Back from the art show. Lawn needs mowing!

I am home from the 4 Bridges Art Festival in Chattanooga and overall had a wonderful experience. It's hard work setting up and breaking down the tent but my friend went with me and that was so much help. The people running the festival were great. They fed us, were helpful, made everything easy and were friendly. The artists I met were awesome, very encouraging and I know I have made some new friends.

The first night it rained buckets on the pavilion tin roof, who-ah was that loud! I did sell one collage though and the buyer was so nice! The second day the weather sounded more promising but it was windy and cold. I think the visitors under dressed and looked chilled to the bone and miserable. By the end of the day I had sold nothing and felt a little defeated. We couldn't sell prints at this event and I realize originals are quite an investment.

Sunday was gorgeous. My booth was packed all day. And although sales were not happening I was really enjoying the people. I loved how they would study each piece and then I would see them begin to laugh at the humor in my art. People spent a long time in my tent and asked many questions. I felt really appreciated from all the kind compliments and notice of the details in my art. A few gallery owners came in too. Almost a full box of business cards, stack of brochures and postcards were gone by the end of the weekend.

Last five minutes of the festival the coolest couple came in and bought three collages! Then when I got home a very nice person contacted me and bought "Push Mower" the one I have posted here. Even though I only broke even, I feel like the festival was a huge success. I hope I am invited to come back next year. It feels so cool to know five of my collages will be hanging somewhere special and that I was able to meet the people that have them.

I though Push Mower was a good pic to post on this blog entry because with being so busy my yard is now a jungle of overgrown weeds and grass! I have lots of mowing and weed wacking to do and hopefully plant my vegetable garden this weekend too. If only I could make real robots..

:)
Cathy

My first fine art festival this weekend!

This weekend I will be setting up my booth at the 4 Bridges Art Festival in Chattanooga TN. It has been rated as one of the top 100 fine art fairs for 2011. Last year there was 18,000 visitors! Only 150 artists were chosen out of 700 applicants. There will also be awards for artists.
The first night is a private art show party which oughta be really cool.

So I've been busy all winter getting ready for this event. I have 48 pieces of art to show. Last night I spent hours putting logo stickers on shopping bags, touching up frames and taking inventory of all the little things I'll need for the weekend.

Last week I bought a pop-up counter and directors chair. Most I looked at were either a fortune or black which I thought was too modern looking for my old fashion art. So, I spent a tad more and bought a gray counter (wood top) and found a gray and brown chair. The counter has a fabric front. I bought plastic picture hooks that have sticky paper to glue to the wall but replaced it with velcro. This way I can hang a few of my mini art on the counter front.
I have brochures, cards and post cards, a guest book and a banner. Once there, will buy some flowers ( gotta remember..pack a vase) and even bringing a small candy dish. So many details!

I rented a room for 3 nights and it has a kitchen so that will help with not eating out. My neighbor is feeding my cats. I think I'm ready.

I am really excited about going, although I may come home completely broke. I always have a "plan B" which is to raid my IRA for like the sixth time! (ouch) But there is no way I will miss out on something this cool and a great opportunity. Wish me luck!

4 Bridges Art Festival

OWOH the beautiful things I won!

Things I won from the OWOH 2011 event were being delivered from near and far. Sorry it took so long to get to this post. I have a big art festival next week and have been spending much time in the studio. However, I am so thrilled with getting these treasures in the mail and making new friends. If you were part of OWOH this year, you may remember visiting these creative people and their delightful blogs. If not, I am excited to share with you the things I was sent and links so you can visit them too!

Christina Alejandro from Manila, Philippines sent me a pretty bracelet and necklace with sayings, a cat ring and clips she makes and sells at the papemelroti site . Would have done a close up but wanted to show her awesome doodles and the nice note book she sent too. How sweet to open this and find so many goodies! She makes awesome jewelry, photography, collages and sketches!
You can visit's Christina's blog at calej d'art



Isn't this adorable! Julie Stratton made this hat just for me! The stitches are perfect, she knows how to crochet! It sure makes me feel special to wear it. Her blog is full of great conversation, wisdom and recipes too!
Julie's blog is called Sugar and all that's Nice so you know it's a nice blog to visit!






