"And PS I love You Like The Song, I Love You Like In The Song."

Sick Day Today. And yesterday, actually. I haven't had a normal 98.6 temperature in about 2 days. I think the highest it has gotten today was 96.6. Yesterday it started out at 94.8. I am so not kidding either. I feel like an alien in my own body. I cannot function at all. Did I mention on of my tonsils is swollen? Yay.

So, I am taking it easy. Reading a little bit of the Hunger Games (#2 That I borrowed from the lovely Kathleen, Carl's wife - OMG Girl, we need to talk about the book and I need the 3rd one too please?!) and brushing up on the book Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and The Future. I'm also listening to the soundtrack from the film I Am Sam. Composed by John Powell, it's one of my very favorite pieces of music (If you want some crazy Katie trivia for your day: my favorite composer of all-time [so far] is Thomas Newman. He did films such as Finding Nemo and Revolutionary Road) and the movie is pretty good too :)

....listen to John Powell's love of the strings and how even the most delicate of melodies can influence a scene - with no words whatsoever. Beautyful.

My ultimate sick day film, however, is Corrina, Corrina. I used to watch it every chance I got when I was a kid, sometimes I'd even fake sick from school and just have movie day with myself (I never do that now....shifty eyes). It makes me feel better.

....in this scene, the protaginist (Ray Liotta)'s wife has just died and he has hired a new housekeeper to watch his little girl (yes, that's the girl from Napoleon Dynamite) who turns out to be a crazy (Joan Cusack). Enter Whoopi Goldberg for the win. And one of my favorite films of all time.

Here is some art in progress, which I will work more on tomorrow when I'm feeling myself again:

Dont' be alarmed, it is the same piece. The picture on the right is the most current. I made it (left), then after some hefty critique from my loverly teachers and myself at school, I started to notice some inconsistencies about it. So it is still in progress. The lighting will definitely stay as dramatic as the photo on the left, I'm just not finished yet!

It is a piece about my parent's marriage.

When I asked my mother how she felt being married to my dad (after the first couple happy years, when he started to be really terrible), the first phrase that came out of her mouth without hesitation was, "I felt chained" to which she added, "I felt tied down, censored, trapped."

So, I've assembled a chain around her neck made from the very nightgown she is wearing. They are both caught up in a subtle, but still violent series of chicken wire pieces, which is what his insides are also made of. There was a struggle/fight from my mom, but not until after they had been married for about 20 years. The wounds took time to create.

Stay tuned for the finished product.

Alright, well I am going to go watch another movie. Maybe try to eat? We'll see how that goes. Otherwise - sketching, moviewatching, reading, and poetry win out for the night. I love all of you out there reading this. Go create something. Keep your heads held high. XO.

Love Changes Everything.

....So in Fibers last week....WE MADE PAPER. Which I was informed, by my friend Jason, that usually 4th graders do that project. Well, we never did at my fascist school (...you know the one that recently banned but un-banned but still require parent permission for high schoolers to read? yeah, that one. if you want independent, intelligent children DON'T send them to Republic High School. Yeah, I said it. Be all you're told to be, Republic Highschoolers.), so I thought it was an awesome project!! And my paper looks like New Year's Eve threw up on it.

.......Somebody had the purple drink......



These are my two newest works:

Left, sewn cardboard. It is about 1.5 ft across and juts off the wall about 8 inches. My plan is to make another one. Bigger. WAY BIGGER. With some crocheted drapery hanging off the side......More to come on that.

