::short cut::four bridges guide

this weekend is the tenth annual four bridges art festival. on my way to and fro i decided to take a short cut and walk between a chicken factory and the old southern furniture building. the answers aren't always as pleasant. regardless there i found some yellow, blue and green to savor in my short cut, and tried to ignore the lingering smell of gutted birds, the pieces of which had to be avoided along the walk. is it beautiful? only if you ignore the truth. or is the truth beautiful? at least not in this case, i seriously doubt it. and yet there is growth in decay. right? like mushrooms, the places they grow.

the day was good; if i may be a bit frank, in regard to the festival; it's interesting to see that so many of the artists are repeat artists, meaning each year there aren't as many new artists chosen to show in the festival. so out of the 160 artists chosen, there are many i've seen over and over again. there is something really wonderful about that; to see their individual artistic growth over the years. i truthfully do not mind, but it does leave me feeling a little disheartened. or maybe it's that i feel like i must do better at investigating, discovering the new artists. i'm also not at all interested in see clothing or jewelry. that's just me, i'm not at all saying it's not art or it's not worthy to be in the festival. clothing and jewelry even beautiful, and made by hand feels more commercial to me, more of a marketable item, than say a nice painting or a wonderful piece of pottery. so i skip over the clothing and jewelry artists and look for more depth in what the festival offers.

i found several things worth noting; and had the fine opportunity of being yesterday's afternoon tour guide for chattarati.com. it was exactly spontaneous. i chose the artists because of my familiarity with their work or because they were new to the show, or because i feel they might be otherwise overlooked. i also must say, it is important, vital to study art, ask questions, in order to become a better artist. so the opportunity that chattarati gave me, served a multitude of purposes. feel free to check out the video content and don't hesitate to let chattarati or ava know what you felt or thought about the work you saw.

and maybe, just maybe next year you'll see me on the other side; showing my work. we'll see.

I AM HERE::On The Fence

Proposal: I AM HERE::On The Fence

I have always wondered what it would be like to go back in time and be a young girl again. To see, and hear, and feel the things I experienced back then. I also think it would be interesting to be a young girl again, but experience what I see now, in the present. I have often wondered what it would have been like to grow up on the Southside, off of Main Street. To remember what the neighborhood was like. To have some idea of where this neighborhood came from in contrast to where it is that it's going.

My name is Cat Collier and I have lived in Chattanooga for 34 years - that is my entire life. For eight of those years I have called Southside my home, my neighborhood, my community. I am here because I believe in what Chattanooga has done and what it can do as a community. On a smaller scale, I love Main Street, I love being where I am and being a part of something bigger than myself. To have this opportunity, to share my "I AM HERE" Proposal with my neighborhood is an honor and a privilege. I have dreamed of one day sharing my art work with the neighborhood, seeing it on the side of a building or on a fence.

I have been working on a series of mixed media pieces comprised of trees. I call this body of work, "My Forest" and for three years I have focused on painting or growing "My Forest." The trees are often representational, abstract and imaginative - they are what I see in my my mind's eye. Likewise, I have always been intrigued by graffiti art and my trees are often inspired by the paintings an writings I see on the sides of buildings. The line and color of good graffiti is typically tight and bright. I see more than just writing on the wall. I see open and empty spaces, geometrical shapes and I incorporate those same ideas and elements into my own art work.

I completed "In The Depths-Blistering Trees" in 2009 and it immediately occurred to me that it could seamlessly represent Main Street. The original art work is the basis for a map of Main Street. The horizon line - the line running the length of the piece - represents Main Street. From Main Street there are eight primary cross streets - Riverfront Parkway, Broad Street, Market Street, Central Avenue, S. Holtzclaw Avenue, S. Orchard Knob Avenue, Willow Street, and Dodds Avenue. Branching out from these eight streets is a multitude of unique streets. Throughout these streets, there are a variety of important places - points on the map. Those places are represented by the bubbles that create the trees' foliage. In the bubbles, there are icons or symbols that serve as points off Main Street that are easily recognizable, historically relevant and foundational throughout the community. These bubbles overlap and intersect in the same way that we live, work and play in an eight street radius, along and off Main Street.

