd seen somewhere began serving as my inspiration. but my work is all pretty much free hand painted. i do trace from a stencil some of the time but with this piece there ended up being a lot of fine line work that took a steady head and hand, mental concentration and energy. i had no idea what i was getting myself into. needless to say i barely slept for two weeks straight.

in the end i decided to leave a lot of the under painting of paper uncovered. the dark colors i felt were just as beautiful and almost serve as shadows, allow for depth. i have never done this before, left so much exposed and i do feel a little exposed. a little vulnerable here at the end. but i have decided to be fearless and fierce about my decisions, in my art, technically speaking. to have a work that is both very detailed and very open is what i hope i am as a person. i think i might be a complex person, that the details of my life are like a map, but i think i am also open, honest and authentic. for me it is a different way of looking at my art and how i make and create what i feel is going on inside my head. i feel confident that what i was meant to learn from creating this piece is exactly what i needed. and to question or doubt is foolish mistake.

with that said, i am relieved and am looking forward to seeing how my fellow artist have delved into creating something fierce.

really quick. i am working on creating an email newsletter with information about my upcoming events, shows and exhibits. if you'd like to sign up for that newsletter please leave a comment with your email address and i'll make sure you receive all updated information about where you'll be able to see my work next. if you'd rather; email me at catcollier@hotmail.com

i also wanted to mention with a tinge of excitement (still). that i wrote my first article for chattarati; chattanooga's best online source for news and opinion. if you have a moment and would like, read the article and if you're in the area, might i suggest you seeing the exhibit. it's fine!