:: passage + pattern :: + out takes ::

Since the middle of July I have been busying myself with the making of as many paintings as possible.  Now, in just a week, my show at Sewn to the Sky will open and the making and painting continue.  I was incredibly fortunate to have sold the majority of my older work earlier in the year, to the most amazing people!  So I'm only bringing work into the show that I have created in the last four months.  Pretty exciting, pretty terrifying!  Those of you still out there reading and/or interested, I'll be working on my website, blog and social media outlets in the new year.  Blogging, has become a thing of the past for me, or so it seems, since Instagram.  But I have mega-super plans and I feel like this is just the very beginning again.  There is great thankfulness.

So to celebrate…I present you with out takes and in some cases, highly edited photos of random things that I did, saw, or made.  These are my secret pictures.   First, the great big Ferris wheel in Atlanta.  Right beside the Tabernacle. Eek!  

I take the electric shuttle to my studio almost everyday.  Walking, no driving, no parking, no red lights, no careless drivers, I don't have to care about.  And I love it!!!

And then I finished this painting and I felt like something new clicked on inside of me.  We'll see...

I absolutely love the golden Ginkgo tree!  Don't you?

Asheville ~  I'd love to visit you again soon!  

::art sale!::

i have finally decided to have my own little art sale again.  so let us begin.  below you'll find seven (7) newer works of mine for sale.  they have all been created within the last two years.  as some of you may remember i've conducted this sort of sale before.  in the past during a sale like this i have made work available for a reduced (50% discount) price for only a short period of time.  this time i am going to do things a little differently.  hopefully you stumble upon something you cannot stop thinking about and must have!  if that becomes the case, i've provided a few "to buy/not to buy" tips below, to help make the decision easier.  if not, then please keep coming by every month or so to see what's new!  i thought i'd go ahead and lay out the plan, are you ready?

- each piece includes title, dimensions, and reduced price (50%-more off) - all work is on gallery stretched canvas, ready to hang.

- first come, first serve! - feel free to email me at catcollier@hotmail.com if interested in viewing or purchasing art work.  work will remain at reduced price for unlimited time or to be decided by me.

- i won't be able to negotiate the price, however, i will accept payment plans at your own convenience.  payment in full is required before art work is delivered.

- i will accept cash or check (payment must clear before art work is delivered).  not accepting credit cards or paypal at this time.

- i have created a set over at flickr, specifically for my current work on sale, it's probable that the image quality is going to be a whole lot better over there.  so please do check it out!

- i also wanted to mention that i am currently accepting commissions.  please do not hesitate to contact me.

thank you...

SOLD::feather trees:: 12"x36" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($400.00)

SOLD::in they came:: 12"x18" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($150.00)

SOLD::senseless trees:: 10"x10" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($100.00)

::oh canada:: 10"x10" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($100.00)

SOLD ::untitled landscape:: 15"x30" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($200.00)

::late night television trees:: 15"x30" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($200.00)

SOLD::lightning snow trees:: 24"x48" 2D Mixed Media Collage ($400.00)

outtakes + stuff + maybe a list

this evening i have felt like reminiscing and so it just seemed right to share some outtakes, moments captured in the last couple of months.  not really outtakes but snippets of images and ideas.  colors and light that i like manipulating.  images i haven't previously shared anywhere else but here.  i have been thinking a lot about my family lately and I started writing them a letter but just couldn't finish it, not yet at least. 

basically, i thought i'd just share the photos today.  the pattern above struck me and i like it.  it's a dress and even though i like the colors and patterns a whole lot, i cannot really imagine myself wearing a dress like this.  but i think it's pretty and i love the way the light is fall on the folds.

mister fm and i went to see first aid kit the month before last and i thought the shadow of the soap dish/dispensary in the shower of the hotel we stayed in, was rather fascinating.  when i saw it, i remember feeling immediately good.  which is weird but something about that soap dish and it's shadow made me feel really good.  silly! me!

so one of our big accomplishments this month was making the time to hang our new curtains.  i had curtains i purchased from west elm and world market made into black-out curtains.  meaning i spent a lot of money to buy really pretty curtains and then spent a little bit more money to have black-out fabric sewn into them.  and then spent a little bit more money to buy the hanging hardware.  whew!  what an adventure, and we are extremely pleased.  i will be owning these for the rest of my life.  if you need advice let me know.  my friend monica, shared the idea with me and i thought it was a such a good idea i had to try myself.  