As children grow and learn about where they live, their surroundings shape who they become. Main Street has yet to see fully grown trees lining its sidewalks. Until that time, the map of Main Street serves as reminder of where we have been, where we are and where we want to be. It is both a tree lined street and a map. It is a means for understanding how we are all connected, how we grow, how we learn from one another, how what happens on one street, or branch, impacts other branches. Though simple, geometric and simply understood by children who will ask, "Where am I?" the map has a broader, deeper meaning of growth, connection and proximity. The map is a tool representing where are lives intersect. And it gives us all, as individuals, our own place as a part of the Southside.

The "I AM HERE" map of Main Street will be printed by National Print Group, located on S. Holtzclaw. Material used is 12 point vinyl, specifically for outdoor elements. The printed material will be cut, then installed in sections; attached to the fence with plastic cable ties at one foot increments. There will be no space of the fence left uncovered.

*Installation begins on Wednesday April 14, 2010 at 4pm. More pictures to come.

on letting go::splattered building trees II

it is not often after completing a piece of artwork that i must immediately say good-bye and deliver it to its future owner, its future audience. it is usually the case that i have time to let a finished work grow on me, it has time to speak, time to talk and give back meaning. after completing a commission for a client, there's no time for me to grow with the work and become comfortable with it. even within correspondence between the client and myself about the work, a small empty feeling begins to surface. i am thinking now, am mindful of the fact that i have never tried to put this feeling into words, it feels awkward and vague to me to even try. for those of you who have lived to produce work and immediately turn it over, you might better articulate these feelings. i think i can mostly express what this feeling is not. it is not fear or anxiety, it is not even a feeling of selfishness. it might feel like conceiving a child, birthing, then watching the child take her first steps, or sending her to school for the first time. the feeling is one of joyful anticipation, a nervous chatty giddiness. it feels uncontrollable and full. it feels hopeful and restless. and when the art work has been delivered, handed over and it is known that the piece has found it's place, there is space enough for peace there for me. even if for just a fleeting moment.

i know very little about how it is that i am to let go, if in fact there is even a process or method to it. it may after all be impossible to fully let go. there is a part of me, the artist, that never leaves the work, i am in it and it is in me. my work and i go on forever inseparable, right? it is something to have a piece of art, a product of my own hands, have it hang on my walls for many weeks and months. to have time to dissect the work, define and refine it in my mind, even if i have literally finished the work. a finished piece that remains in my possession has time to give back, it has time to teach me a little bit more. i see how it is for many artists who strive and thrive off of having a work, always in progress, so that in a work always incomplete, one is always free to rearrange, reorganize, rework the work. of the few pieces of artwork, that remain in my possession, there are just a couple that i'll never look at again, never attempt to figure out, work out or learn from. they could be added to the thrift store pile for all i care. if i had to go back and rework these pieces, even if i felt like i had to go back, i think i would go mad. but the idea of letting go of work too soon is a conversation i am sure i'll continue to have with myself. it might just be that the art itself has the answers. i feel like that might just be the case with ::splattered building trees II::, that it has had it's fill of me and is ready to give something to someone else. i know in the midst of creating this one work, that i have begun to experience a desire to move away from creating/painting trees. i've begun to feel like i may want to make something different. this feeling too, is one for another days thoughts and a new unmarked canvas. time is my friend in this regard. there is no rush to make something that is not there inside of me already.

i have started the year off strong, i think, if i may say so. the opportunities have been great and more than what i could have imagined. though i feel more than ever the direction and path is clear. i have another piece, a work in progress, that i have had to put on hold for many months and plan to complete it in the next week or so. i am looking at the months before me and considering all of the many options. a couple of weeks ago i was notified, that my proposal for the On The Fence design competition had been chosen, one of eight other artists or artist teams in an urban public art competition. i am working with my friend, graphic designer, on the finishing touches and will have the piece ready for the print company next week. my plan is to install the work on a length of chain link fence, two hundred feet. the work will hang for a year and is my contribution to my neighborhood. my hope is to share my proposal, my work in progress, and a photo documentation of the installation in just a couple of weeks. i have seriously-seriously dreamt of having my work in the large, in public, on a wall or fence, since i think i saw my first real graffiti. i am so excited! and have tried really hard to contain some of my enthusiasm, because i wanted a big reveal so to speak. but thats all besides the point really. i feel exceptionally honored to have been chosen as one of the artists.

i am also thinking about showing in the fall. there are, as i said a few options, of which i would love to participate in each, but time will tell. i also still have in mind, to share my list of 34 things i do before i turn 35. so there it is. a longwinded update. i hope, my friendly readers, that you have a great weekend. soak it up!