Sabine from Germany made this super cool paper doll! The arms and legs are jointed and it is all hand colored. This beauty wants to dance to the sheet music she sent too.
I love how it spells "art" down the front. Her blog is all about her wonderful collage and mixed media art.
You can visit Sabine at her blog Stempeltanz , lots of art to inspire you!












Carol Hanson lives in Tennessee too! She made me this "Love Dove Mug Rug". That makes me smile! It's so pretty I don't want to spill coffee on it but I am going to use it. I will keep it in my art studio to remind me of my talented OWOH friends.
You can visit Carol and see lots of projects that she has done. I don't sew as much as I used to but know I can get lots of ideas at her blog
Stitch Across The Border




I am in love with this fox! Zan Asha draws and wood burns the most precious images. I am so proud to have a piece of her art.
I've never met Zan but feel an instant connection to her spirit and creativity. She has an open invitation to park her wagon of horses at my home, hope she brings me some Bronx Bees honey. You just have to go read her blog to learn about that!
Be sure to visit Zan's etsy shop vagabondcreations and her blog that is titled Beyond Vagabond .










I LOVE ATC's (artist trading cards), so I was thrilled when RosA from Australia not only made me one but NINE!!
And all of them so wonderful to add to my collection.
RosA is never out of ideas either, you can visit her blog
Paperchase and see piles of materials turn into clever and beautiful cards. Wonderful!








I won these gorgeous notecards from Colleen Conrad who is an incredible watercolor painter.
I am in awe of her talent and creativity. I may mail a note card, which are nicely made, to someone special but these are so beautiful one or two may end up in a frame on my wall!
Colleen's blog is Edge Of The Woods Studio where you can also follow a link to her main on line gallery. I think she is going to be famous one day!

My dream to open an art gallery! need FB votes..

Hi friends! I often say the gears in my head are always turning. I also believe that if you love what you do, work hard and believe in it you can make it work. That is my motto "some how I can make this work". My dream of having an old farm house with music and art rooms was thought up many many years ago..and here I am! Of course it is not without struggles, the last two years my income was about $6500, raided my IRA a few times and in credit card debt. My family and friends have been a huge support. Get teary eyed knowing they believe in me so much. STILL even with struggles, wouldn't trade it for anything. It is so rewarding when families bring their children here for guitar lessons, sit on the front porch reading or strolling in my yard while I see the smiles and achievements of my students learning. I teach adults too, everyone seems at home here.

Then I put on my artist cap, go upstairs to my art studio where I tear into my old papers and paint, think about my blank canvas as I watch the sunset over the mountain view out my windows. I've managed to support myself on art and music for about six yrs now.

I also have a hobby. It seems kinda silly but it is relaxing and fun. I enter contests. My mother and grandmother did too. Grandma called it her "job" and as a little girl can remember something always being delivered to the house. I think they are my guardian angels sometimes because when I do win something kinda big, it has to do with art or music! Exterior paint job to my house, guitar strings, festival tent, business video and printing...it's crazy! I do actively search out opportunities.

I have another dream for this big ol' house. It has a 3rd floor, never been touched, actually it is a mess. A beautiful staircase has been walled up, there is a hallway and two rooms. I would like to turn it into an art gallery and host shows here, not of my art, that can be seen in my studio, but of YOUR art. Realizing the big galleries have high overhead and have to take a high percentage of your sale price, I want to take just a small amount and make it work for you. This plan isn't about profit but about opening my home to the community even more. A place where music and art happens. The more my name is out there the more students and people see my studio. Already I have travelers call and want to visit my home and studio, just from reading about me or seeing my art somewhere.