i guess a couple of weekends ago we went downtown to a little artsy craft fair and on our way back to the car, i saw this pretty tree and felt like borrowing the color.  it's almost as bright as the sunshine and has sunshine in it, don't you think?

next on my to do list:
1.  finish yarn + pompom fall/autumn wreath

2.  see a nephew's basketball game

3.  make more spice cookies

4.  finish a painting

5.  have a BIG painting/art sale

6.  listen more to the welcome wagon

7.  be more intentional

8.  turn things around

9.  sophie's open house

10.  remember to be thankful everyday, every minute.

night. night. folks!

a list + photos

i am not sure i know how to write anymore.  i am not sure i have much to say and writing just like anything takes dedication.  and that i am not.  not dedicated because life takes over and time catches up with me.  the new job, mister fm, my lack of desire or motivation, the changes distract me.  and i'm fine with that to some degree but it is hard not to feel like i have lost a bit of myself somewhere and for that reason time eludes me for now.  i'll take a minute to make a list and share some photos.  a list + photos.

1.  spending time with friends

2.  drinking my first 'horse's neck'

3.  giving my car to my little sister

4.  trying to paint

5.  staying in contact with my grandmother {mommom}

      - her name is sonia, which i think is a lovely name

6.  looking forward to seeing the grand sister duo : first aid kit

7.  excited about hanging new curtains in our apartment

  

above is a piece i made for the AEC's annual silent auction benefit, art.a.ma.jig.  it was exciting to me to be able to make this new piece.  it was quite a departure for me.  it is still a landscape, but with out the trees.  i am hoping i'll get back to this place soon.  this piece was about a desert and was titled {as it seems}. a weird title, short for 'it's not always as it seems'.  

another photo i took the other night of mine and mister fm's pin board.  it's got pieces of us pinned to it.  little bits of us and what we love.  a few polaroids, a thank you note from a friend, postcards from our travels and from our favorite magazine {uppercase}.  parts of our identifications.

this afternoon, i walked with a couple of my co-workers to warehouse row and at from the food trucks that park+serve on thursday afternoons.  there are these telephone poles cut in half, painted with red stripe.  i love this idea and would really love to incorporate this idea into my home some day.  just the type of color inspiration i needed in my day.

i'm done.  must hit the sack.

remembering her

waiting for her to come home.

::back+back+back::

little by little i plan to do some catching up around here. it's time to get back to blogging! or so i say. now that i've had a good long break from posting regularly, something inside of me is telling me it's the right time to share.

the last several months have been quite the whirlwind, between marrying, getting a new job, settling and recalibrating, blogging has taken a serious backseat.

to start things off, i wanted to share a bit more from our wedding. from the beginning i wanted to work with a neutral color palette. mister fm and i decided on gold, silver, bronze and copper. we collaborated on every bit of the printed aspects of our wedding. starting with the engagement party invite to the wedding celebration program. i decided i would create a paper quilt collage that would reflect our personalities and individual interests. from there we started with the engagement party invite, then the 'thank-you' notecard, wedding invite, rsvp card, and finally the wedding program, each piece building upon the last.

i am most proud of what we were able to create together. of course we'd had practice collaborating before, but this had more to do with us, together forever. so, i spent a whole lot of time looking at other wedding printed designs, inspired to create a custom refined look for our event. mister fm took my collage and sketches, defined them, adding the graphic minimal modern touches i was looking and hoping for. it was his idea to incorporate the (texas) stars, lightning bolt and cloud. i liked the idea of adding diamonds and "c" waves to frame the individual bits of information. i think we came up with something that we could live with and grow with and build upon. i have this feeling we'll be collaborating again soon. after all, every day this married life is about collaborating.

so, time flies and now we're here, four months in. this weekend i have been working on cleaning and reorganizing our living space. our apartment, combines our living and work space, which i prefer anyway, but it's a grand balancing act. since mr. fm has been at the annual aiga conference, i have been thinking about how to make our home a better place to rest and relax, create and work. i'm looking for spaces of serenity and for spaces that evoke creativity. so today, i'm going to look for some better organizational storage, and see what i can come up with.

we don't have any immediate plans to move, so i'm only interested in making our space livable, effective, efficient, warm and simple. for me, it is exciting to share the space, we have time to grow, there's no sense in hurrying through these early days in our marriage.

okay, so again, look for more updates. i want to give it 100%, that means lists, ideas, new art, new pictures, you name it, phantomcrimes is back!

welcome!