::splattered building trees II::commission::

whew! completely finished filling in this painting last night, calling it ::splattered building trees II::. it was too late to take any photos last night, waiting on the sunshine. all that i need to do is add a little more value into the foreground and around the trees so that these things become a tad more distinguishable. this piece has given me so many new ideas and i look forward to attacking something new very soon. i have maps and constellations on the brain. and am considering, really thinking about putting the trees to rest for a bit. i have a host of other things i'd like to share as soon as i turn over this piece to my client. so please feel free to continue to visit. have a great week and i'll be seeing you soon!

::aimless walk 010110::

on new years day, katie and i took one of those aimless photo walks around our neighborhood. it was in one of those rare spontaneous moments that we found ourselves outside on a frigid but bright day, the first day of the year. a day that seems so long ago, already. i can barely remember what we talked about and if it weren't for the photos, i would have already forgotten about the time itself. i remember now, thinking then that we better take pictures of things we liked a whole lot, because it wouldn't be long before the new would be replacing the old. so much in our city has changed since we were teenagers, it's often difficult to imagine our city without the nice new things it has now.

behind my apartment building is a european volvo mechanic shop. it's the kind of place that looks dirty, rusty, overgrown and slightly out of place. except for the front door, the bottlecap awning over the entry off the sidewalk, i don't think i would have paid it any closer attention. it is this very shape that i love, that i wish i could add to my own dream home (one day), that i wanted to make sure and capture, in just the right way. it just feels so perfect, along with the stucco textured building surface, it makes the corner for me.

aimless walks isn't a new idea, hulaseventy may have the practice down like a real master. i had to add it to my list of many things to do. more specifically, and yet to be revealed, i added aimless walks to my ::34 things i do before i turn 35:: list.

today just seemed to be the day to share a little bit of my first day of the year. i took many more photos on 010110, and hope to share them sooner, than later. i took a walk today, between my place and the convention center. the weather has yet to warm, but the sun was shining and it felt like maybe more aimless walks were actually going to be possible, its just been a terribly surprisingly cold winter. even though i've enjoyed aspects of it being so cold, i'm eagerly anticipating the warmer months. i admit it!

::a major::

january and february hit hard and in a very nice way. i had no idea the first weeks of the year would have looked and felt like this. i remember telling my mother before the new year, that i would need to spend some serious time mapping out my year. that if i didn't, i'd find myself in a canoe without any paddles. in january, you may recall, i completed a self portrait for the :not you: self portrait show in atlanta. i am glad to have had this opportunity, for the chance to create a self portrait, to take two atlanta trips with two of the greatest girls, to show amongst a wide variety of artists from all over the world, to meet travis and see his art in real life, and to eat one of the greatest breakfast. (more breakfast to come in the new year! a promise i've made to myself.)

i began the new year, as many others have, deciding spontaneously, to try and take a photo everyday for the entire year. come to find out my own 365 project, seems to have been exactly what the doctor would've ordered, had i asked. i'm a challenged non photographer. only a small percentage of my artistic self, desires to delve into the world of photography. i don't think there are any photography classes in my future and i am not sure i'll ever get my 35mm fixed or if i'll sink a few hundred dollars into a new digital this year. i'll never say never and could never have imagined how wonderful and immensely fulfilling this experience has become. i figure it's the best way i know how to record the year, a memory maker, that is so simple. i'm not going for anything big here, just mindful everyday of the journey.

at the beginning of february i was asked by the ensemble theatre of chattanooga to create a specific piece for 'mixed media:art inspires theatre inspires art'. i was given one of four plays, to read and then create a piece specifically representing the play itself. the artwork is then displayed in the performance. i decided to paint a tree within a house; title of the play: the dollhouse. i plan to see the show on april 1st. i was so excited to have been asked, couldn't believe it! and really am thrilled for all those involved. i needed to give a description of my planned, finished art, this is what i sent them for their review;

The Art Work is actually 24"x48" on gallery stretched canvas.