Right, an old Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt I used to wear, when I was 15. It has a large bass and drum kit on the front. Whenever I used to wear it, my father would get really pissed and yell about how women can't play music and that hopefully when I were to grow up I would just marry a doctor and stay home and have babies. Did I mention that he was a peach? Yep. So I decided, first of all, fuck that noise about just being a stay at home wifemom (which is fine, just not for me. Unless you act like a martyr mother. That's annoying.) and secondly I am going to start making more autobiographical work. My 399 [that means "individual instruction"] teacher Sharon Harper [she's amazing. See For Yourself. Click.] gave us this great assignment last week. We had to list 5 artistic influences, and then 5 that were musicians, writers, and/or movies (my next post will be my list, i've decided). Then list what we liked about their work. After all of this, we were to draw the common threads between all of them. My main common thread? Autobiography. (Second place was Feminism, imagine that...) I never realized that I wanted to make work about my life. I thought I just wanted to make work. So the last few days I have been collecting old family photos to use as a source. My childhood was interesting to say the least. My mother was/is a saint, my father was a misogynistic Satan. Need I say more? Using these photos, I will make work (still out of cardboard and wire - I missed using cardboard so much!) describing my feelings during those times and during now. So, basically, on that Hard Rock t-shirt piece above I am en route to making a fucking giant vaginal shape popping right out of the center. Yeah, you read that right. Snap.

I'm excited for this project/research to start. More to come on that later....I'll keep you posted.......

In other news, Monday, I dressed like "Rock & Roll Harry Potter" [someone else's words] to school. I'm pretty cute, I just have to say:

Oh, I got new glasses by the way. I can actually see now without headaches! Who knew? Haha.

....Here's some method for your mischief:

What was that about women not being musical? Oh yeah, it was bullshit.

She loves art history as much as I do.
XO.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Outside, Outside The World....Out There You Don't Hear The Echoes & Calls....

Hey, Beautiful Friends!!

So it's September!! Yay! I am so excited for fall. I am writing this right now with all the windows in my house open. Lloovee.

So, tonight was my first night to work as a lab monitor in Brick City. It was great! I mean tonight I was all alone for about 3 hours (slightly creeped out since I just watched Insidious the other night on FatNight with my hetero-lifemate Tiffany), then my teacher Duat came and put me to work. I moved furniture, dusted, the works. Every Sunday from 2 to 8 PM, I will be at Brick City sitting, dusting, cleaning, and working on my own artwork. "Keeping watch over the City" if you will. My brother brought me chinese food tonight (that's my fortune above. It made me smile) and then we had an Art Party. It was so much fun! When we were kids, Jason was always the most amazing artist; he would draw Civil War soldiers and Wildlife - he's the realist and I'm the abstract one. But tonight, to my surprise, I gave him some drawing lessons! I think after he got the hang of "the rules" he enjoyed himself. He hasn't really drawn in awhile, and I'm really glad he got a chance to express himself. We just stood around and drew and sang along with the Counting Crows. Talk about refreshing. I think we both needed it.

At first he was just drawing out of his head and I was sewing on my latest sculpture, then we both decided to draw a plaster-casted model of a man with an orange electrical cord around his neck. Here's my finished piece. I got really into it at the end, so I decided to add some paint to it. I haven't painted in ages. It was fun!

The last two Thursdays in a row I have stayed up all night with Miss Tiffany watching creepy movies. We pretty much live like every day is Halloween! Last Thursday we were watching movies and doing her laundry because she was leaving the next day to go visit her aunts in St. Louis. We put the clothes in to wash at her apartment's community machine and then put on a creepy movie. When we went to put them in the dryer - the dryer had been turned off for the night!! Of course it was 3:20 AM, but Tiffany told me that the machines usually stay on all night. So we walked to the next complex and tried to use their dryers only to find the same thing had happened!! Apparently, the all-night dryer policy has been thrown out. So, we hung up all her laundry in her bathroom, on the kitchen table, on chairs, back of the couch, pretty much everywhere. Did I mention she hadn't done laundry in like 3 weeks? Haha!! So anyways, here are some pictures of us doing that. I thought they were funny. I'm very proud of the sock mountain I made on her kitchen table.....


She's pretty much my favorite person sometimes! I gotta stop staying up that late on nights before school though (one night I didn't go to sleep til 8 AM with class at 10:45....) or create another day where I can just sleep. Haha I'll try to work on both.