=wedding=if you know what i mean=

on saturday my bridesmaids hosted the loveliest d.i.y. shower for me at my mother's home. due to the severe weather we'd had last week, many of us still were without electricity on saturday. so we gathered in the brightness of the morning. it was the most precious time, almost unbelievable to me that in a month i'll be a married girl. we dubbed the shower theme as "the no power shower." there was coffee and pastries from the coffee shops, a homemade quiche', and some incredible pico de gallo made by mom's latino friends. the decorations, made by my sister suzanne and bestie katie and provided by my aunt cathy were amazing! from the red tissue paper flowers and centerpieces to the silver and gold velum flowers on twigs to the mexican party banners, all were so beautiful.

my dear sister's in laws made the invitation for shower and gathered the food and paper ware. the entire day came together in a spectacular fashion. it boosted my excitement and allowed me to see friends i don't often get to see. in other wedding news, we started to decoration making process now, which i'm excited to share soon. we also have our invites mailed, and my first dress fitting was last week. we'll start packing mister f.m. up, getting ready to move him into my apartment, which oughta be super fun fun. we've got a plan that i'm excited about and think will work for the immediate future.

i wanted to make a whole bunch of this garland for the wedding reception but decided against the many hours it would've taken. instead a chose a nice white paper garland from bake it pretty. i also got several stars from luna bazaar. they are huge, let me tell you! i had no idea, but they're absolutely gorgeous!

in other non-wedding related news.

my friend kvs and i are creating/making bags from my (she is sewing + i am advising or something like that) ::on the fence:: banner material. we're still working on 2-3 prototypes and other sorts of things but we'll be launching and selling limited edition pieces, so keep checking here for updates.

i am also planning on having a large art sale in the next week. I plan to post new art work on etsy and mark down prices. Please be sure to check in daily for new deals on new art work. i am ready to begin a new series of work and start a brand new commission piece as well.

art.a.ma.jig is right around the corner and a summer full of painting, collaborating with my brand new husband, bike riding and market shopping. these days are life, these days are like a sunny day. i have several more things i want to share but until then, enjoy!

+wedding+progress+

it's like this i guess, or so i have heard. that when a wedding is in the works life takes you for a ride. well. there's been progress and lots of it. i wish i had time to post all of the great things i have found along the way. the dresses, the suits, the bouquet, the cake, the venue, the engagement photos. i wish. i wish. i had more time in the day. except 4 bridges is right around the corner. best guess is that i'll be here more often after the greatest art fest of the year. until then...we went to a great little wedding expo and had some sweet little photos taken. i'm so excited!!! 60 days to go ;)

+engagment invite+

i have decided that i'm am going to share bits and pieces of my upcoming wedding with the world via my blog. it has been forever since i have written about anything much more outside of creating and making art. i cannot deny how excited i am, how thrilling these moments are, how fun it's been collaborating with fernando and celebrating with family and friends. it's just too awesome not to share a bit of all with my few and far between readers. those of you who still exist i hope you enjoy.

so to catch and get you caught up on all the most recent news...in a list form, which i love love love the most. here and briefly are the details as of today.

1. date of wedding - june 2011 - it's going to be an evening wedding, outside on a mountain

2. small wedding - 100 people on the guest list

3. engagement ring - includes a 100 year old diamond that was my great great grandmother's, she lived until she was 101, can you believe that?

4. dress found & ordered - i am so so so excited about this one!

5. engagement party this past weekend was incredible. our dear sweet friends threw us this amazing party. we had it at the chattanooga choo-choo in the victorian lounge. photographs coming! fernando and i collaborated on the engagement party invitation. i created the collage, as seen in previous blog post, he incorporated the invite text. being that fernando is originally from texas, we think stars are cool!

6. colors chosen - metallics here we come! can you say, "gold, silver, copper, and bronze"? cannot wait to show you all what we're going to be working on for decor.

7. i've chosen an etsy shop for the headdress/headband and grooms ring. cannot wait to show you all.

well for now that's about it. i have got a couple art project in progress too! woohoo!

.en.gage.ment.

this is the first phase, first layer of our engagement party invite. nano is working on the rest today. i cannot wait! i'll keep you posted as i've made more plans.

also working on commission and logo designs for couple of friends/clients. with christmas right around the corner, i'm taking a tiny break. what can i say...