With all my work I cover the canvas with a layer of tissue paper, in strips of different colors. For this piece I have covered the canvas in a range of light pastel colors; pink, yellow, silver, brown and gold. Over that layer I have covered with white tissue paper. My goal is to make the color look human and fleshy.

The piece includes a house, inside the house will be a large tree. The tree will be crashing out of the house, 'busting' through walls and windows. The piece will be abstract but it will be obvious to the viewer that it's a house and a tree. With all my work the color of the tissue paper is typically the only color of the piece itself. The surrounding applied paint is dark, either grey or black, very neutral compared to the lighter background. The idea is that the house and tree will glow in a positive way and that the surrounding dark paint might fade out into darkness. The piece is very geometric and highly refined, so it may actually look as though it is a print or large computer graphic. There are many layers that may not be obvious from far away but the closer one comes it becomes clearer. So an audience will experience seeing something rich and deep and not have really any idea of how it was constructed/created.

The house and tree both represent a different kind of life, a different kind of living, different kind of love. The piece itself will represent the destruction of traditional family structures (the perceived and man made or built) and values. The house with walls represent a confinement, spoken and unspoken rules and roles, comfort and love too, with a roof and walls to protect. The tree also represents life and love; a symbol also of procreation, masculine (fraternal) strength (whereas when thinking about house/home you think maternally). The house is preventing the tree from growing, thus the tree is 'busting' out of the house. But the irony is that the tree is destroying the house from the inside out. Even as the tree represents a love, between these two men, the tree is hurt because of the house in it's way of growing but the tree is also hurt/damaged because of itself. If the tree decided to grow less or keep it's love to a minimum and not try so hard to be like a house (or like traditional love, by trying to have a family, a child), but different, then it would be fighting, it wouldn't be hurting. It seems the tree is trying to hard to please itself, creating something it's not ready for, not built to do or created to do. The house just won't crumble/fall, thus the conflict. So the piece is universally appealing with soft and hard suggestions.

i have also had the opportunity, to submit a proposal to the city of chattanooga; parks & recreation, for the ::on the fence:: design/urban art competition thing(y). i had only one idea, presented it to my brothers, asked my talented friend nano to help and sent it off last friday. i'm keeping my fingers crossed, ought to be notified in a couple of days. as soon as i find out, yes/no, i'll post up my idea, drawings/plans and a graphic work in progress.

and last but not least, started a new commission; which is due march 19; to look like ::splatter building trees:: but a whole lot bigger. i've got only one other work in progress which i hope to finish up before the end of the month. then i'm thinking some brand new stuff is in order. april is going to sort of be a vacation month anyway, will be heading to asheville to celebrate a family birthday.

and i promise to keep you posted.

oh nine::{stuff} addictions list

my oh nine {2009} included a massive amount of stuff. stuff needed. stuff wanted. family stuff. work stuff. art stuff. friend stuff. learning stuff. visioning and revising stuff. getting rid of stuff. buying stuff. giving stuff and getting stuff. all kinds of different kinds of stuff encompassed my year. it's funny, stuff, that is. it either represents who you are or who you aren't. or both. we think about stuff and eat stuff. we'll stuff stuff and will use stuff to get more stuff. sometimes we have collections of stuff and other times we're about avoiding stuff. we're made of stuff and stuff comes out of us that we thought we could ignore. stuff turns us into monsters or buys us time. i've not seen it but there's a story about stuff. i think i am thinking about a different kind of stuff, not just the stuff i consume, but the stuff that consumes me. so it maybe ridiculous to some that i'd come up with an oh nine::{stuff} addictions list; meaning the stuff i will admit to being addicted to, let that cat out of the bag, though not completely and not without keeping some secrets.

i thought about creating a list of twenty six things i'm addicted to that each begin with the letter of the alphabet. i'm not going to. although, just out of curiosity i'd love to see what any of you, my meager readers, come up with. i may try it one day but today is just not that day. i am eager to get the list started and finished.