Alright, I'm off to read the book Carl just let me borrow. It's about Zen Buddhism and inner insecurity vs security. It should be suupperr interesting. And, I'd just like to say that I really really really love Carl and his wife, Kathleen. The last 4 weekends in a row (that's a month, people) they have made me dinner and entertained me. They're kind of like parents. Haha which is funny since they are both younger than me by a year. Either way, we've had Art Parties, School Parties (Kathleen teaches the 1st grade) and movie nights. Not to mention "Fort Night"......

(Carl is at the bottom on the left, and Kathleen is the one taking the picture. The other people in the picture are some of my artfriends Ashley [to the right of me], her manfriend Andy [top left] and the every hilarious Christopher [bottom right].) We are hoping the have another Fort Night in about a Fortnight. Hah!!

Here's some drugs fo yo brain:

This is Jeff's version of a Porter Wagoner song. Holyshititssobeautiful. I just rediscovered it this last weekend. You're welcome.

Off to cleanse my spirit. Or just read. Either way, Love You Guys. My Cat Is Beautiful.

XO.

Oh, I Can't Control Myself...

So, Mischief.

Last week I mentioned I was (as usual) up to no good. It was because my prettyful friend Amy had been out of town for about a week. I decided to (and, she told me later that she expected it. I guess I semi-spilled the beans one night after too much vodka. Dangit! Next. Time.) fill her room to the brim with balloons taped from the ceiling and have a pinata (in the form of a green monster) in the corner filled with gum and toothpaste. Although expecting it, she loved it just the same. I had a good time setting it up, except for almost passing out haha! 30 balloons in an hour! Whew!

Here is the latest sculpture. I hung it up one way, then flipped it the other way - just testing my options. From this sculpture I've learned that I LOVVEEEE yarn as a covering for the wire. It shows the "skeleton" way better than any other fabric I've ever tried. The only thing about this particular sculpture is that I Hate the yarn I used. I just had a lot of it. So my advisor, Sean, and I talked about it and I am going to try and use yarn of such colors that will show off the different planes and make it even more 3-dimensional than it already is. My teacher Sharon thinks I should go to the YARN STORE (I had no idea we had one, I think I just went down an old lady status) and scope out what kind of yarn I should use. She also wants to teach me and/or have me learn how to make my own yarn, dye it, and basket weave. HOLY SHIT. It's like i'm going to college in the 1970s. YES.

So, right now I am sitting on my bed making 5 wire miniatures of the above sculpture (it's about 3 ft long by 2 ft) so I can test different yarn on it. Tomorrow among my not working, I am going to go have an Art Party with my best painter friend, Carl. I am so excited! He usually knows exactly what advice to give me, so a lot of work should get done.

In my Sculpture II class, I've decided that I'm going to make a wire sculpture (like the above one, basically it's my main shape that I've been making/working on the past year) but use muslin and plaster. Then I was thinking if all goes as planned (I am so excited - I love Plaster!) I will stain it with something. More to come on that later.

Here's some jam for your brain:

ok, call me a nerd but HERE is the same song played on Gilmore Girls (which I have been watching on DVD recently like a madwoman) by Lane's band (Hep Alien). I really love the vocals and how they picked up the beat. Oh, music nerd.

Alright, off to make more sculptures I go. My hands are going to look gnarly when I'm 90.

XO.

P.S. The First week of school went great!! I think I'm going to love Fibers class.

Famous Eyes.

Ok Ok I know it's been, as the kid from the Sandlot would say, FOR-EV-VERRRRR - but i've been busy kids. First of all, I've been celebratin' the 42nd anniversary of Woodstock (today is day #2, actually according to the time - it's day #3 of that anniversary). God, I love it. I don't care how much it makes me a dork, I lovvvee it. The music, the people, the solidarity. Long Live Woodstock Nation. I've been celebrating all week - listening to music from the festival, wearing flowers in my hair, and doing other things of that nature that might connect me with my hippie brethren..cough cough....

Secondly, I got and started a new poetry notebook. My first writing in it? A eulogy dedicated to my old notebook. Check the title of the new notebook [click to enlarge, this blog doesn't do justice for some pictures - always click to enlarge]:

I told ya'll I'd name it that. And I did.

In good news, i've been writing in it quite a bit. Need to even more though. I will probably take it to school with me - WHICH STARTS NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

EXCITEEEMMEENNTTTT.

