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.

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant

Hi! Been awhile since I posted and have great news. I was awarded a $15,000 art grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation to help with living expenses for a year and continuing my art career.

I haven't wasted anytime stirring things up. I've done two festival shows this summer and my art has been accepted into the World Fantasy Convention Art Show, Oct 28-31, Columbus OH.
I've also been applying for several huge art festivals in the southeast for next year.

Busy in the studio too. Through this grant I was able to get some much needed supplies. Right now framing some new pieces and already excited about the next collage I plan to make.
Any of you that have known me for awhile knows I was freezing in this old house last year! With a possibility of getting approved for some insulation through the state weatherization program and this grant I am optimistic about being warm enough to be creative all winter! The studio only has one electrical outlet and using a power strip, so getting that fixed..more light! I am so looking forward to making art and scheduling lots of shows!

Finally there's a time consuming project of updating my website. Will be able to accept credit cards and it just needs some tweaking.

Oh..stay tuned..

What originally got me started in my collage art was an altered book I made. I plan to feature it here soon.

Thanks for visiting!

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Cathy Horner

World Fantasy Convention 36

A video about me

Art: Working with real butterfly wings

First things first. I assure you I'm not a butterfly killer! With the exception of the Monarch most adult butterflies only live a week or two. There are butterfly farms, and as far as I know they don't hook them up to a plow or anything and just wait for a natural death before collecting them. I find the ka-put insects in my yard, the park and even parking lots where I've recieved an odd glance or two as I carefully pick them up. I don't limit myself to butterflies and have collected deceased moths, cicadas and even hornet wings for my art!

Butterfly wings are very delicate. They are covered with thousands of colorful scales that are so tiny it is almost powder like. With a very light touch, using a paint brush I coat both sides with a gel medium. I let each coat dry then add another coat. This makes them a little easier to handle. Since I am using them in collages, usually with a paper image on top of part of it, I cut away some of the thicker veins that wouldn't be seen anyway and would cause a ridge in my image.

In collage art, after arranging all the images that you have decided on, you have to take it all apart again before glueing everything down in the order it needs to be. The wings are still very fragile, sometimes I will use tweezers. Even once I have glued the wings in place, numerous times I go back and add more gel medium around the edges. If there is an air pocket I will carefully make a tiny slice with a razor blade and fill it with more gel medium.

Once an entire collage is finished I coat each one with about four coats of decoupage finish. If a collage has insect wings, I put this finish on thicker on the wings.

My intention is to perserve a beautiful part of nature in art.