My vision is beautiful art, live music and gardens for people to explore when they visit. I found a contest, but contest or not I will still work to make this happen one day. It will take a long time though, that is unless Mom or Grandma thinks the time is now! :) Anyway, there is the contest, it is on facebook and hosted by Dockers. My least favorite kind of contest is a voting contest. To me it becomes a popularity contest and I am uncomfortable about bothering people with it. This one is 100K to carry out a plan. This would not only make the art gallery happen but would put heat on the 2nd and 3rd floor which there is none (brr!).
If you don't mind the hassle, you log into facebook, like their page and you can vote everyday! In the first round I just need to be in the top 50. I promise to be a great gallery keeper and so open minded about art and suggestions! Thank you so much if you read through all this!

Voting through 3/15 for this round...

Dockers on facebook

OWOH Winners (yay!)

A few observations about my journey through One World One Heart this year. We are a bunch of creative, imaginative, friendly people. Also between all of us we own many cats!

I've spent hours and days reading your blogs. I was so inspired that I found myself watching tutorials, researching art supplies and even getting in a bidding war for a book on ebay about art projects that I have never tried before. Thank you!

And for everyone that posted on my blog, I read everyone of them and enjoyed it so much. There are some of you I need to respond to and I will shortly. Thank all of you for all the nice things you wrote.

And finally, I am thrilled at all my new followers..yay! I learned a lot about blog keeping from everyone, so hopefully I can post some good stuff in our future together. Oh, and stay tune. I want to do something special for my followers after the dust settles a bit. :)

Without much ado, it is time to announce my One World One Heart winners. The Great and Oh Powerful Random Number Generator has spoken. (Is there really anything truly random or is it some twisted form of fate!)..................

1.Dorthe from Den Lille Lade (Denmark) matted print

2. Digital Misfit from My Hiding Place in Cyberspace (Canada) dream boy atc

3. Angie from Meriscrapper 13's Cottage (Louisiana)baby atc

4.Esther from E Makes Art (California) note cards

I will be emailing you in a sec...Congratulations!

One World One Heart 2011

Welcome to my blog One World One Heart!

Note: 2/17/2011
Notice a few of our friends are flying in under the wire.
I'll do my name drawing tonight at 9:00 p.m.

My name is Cathy Horner and I am from Johnson City TN. I am a full time guitar instructor and collage artist working from my 110 year old farm house.

I've played guitar for over 38 years and my CD of original fingerstyle guitar compositions was broadcast internationally on radio stations. It was featured in Guitar Player magazine in 2003. I have been a performer doing songwriter showcases and other events. I now teach lessons beginner to advance.

If I could describe my collage art, I would say it "fell from the sky". I began making collages using actual vintage images (no scans), handmade papers, acrylic paint and found objects like real butterfly wings only four years ago! I've had gallery exhibits including solo shows, received awards, and juried into fine art festivals. My art has been featured in art reviews and a nine page article in Victorian Homes magazine last year. This Fall, six exclusive designs will be produced by Liberty Bottleworks and distributed nation wide.

The most important thing is I love what I do! Not only do I enjoy making art but making friends through my blog and the internet. I enjoy sharing my projects, experiences and exchanging ideas. I realize you have a lot of blogs to visit but welcome you to come back here and visit!

Now on to my door prizes!! I will randomly draw 4 names after 2/17/2011. All you have to do to enter is write a message on this post and have a blog. If there is a prize you prefer, you can let me know but no promises! Finally, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you should win. Easy!


1. "Tickled Pink" 8X10 signed print with mat. (made with dye based ink on fine art paper)















2. Original ATC I made in 2007 using real photograph and real butterfly wings on an old playing card.
















3. Original ATC I made in 2007 using a real photograph on an old playing card.















4. Three blank greeting cards with images of my artwork.













Have Fun and thanks for visiting!!

For those not aware of this event Whimsical Bohemian explains..

"One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world. It's really that easy."

This event will from January 30th 2011 through February 17th. Open world wide.