I would say i'm giddy "like a school girl" but shit man i AM a school girl :)

Only 3 more semesters to go bitches!

In even greater news, Ryan Adams just released news that he will be dropping a new album in mid-October. Did I mention I'm giddy like a school girl?! Yeessss. I once got accused of only listening to "the same music" all the time by my friend Maddox, well when it comes to Ryan Adams that is totally true. And will remain true because he's my fuckin' hero. Keep on singing, DRA. We love you.

On this last Monday, it would have been my grandmother's 90th birthday if she hadn't left us 2 summers ago. Miss you, Grammar. Here's a photo of her and her eldest brother, Woodrow. She was a beautiful lady. She's also one of my heroes.

Beyond all of that, Today I learned that I can blow up 30 balloons in under an hour. I can't tell you how I know that yet because I caused some mischief and I don't want to ruin the surprise....but here's a small peek:

Hopefully nobody can recognize that room....just yet....bahahahaha. I will be able to explain tomorrow. Man, blowing up balloons really chaps your lips let me just tell you. I felt so light-headed when I came home it was almost like I participated in more activities that would connect me to my hippie brethren [insert bong bubble sounds]....

Here's the RA song I've had on repeat most of the day (except for when I was Woodstock-ing out). From the album Love Is Hell, one of his best ones. Love it.

"Strung out like some Christmas lights/Out there in the Chelsea night...."

Definitely felt that way before...

Alright, probably need to go to bed. Got up early today because I was being responsible and got the tags on my car changed. They were only a month late this year. Haha. Sleepy.

Night. Love you.

XO.

Please Remember Me Fondly...

I'm back!! And now I can finally be honest with you!

Basically, my friends Leslie, Claire, Keely, and I surprised our beautyful friend Kaycee with a surprise bachelorette trip [her big day is in September] to Las Vegas!!!! She had no idea!!!

"No we're not. Really? We are? YAYY!!!!!!!," I think was her initial response when she saw this:

Yes, it's a penis. We are bachelorettes of course! And i just happened to own that cake pan. Basically, I should just open an erotic bakery - this would be my 4th phallic cake this year. It's going to happen. I can just see it now:

"Katie's Sweet Phallic Treats, Get 'Em While They're Long!" Jesus. Haha.

Anyways Anyways, sorry tangent, We took Kaycee to a nice sushi dinner and didn't say anything about the trip (it was so hard not to and I am SUPER proud of myself because we have been planning this trip since last December!!) and then we went to Leslie's house [Leslie is the angel that put the whole trip together really. Thanks girl!] and just let Kaycee discover her message cake. She jumped up and down. It was totally worth it!!

Here are some glimpses of our trip [some photos courtesy of Kaycee herself]. I miss the big city already:

I was trying to pack and Juder was NOT having it. She doesn't like when I leave. When I came home she slept in my bed next to me all night - which she never does. What a little cutie!

We stayed at New York, New York. Did you know that if you even sit down and gamble a little in the casino there, your drinks are free? Well, I didn't. I had a lot of White Russians fo free!

Dale Chihuly glass installation at Bellagio. It took him 3 years to build.

Bellagio. Beautiful Umbrella Installation. One of my favorites ever.

T-shirt I bought for my brother. I think "That's Badass" were his exact words.

Claire putting on her make-up laying down. I thought it was funny too. She's the best roomie! >>>>>

Me, Keely, Claire (love her big smile haha), Leslie, & Kaycee. Lookin' foxy for the Peep Show.

Claes Oldenburg sculpture [it's a typewriter eraser] behind The Cosmopolitan Building. I Love Art History. And Claes!

Fancy Fake Phone at The Marquee in The Cosmopolitan. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh, and Did I mention THIS!? THUNDER. FROM. DOWN. UNDER. [click to enlarge, girls!]