i am addicted to:

really really really pretty cheap paper napkins {as seen above}

flickr

twisting my hair when it is soft

purses to carry important stuff in

making art

cigarettes

afternoon naps

learning something new everyday

reading every night

the power of prayer

potato chips

craft and art paper, tissue paper, pads of paper and paper work

my nieces and nephews

great moments of solitude, though few and far between

writing personal notes or letters

small things

light, oh light. winter, spring, summer and fall light. lamp light and sunlight. moonlight and street light. hot and hazy light. light in color. i love light.

trees

people watching

baking chocolate chip cookies

the snooze button

so that about wraps up this list. i started to write something about love, about being 'addicted to love' and then i thought better. i just didn't feel like that's a subject of addiction i'd like to explore tonight. and not because i don't think love is great. it's just so complicated and addicting. for another time.

goodnight.

::peek::

the first seventeen days of this month and of this new year have spilled out in a force. much like a strong soft motion meandering up the sidewalk i recognized it, had planned for it, saw it coming. when the fox theatre let out last night the street filled rapidly with bobbling umbrellas, blinkers and brake lights in a seemingly chaotic congestion. from above it played out like a great musical composition and brought a smile to my face. a happy contented grin. quite a sufficient way of viewing these last two and a half weeks. i can't help but thinking that in someways it's been the very best beginning of a new year, that i've ever had or can actually recollect. i guess we are all feeling a little more fortunate and little more safe and little more confident that we have survived. that the mundane minutes we pass over are really glimmers of great hope.

the past weekend was no less than a grand adventure, same as the week before and the weekend before. each day has given motion to the next and it feels delightful. like eating, like sleeping and waking, like painting or singing. or it could simply be that i've been invigorated by getting out of town, peeking in on the lives of other people. i saw a city through the eyes of two of my favorite people in the world. together we successfully found new furniture, framed artwork, met new people, got stuck in the mud, escaped the mud, nearly risked our lives while pumping gasoline, saw a childhood neighborhood, ate lunch for breakfast and took time to take photographs. we dropped artwork off and went to the art show, saw more graffiti in one place than we'd ever seen in our lives, saw da vinci's sketches and without really knowing it, saw atlanta through portman's eyes. what a joy it all was.

it all happened so fast these last seventeen days. on january first i spontaneously decided to give myself the assignment of taking a photo a day; i think it's going to really help me remember and sort through all the details, the small glimmering bits and pieces i might otherwise miss. feel free to keep up with my comings and goings throughout two thousand ten, by seeing my year.

to top things off i have indeed created the list to beat all lists; i'm still working on it but it will appear. it is my thirty something things to do before i turn thirty five. i cannot seem to be able to narrow it all down. it will happen, just like tomorrow.

::not you::self portrait show @ mint gallery

i'll be heading down to atlanta again this weekend to see the mint gallery's show ::not you:: a self portrait show that includes work from seventy artists. i'm super excited to have been asked to participate in the show, my very first out of town show. i went down this past weekend to drop off my piece. my sister and i will hit the road together again to spend the day and night down there together. we are planning to hit the high museum of art up too. i'm in need of an art museum fix. need some of that da vinci, weingarten and portman, showing now, it feels, just for me.

the self portrait turned out as well as can be expected. i am super pleased with how it turned out. i have some favorite spots and feel like i won't be pursuing many portraits in the near future. i feel like sticking to my trees. the year has just begun but i'm as busy as ever. i am looking forward to the new year and trying some new stuff. until then, good night.

oh nine::read list

oh ten promises many a list, this list, my oh nine::read list includes all of the books i managed to read in the last year. a good portion of the year i read the book clubs requested reading, regardless of whether or not i could attend the discussion, i read. my reading has never reflected a primary interest or subject although i have become more interested in the biographies. it may be of interest that i reread one of my books this year (can you guess which one?), which i never do. and i cannot remember the last time i read a book sitting up, my reading time is usually before i sleep, underneath blankets, between the hours of eleven and twelve. in no particular order i give you my oh nine::read list;