::first solo show::color inspired

i'm gearing up for my first ever solo show, quickly approaching this friday december 3, 2010. i'm showing at leo handmade gallery, a fantastic shop offering local handmade "everything." i think i ought to blog more :)

clothesline + new art

hi folks! i spent the weekend at our clothesline art show and am just now catching up on things here. it has definitely been a minute. i have completed several new pieces. the piece pictured above is my above my newest. i haven't quite decided on a title, nothing seems to be hitting me right. i've got words and thoughts about this piece and what it felt like while making it, but nothing, as of yet, is coming to the surface. for now i have been calling it ::snow lightning trees:: i really have absolutely no idea why. it's rather a bother and not worth the fuss.

i am taking several of my new works to a photo lab this week, to shoot some higher quality images of them. after that i plan to update my etsy shop.

i have a holiday show coming up on november 13, two new canvases ready for paint and a solo show coming up in december. i rather doubt i am going to have much time to update but i will try as hard as i might.

i find that my life is changing, it always does but these days, life is directing me in ways i have never quite experienced before. where some things seemed at one time blurry, they are now becoming more clear to me, more in focus. goals i have been reaching for and working toward seem to be growing increasingly closer to achieving. i have these sneaking suspicions and have no idea what i am really suspecting. i think mostly i can see and hear and feel inspiring things, affirming words and sense some echoing truths about where and what i am supposed to be doing. and as fantastical as it may sound i sense all this through making my art, painting and drawing. just the idea of creating something has begun to lead me in ways i never really spent time imagining. and it isn't as if i've got a whole lot of time to spend contemplating these matters. i am still working a full time job, still making art as much as i can in the evenings, still reading as much as i can, still seeing the family and friends. additionally i've begun writing for a local online news source; chattarati.com. its a way for me to go and study art, review and critique, then put my thoughts down about what seems right and worthy. it is a completely new feeling of fulfillment i never would have cared to think about. now i feel like writing about art all of the time and hunt for the next opportunity to write about a new show or exhibit. i am not even sure i am all that good of a writer but it seems to me that having been given the opportunity in the first place, i might make the best of it. and it's delightful.

i never knew that experience could be added up and that by a certain point in time i'd find myself in a place of peace about the vast majority of things that never mattered in the fist place. and that's not just because life as i know it right now is or has been all that easy, it's just i feel i might be getting better at listening to myself, the inner self, i mean. and something about making art makes me feel like i can hear better. i believe that makes sense. for now at least and that is all that matters. i ought to wrap up here, the night and the book are calling my name now. sleep well.

::our clothesline art show::

on friday october 15, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Our Clothesline Art Show will have it's fourth annual artist reception. on saturday october 16, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. the historic Krichbaum House will be open to the public to view fine art works from; Maria Cardillo, Cat Collier (obviously, that's me!), Katie Ward Knutson, Laura Pettit, Jennifer Kring, Linda Thomas, Kelly Wilkes, Valerie Fleming, Danielle Fox, and Marcie Sherman. Catering will be provided by: Bello Cibo - a new Northern Italian Cuisine catering business in town. we're totally pumped. and ready to pull out all the stops this year.

i've been extremely busy, busier than i think i've ever been before in my life. the list of things to do keep mounting. but all of it is good. like really good stuff. i have been making new art work, writing the chattarati, biking more now that my new boyfriend has a bicycle, cooking more, and spending time with friends. of course clothesline has taken some time, but mostly these days are good. like hosting a small group of ladies every sunday night, studying and talking, sharing and listening. as a group we're planning on visiting a shepherd, a beekeeper, and go to a wine stomp. i've got a megaillion ideas swarming, fluttering around in my head and one by one i'm checking them off my list. for instance, i ordered a whole new set of mini moo business cards this morning. i've been thinking about my upcoming solo show at leo; regardless all is great!

there's also; planet altered - C.A.F.E. Grant Supper (community arts funding event)

or what about submitting to chronicle? or getting a studio space at the rivoli? or say, hey, maybe i should finish my sketchbook for the sketchbook project! or submitting my work to blanket magazine might be fun. i'm also working out the kinks in my head about applying to get into next year's 4 Bridges Art Festival. that's a whole lot of stuff flitting about in this old head of mine. any thoughts...