Every time I look at this picture it makes me smile. And get a little giggly. My fella (who motioned for me to sit on his lap - eee!) was named Jesse and after I had a seat he said, "I like your hair, love, it's awesome!" To which I nervously (and school girl giggly) replied, "Thanks, it used to be really long, but I got it cut just a bit ago." Then our picture was taken and I looked over at him and motioned a finger at my cheek to which he obliged me a smooch. Did I already say eee!? Haha oh goodness.

We went to this all male peep show, then the next night we got into Planet Hollywood's "Peep Show" for free (thanks to Miss Keely). Basically, I saw a lot of tits and asses this week. I mean heyyy, we're bachelorettes! It was so great (specially those aussie boys!).

So, now right before school starts, I am totally broke. But I came home with 20 dollars left in my wallet, a new notebook to start writing in, and my first issue of POETRY magazine waiting for me. Not to mention a fresh Mamabird hug!

Here are some songs for your brain to munch on this week:

Love you guys.

XO.

I Need You To Be All I Believe In.

Raise your hand if you woke up totally rested at 6:20 AM!

...So I'm still working on mischief that I can't fully be honest with you about until after tonight. I also probably won't be able to post again until the end of this week-ish. Busy week ahead. We got major mischief to be made (Tonight), Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is my beautiful friend Carl's birthday. And you know, of course, his party is going to be TMNT. I call Donatello!

3 weeks til school and I could NOT be more excited.

Here's my Fall 2011 Schedule:

Fibers [class of all yarn & thread all the time. It should just be called "Katie" the class]

Sculpture II [I'm going to see about learning to weld, make furniture, and work with wood]

Survey of Asian Art History [Art History.....DROOL]

Independent Study [Being graded for doing my own shit - WIN.]

So, yesterday I found out some tragic news. First of all the lead singer of the 1960s band America passed in his sleep at 60 (he lived in Missouri - who knew?). RIP Dan Peek. Secondly, I tore up heaven and earth (my room) looking for my poetry notebook - my partner in crime, my composition, Harriet the Spy-esque book which I'd been writing in for about 9 months only to find out that the little kitten knocked it into my trashcan (she likes to do this with my books sometimes, rubs her head against them until they fall from my side table) and Mamabird collected the trash the next day and - you guessed it - they collected it that same day.

Some of my best work is at the City Dump now.

[this is going to be the title of my new notebook, which my brother said he is going to pick out - cause he's a sweetie]

It was about half full. I was going to get it published.

Needless to say I cried, Mamabird cried - yesterday was a weird fucking day. It still hurts my heart to think about it. Just laying there. With garbage.

In good news, however, 3 poems from it were saved onto my computer about a month ago because I sent them to Poetry Magazine (only for them to be rejected). I am going to put one (if not all) of these on my POETRY page - a picture of my lost notebook can be seen at the top of the page. Sigh. I guess I really am the sensitive artist type. I could cry right now if I think about it too hard. But then I think about something my friend Dylan (who is going to be known for writing someday, he's amazing) said to me and I feel better,

"When words are lost remember you will always find them again because they were yours, and remember they will be better, for you are better and always will be."

Currently re-reading Ryan Adams' 2009 poetry book Infinity Blues.

"...babycakes

may you always win

for thick claws

and soft skin

dry tears

out the window with my face

on the sky

and what is now left of the wind

the wind of gone."

...is it bad that I keep really thinking about going to the city dump with rubber boots & gloves and looking for my notebook? I already have some volunteers. Anybody else?!

Gotta remember, dreamers, chin up - art is in the heART.

XO.

Lost My Love Before Her Time/On The Way To Ohio...

Hellooooo, my fair-haired LoveChildren.

So last night on my way home from my friend Amy's house (I stopped there after work), I decided to take a drive through the backwoods of Missouri. Although I have had a love/hate relationship with this forsaken state my whole life, I know when I leave someday [insert the word soon] I will miss this: The Land. There's nothing like sticking your arm straight out the window and pretending to fly while you're speeding down hills at 55 mph. Not to mention that if you're me, you sing REALLY LOUD with music while doing it.