'the kristin lavransdatter' trilogy written by sigrid undset

'the golden apples' written by eudora welty

'naked' written by david sedaris

'what is the what' by dave eggers

'animal, vegetable, miracle' written by barbara kingsolver

'benjamin franklin' written by walter isaacson

'my stroke of insight' written by jill bolte taylor, PhD

'the yiddish policemen's union' written by michael chabon

'crime and punishment' written by fyodor dostoyevsky

'the odyssey' by homer

'the brothers k' written by david james duncan

'mornings on horseback' written by david mccullough

currently reading 'theodore rex' written by edmund morris

and for added interest; my next, plan to read, 'walking on water - reflections on faith and art' written by madeleine l'engle. my parents gave this book to me for my birthday; inside was this inscription:

dec. 23, 2009

to our dear daughter cathy on her 34th birthday from dad and mom

may your artistic expression bring your soul great joy as you reflect the image of the sovereign artist, jesus christ, from whom all things were created. we love you.

so it's january two of twenty ten; i am excited! there's much to do but that, after all is what a good many lists are for.

more art::BIG ART SALE!

::telemamakhos{my far away fighter} was $300.00 now only $150.00. it's framed and ready to be hung. for the odyssey lover.

::bitter water//pretending tree:: was $400.00 now only $200.00. this 24"x36" tree is the perfect bright spot original painting. SOLD!

::sophia{my wisdom from up high}:: was $250.00 now only $125.00.

::criminal:: was $200.00 now only $100.00.

if you have questions about how to purchase or would like to see works in person please contact me at catcollier@hotmail.com. thank you and merry christmas everyone!

in a different light::BIG ART SALE!

enough for everyone: BIG ART SALE!

::phantomcrimes BIG ART SALE!::

holiday BIG ART SALE! see my etsy shop, then feel free to contact me for more information! my goal is to move some of this art, so that i can begin some larger pieces in the new year! help me make bigger artwork and surprise someone you love with a piece by cat collier! thank you all for your support and love!

::holiday handmade::

hi guys! long time, uh? well, i should have known i'd be too busy and less interested in blogging than making more art. it's been non stop around these parts lately. lots of fun! lots of late nights, lots of great conversations, acquainting and reacquainting. so next stop; holiday handmade this coming saturday 121109 from 10 until 8; at gannon art center; we're bringing the arts and crafts back to you, just in the nick of time. so come on, you know you want to, bring yourself and a pal and come see what we've got in store. i'll have 12 total-completed works of art for sale, plus paper quilt gift cards in packets of 8 for only $20. in every spare moment of my time i've been working on a new piece but just can't seem to wrap it up quickly enough. it has involved an incredible amount of paper cutting, that's about my only excuse. i've got some wip images, i'll attempt to post up after the busy weekend. also keep a close eye out for upcoming last minute phantomcrimes art sale. many of you have mentioned wanting to make a purchase this year, send me your email address and i'll let you know when and how to go about purchasing during sale before christmas! thanks, all. and good night.

Southside Flats Open House & Art Exhibit

boy oh boy, i really thought i could keep up and post a post everyday. and now look, december seriously has crept in and nothing.

::summer dregs~gold to green::

::summer dregs~gold to green::
cd release party::installation and art by sarah c. nichols and myself on saturday november 7, 2009

it was one of the most inspiring fulfilling experiences. thank you carl cadwell, sarah, (n)fm, grant and to summer dregs for the best album of the year. the community is a beautiful ever changing momentum. the heartbeat of my life is in the integration of the arts>music&visual. yes.yes.yes.

::i.o.u - popcorn cake recipe::

i wasn't paying attention until now; it's the ninth inning. i am finished painting for the night, discovering yet, that i've got a ways to go. painting may take the longest. i am definitely not about to begin counting the hours. so.

popcorn cake recipe:

1. i make a pot of popcorn the regular way on top of the stove. i've used microwave popcorn before but it's not as tasty, too buttery and salty.

2. in a second larger soup pot, i used the largest bag of off brand big marshmallows and melted them on very very low heat. be patient here, they're easy to brown and burn. it's not worth putting the mallows into the microwave, they'll just get huge and take up too much space.

3. once marshmallows are completely melted, thoroughly stir in handfuls of popcorn. if you'd like to sift through and find all unpopped kernels, feel free. if bitten into the kernels tend to hurt the teeth. there is no need to keep the stove on, just keep large pot on the hot eye, that way ingredients remain pliable. i used almost an entire large bag of m&m's and a large container of salted peanuts.