::weekend worthy::

it is now sunday night. i feel like this weekend is worthy of at least a little post. other than the fact that it was an absolutely fabulous weekend, i'd have to say seeing this beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky on saturday morning really felt delightful. i have not seen a rainbow over the western sky like this before. sitting out on the balcony, seeing this, made it for me completely. just made it! the gallery hop and rivoli's art party was awesome! i had a blast. utterly exhausted and looking forward to starting new art work this week. going to bed early tonight, plan on catching up on my reading for a bit. hope to post a little bit more in the future weeks, as i complete new art for upcoming shows. be back soon. good night now.

Rivoli Art-n-Party!

tomorrow i will be showing my art work at the Rivoli Art Mill from 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. i'll be one of several incredible artists sharing the space; matthew dutton, michael jenkins, katie ward knutson, kimberly alducin dereuter, julie whitehead jones, teresa reynolds-hulse, anne dickson bailey, jerry allen, wendy morgan, whitney nave jones, charles, niznik clendenin, and steve terlizzese.

i am definitely excited! i'm looking forward to displaying my work in a new venue, meeting new people and connecting with all my fellow artist friends. i just finished a new piece, though pretty small, it was an extra canvas i had lying around i thought i would whip something up real quick like. more trees!!!

i've got plenty to keep me busy these days. currently planning upcoming Our Clothesline Art Show, then a solo show at Leo Handmade Gallery during the month of December.

in the meantime, i'm donating a piece of art work to both girls inc. and to hope for the inner city. keep your eyes peeled for more work in progess, as well. just about to begin a new piece! can't wait!

have a great weekend folks!

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.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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!

::feather trees::

about a week ago i finished ::feather trees::. this one took some time, an exercise in precision cutting. i am pleased with the way it all came together in the end. and will probably take a break from cutting paper for a minute. each of the feathers is approximately 11" tall on a canvas that is 12"x 36". other than having cut each feather out by hand, which took up the bulk of the process time, the other elements were basically the same. although instead of splatter painting the piece after i was complete. i decided to "splatter" in a pattern of circles. using a stencil to trace circles of dots was something i came up with on the fritz because i thought splatter painting would be a little too much. i'm excited about using the technique again. also can't wait for all of you to see this one in person. it's seriously intricate!

just wanted to pop in real quick. say hello! and have a great saturday.

full swing::upcoming

what can i say? life around here is in full swing, all but dull moments. one might think i'd fallen from the sphere but the fact of the matter is, i am absorbed in the speed of which these days fly by. summer is here with a map. the stops along the way are piling up like rest areas, along the well traveled highways and bi-ways. stuck in traffic headed to the coast. i have been working on this new piece for quite some time; it's been the detailed cutting, a detour i didn't expect to take but that's been well worth the extra gas it's taken to get there. i am calling it ::feather trees:: because to me, each of the trees each seem like feathers placed on a pedestal. i am actually almost through now with this leg of the journey and will be wrapping up my stop here shortly.

i bought my very first cactus ever, a couple of weeks ago, like a souvenir. it is for studying and remembering. the easiest way i could think of to understand how to go about beginning my next painting. the first stop, on july 22, i plan to submit a "fierce" work of art to the Arts & Education Council's annual fundraiser Art.a.ma.jig.

second stop, sundown in st. elmo on august 7. i plan to hang a whole new body of work at umbra essence. smaller works for those of you who have been craving an iced cold cat collier painting but haven't been able to afford the big gulp.

third stop, december! yes i am thrilled, cheesy excited about a leo handmade show for the month. i cannot wait. this one stop is the the overlook, a compilation of all the hard driving, traffic jams and all. between now and then i plan on keeping most of my work under wraps, so that those of you locals might experience a little surprise. i promise more cactus and a hint of constellations to come!

a fourth stop along the way will include a commission piece i'll be working on for a repeat client. this one ought to be full of adventure, they have asked me to paint another ::pretending tree::bitter water::. so far it feels a little like hitchhiking, before it became risky business. and not because my drive broke, but because of the anticipation, the thrill of speeding down the open road with a serious direction in mind. it's difficult, but easy for almost all the same reasons. attacking an image the second time around proves to be rather satisfying, like sleeping and dreaming while being driven along some desert road.

with all of that said and planned, there may actually be a little more room for a show here or there, maybe another clothesline. we will see.