If you're a kid reading this - first of all, sorry about the curse words. You were bound to learn them sooner or later anyways, so shit kid join in. Secondly, it's probably not safe to drive down the curvy, backroads of Missouri with your arm out the window, singing loudly, and speeding. UNLESS you have driven these roads for ages like I have. Then you're allowed, kids, then you're allowed. Don't worry that day will be here soon. Promise.

[Frida Kahlo magnets that I keep on my dashboard. Love]>>>


On top of all this danger, I was also taking pictures while I was driving [the very first picture is one of those]. They were all pretty blurry, so I drove all the way to my star gazing spot in Clever, MO, and got out of the car and took pictures of the moon. Thank goodness human eyes are more receptive than the lens on a camera. The moon was gorgeous last night. If you haven't taken a look recently, you should. It's full right now. Which is probably why I went driving last night. The full moon always makes me restless. Restless for new places, people, and things. I tried calling a few people I knew to go on a drive with me, but they were either busy or sleeping like grandmas - I'm gonna go with the latter just so I maintain my cool status. Haha.

Here is the song I was singing with really loudly:

I don't really know what he's saying for part of the time either, but with Justin Vernon, I think you can just sing melodious notes with him and you're just fine. This is from the new Bon Iver album, which has gotten some critical reviews, but I like it. Love it in fact.
This song was on repeat too:

Did I mention that I drove around for like an hour? Maybe even an hour and a half. I wasn't keeping track. Haha. Nothing like getting a new tank of gas and using part of it up on your own weird, restless whims......
....then coming home and reading some good, good poetry. Right now i'm reading The Captain's Verses by Pablo Neruda (Thanks for taking me to Barnes & Noble that one day, Amy).
"...Like a great storm
we shook
the tree of life...." [From The Son]
XO.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out...

So it was a really weird, and busy week!

It all started when Mamabird and I went to play Bingo with the elderly people at

Republic Senior Center....

We didn't win a SINGLE

GAME!!!! Older people kept calling "Bingo" at all the wrong times, so then when we still had a shred of hope left, we'd resume the unfinished game only to have someone with an actual Bingo win with the next call. Hope Springs Eternal. And Hope is a Bitch. We were sad. So, in order to make myself feel better - I went and got my hairs cut by my prettyful friend Wendy (in order to make herself feel better, Mamabird went and got a Cherry Limeade from Sonic at Happy Hour - oh the life of the Retired!). Wendy traded me a haircut for a painting! Which was totally awesome because I am wayy poor and the painting she wanted (It haunts me because of it's lack of skill - I was just a fledgling when I made it, but she really likes it!) was just sitting getting dusty in our SunRoom. So that was the plan.

But then......THIS HAPPENED:

Part of the deal was that Wendy would wax my eyebrows, but apparently I am allergic to ANYKIND of wax. EVER.

"Your skin bubbled up and started bleeding," she said, "then I went to wipe the blood away and the hair went with it."

So basically, it BURNED MY EYEBROW OFF.

But not to worry, Children of the Revolution, all can be fixed with eyeshadow that is liken- colored to that of my hairs. The only bummer is that if I wanted to be in a Frida Kahlo look-alike contest anytime soon, I would have slim chances of winning. Dangit!!!

The good news though, was that it made me laugh hysterically, and I can add it to the ever lengthening list of "mishaps" that has happened to me over the years. And if you know me well at all - there's a BUNCH of them.

Plus I went home and started this book:

[by David Nicholls, soon to be out as a movie (aug 19thish), yeah it's sappy but whatever man I liked it.]

And finished it today!

Then after that - I took a WONDERFUL NAP.

When I woke up, I made some earrings for my friend Amy Byrum.

which I've never actually made dangly earrings before, so that was interesting and - after a few sailor-y words - FUN.

And besides all these interesting happenings, I also worked about 25 hours at the old CorporateSoulKiller, sketched some more nudie ladies, went swimming with Mamabird at the community center (there were so many old people talking and swimming, I hung out with the Greatest Generation alot this week), started working on some new drapery/material sculpture ideas, and burned the top of my left hand on Amy Byrum's oven.

All in a week's work I guess!

Anyways, here is my love song to you this week:

XO.