The Year in Pictures

at the start of 2008 i promised myself that i would get off the tip that helping other artists get their groove on in schools and making art with kids was "my art". not that those activities were bad or wrong it just wasn't being authentically me. sure, i got illustration and graphics work from folks who saw me doodling on the margins of my agendas in meetings and that gave me a measure of satisfaction but anyone who knows me well knows that while i am an awesome supervisor (smile) and a capably interesting employee my heart really ain't in the 9-to-5 on any level.

i'd had a bunch of work sitting around the house for years so I put it on the walls and then - no lie, they started talking to me . . . about being seen, being bought. the goddesses wanted to see the world. so "goddess coat" lives at ms. marilyn's house now after being in the international house show. my munny sold at a silent auction at Niche Mkt. The others have been an ongoing sketchbook project. Just vibing on how the colors jump off the black paper. all because i committed to making, doing and showing.

can't close without giving props to jaisiatic whose talent helped me see myself in a whole new way. i am looking forward to collaborating in 2009.

happy NEW year!

start today

i have to give props to all of you who create, maintain and post regularly because it has taken me more than a minute to get this together. just choosing a title and some colors has me up at all hours. but I am on. the latest title (it changed 4 times in the past hour) comes from a performance piece I did in SF in 1997 just before Nailah was born. at the time it was girl/woman/mother/wife, a meditation on who i was and who I was becoming then. two kids, a 9-5 and a partner (who still isn't quite clear on what partnership is and isn't) made for a 24-7/365 experience that can be described as amazing, thrilling and exhausting. so in 2008 we bid farewell to wife and get back to the business of artist. I know i have the other pieces down but i got distracted by what I thought i was supposed to be and disconnected from all the stuff that fed my work and thus my soul trying to make sense of the other one. i was sleepwalking for a good long while. but now i am up.

much thanks to my sister tracy. no change that to sisters. tracy means "warrior" and this shift was a two trac(e)y operation. two warriors as different as night and day had my back and i am so very grateful. you always get sent exactly what you need when you need it. prayers are always answered. we just get funny about listening because most of the time the best course of action isn't the easiest. there was nothing easy about the latter part of 2008 but many wonderful things have come out of it and 2009 can only get better and better.

i am really proud of my recent work. making the time to draw daily just for the love of it has been a joy. thanks chad. the opportunity to be the first to draw in your new sketchbook at the top of the summer gave rise to some major creativity.

as soon as i figure out how to put some of it on here - you'll see it. lol.

peace and love

catherine