4. i do butter a 9"x12" cake pan, lightly and then dump the entire pot of mixed ingredients. with a wooden spoon evenly spread cake into the pan.

it's identical to rice crispy treats only for some reason, just a little more halloweenish. i have made the same with cheerios instead of popcorn and as i mentioned in yesterday's post, you may decide to try a healthier rendition by using sunflower seeds, raisins or craisins, maybe try peanut butter too.

philadelphia wins!

::wip.phillips family tree & halloween::

so i decidedly passed on posting saturday and am getting back this evening to catch up. i got the ::phillips family tree:: tree completely cut out, the canvas covered in a tissue paper "under painting" and the tree and photos attached. i decided to soften the piece by adding a layer of gold acrylic, so that the plaid like lines beneath aren't as obvious. this morning i began the process of filling it all in with a parchment white acrylic. i also finally decided to go ahead and title the piece at the bottom; the phillips family tree, and dated 2009. i have never ever free handed or painting a cursive font before so i am pleasantly surprised with how well it is works and plan on using font or "script" in upcoming works.

i ended up hanging the cut paper tree all over my apartment and found i really loved it hanging on my lamps. i am thinking, at least, the cut paper could help me in future redecoration projects. i suppose i'll try my hand at it the next time there's a lull in the to make//to do list.

for our annual family fall party at my aunt's i decided to make and take popcorn cake. i hesitate to preface recipe by saying it's easy. four ingredients is easy, yes. but imagine fluffy popcorn and sticky marshmallow, it's difficult mixing but probably fairly kid friendly, i've never tried making it with little ones around and about, and super delicious. and without a doubt you could substitute the not so healthy with raisins, craisins, cheerios, sunflower seeds, or carob chips. i forwent the halloween costuming and partying and drinking and hangovering and went for my new book; 'mornings on horseback' by david mccullough.

i didn't even feel like changing my clocks until this afternoon; i've heard about people doing this while on vacation. i woke up at my normal time and got straight to painting. it's been a great first day of november. wouldn't you say?

::television sucks::

not a whole lot coming to mind at the moment. just a whole lot of yawning and sighing and painting. and when i am reminded of how unique each day is, how not one cloud in the sky is exactly ever the same and how the sun moves throughout the year, marking the season. i can rest. sleep well fair friends near and far.

::what's hot + what's not::

::what's hot::

so i have decided to join loobylu's what's hot + what's not this week, at least this week. can't make any promises to follow up next week. i have been thinking about it. what's hot? what makes me tick, what really defines the hot this week?

well, i have no idea if this counts as what's hot but, i feel like my family really ought to come in at number 1. family feels and pretty much seems like the coolest thing i could think of, lame, no! not a chance. many say about their own families that there's never a dull moment. the same could be said about fam collier. we work together, we play hard together, we party together, we debate and struggle with one another. there's growth and comfort and a deep respect for one another. conflicts have become rare and i suppose in their place, five grandchildren have appeared, almost out of nowhere. maybe that explains it.

second on my list of hot; is paper decorations! i'm dying to make. it maybe old news but it's still hot to me; loving the small objects thanksgiving paper garland.

i'm also pretty stoked about more paper cutting; found jenny lee fowler via flickr this week and am completely committed to my xacto knife, until death do us part.

a month or so ago, my mom and i went to a library book sale. i found two treasures. i wish i could wait until christmas to reveal but cannot. since i'm on hot and paper cutting/craft i've got to mention 'the christmas spider - a puppet play from poland'. i don't know that i've seen anything as perfectly sweet.

aaron tucker's work continues to be and inspiration. he recently began blogging. cutpaint securely wraps up my week of what's hot!

::what's not::

...is it just completely ridiculous to complain about the weather. the back and forth temperatures, the rain, the warmth, the cold. bottom line is that it has been downright unpredictable.

GIVE ME A BREAK! i am not buying the book. i'm not stuck on celebrity gossip either. i mean really! So can you guess what's not? i don't understand the point. NOT HOT!

last but not least. to be frank. i haven't been riding my bike as much as i would like. not hot, not cool. riding partner are you out there?

so that's it. that's all i've got. if you'd like to play along, feel free and share, just leave a link with a comment, or post it up at loobylu's.

goodnight.