deviantART: by:photopixie

Call for Support

~photopixie — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:40:35 PDT

This is no call for help to pay for college tuition or supplies as I have done in the past. Those were simpler times, and it was silly to ask for people to buy prints for those reasons. Maybe that's why nobody did.

This is much more serious.

My husband has cancer.

We had to drop the lives we were building in beautiful Seattle to move back home to Cleveland for a lengthy treatment process to try to beat this thing. Medical bills are piling up and neither of us have steady income anymore. We would greatly appreciate any support the amazing DeviantART community can give, by purchasing a print or two from my Print Store:

[link]

I'm trying to keep my mind off of everything by focusing on my art when I can. Hoping to add some new work here very soon

Thank you for reading.

P.S. Very honored to be featured here (photograph is in row 2, column 2): [link]

Solo Exhibit

~photopixie — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:58:31 PST

I keep forgetting to mention here about my first solo gallery exhibit. Yes, a real live exhibit, not something confined to the 0's and 1's of the Internet. You can see my show here in my new home of Seattle, Washington at the Lynnwood Library Gallery. If you're not in the area, you can read all about it on my blog!

So far, no sales...so if you're interested in any of the pieces please do let me know. It cost an arm and a leg to print, mat, and frame all 17 pieces. Cost a lot of blood, sweat and tears, as well.

Feature

~photopixie — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:32:23 PST

Solstice Queen has been featured in the Winter Solstice - Yule feature over at =AvalonCommunity!

I'm so flattered for the honor, thanks guys!

Call for Help

~photopixie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:48:04 PST

Hello Friends,

I am in dire need of some help. My first ever solo gallery exhibit is coming up in January, and I cannot afford the cost to print, mat and frame 20 pieces . So I am having a special promotion of buy 2 prints, get a free 8x10 from me!

How to get your free print:

1. Between now and December 31st, Purchase two prints in any size 8x10 or larger at my Print Shoppe: [link]

2. Contact me at catarionna@yahoo.com or leave me a DA note with the title "Free 8x10". In the message, list the titles of the two prints you purchased along with your address. Please indicate the title of the third FREE print you would like.

3. I will send you the free 8x10 of your choice.

It's that easy! I appreciate your help to make my dream come true

Catherine Somerlot
[link]

Thank you!

~photopixie — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:12:14 PDT

Thank you to the wonderful person who purchased an 8x12 print of Ancient Pines way back in May! Any sales I make are MUCH appreciated...especially now that I've moved to a new city and have not found any paying work yet. So, even one print sale helps. Thank you!

If you see anything that you know someone will enjoy as art on their walls, please pass my link along!

[link]

Thank you!

- Catherine

Lots of new-ness

~photopixie — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:50:49 PDT

Greetings lovely DA artists and friends!

Well, all here in faerie land is splendid and new...I recently married my dear love, Benjamin, after a six and a half year courtship. This means I am now called Catherine Somerlot, like Somerset and Camelot all rolled up into one name, a name that we are looking forward to defining as our own as we begin our own little family. We hope to add a new member very soon, one of the feline nature

More changes are afoot as we sit here in my childhood home by the northern shore, our temporary home, packing my many acquired treasures and trinkets for an epic journey to the western coast (Seattle, Washington). I will dearly miss my home, my friends, my family, but this change is much needed for the both of us. In our new realm, Benjamin will continue his graduate studies to become a doctor of genetics and I will shortly be finishing my own collegiate studies in the Web beautification trade. I gladly offer my services to any artists out there who are in need of a visually pleasing presence on the Web with the design of a beautiful website. This is what I plan to do for my career, with or without a corporate desk (preferably without!!) You can find out more here: [link]

Well my dear friends, I know how horrible absent I've been on DA in the past couple of years, something I am quite sad about, but I hope to return once my degree is officially complete in August and the over 2,000 mile move from home is finished in a few weeks. I miss viewing all of your beautiful artwork, and I miss having the time to create and grow in my own talents.

Thanks to all of you who have commented or added my work to your favorites!!

Merry Summer Solstice!

Subscription!!

~photopixie — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:45:08 PST

I was truly honored recently as the winner of the winter contest over at !! This is the photograph that won: Gnarled Tree. I received a 3-month subscription and a few journal featues. Thank you thank you thank you everyone that voted and featured my work!! This comes at a great time, as I'm trying to more aggressively get my work out there.

I feels good to be a subscriber again...so many new features I hope I have the time to play with. We'll see. It's going to be a very busy year with my wedding coming up and a big move to the West Coast! Lots of changes that I hope bring many more options on the art front than I have here in Cleveland. Very excited!

JPG Magazine

~photopixie — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:09:43 PST

I am trying to get this photograph published in JPG Magazine....a vote would be much appreciated! It's the one of the ferocious cat featured there on the left:

The Lion's Roar

Thank you so much!

A New Beginning

~photopixie — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:45:13 PST

This has been a year of change, growth, and learning. Unfortunately not much focus has been placed on my artwork, but I'm working on changing that. Since last December, I've worked in two jobs as a web designer, learning a lot of vital skills to help me evolve in that area. My goal is to begin offering website design for artists like you!! Soon I will unveil my new website and more information on how artists, musicians, craftspeople, etc.. can have a beautiful, intuitive, and professional presence on the Web.

Watch this space!!

Wonderful groups I belong to...

June, 2007

~photopixie — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:14:57 PDT

Summoning the Spirit is being featured in a news release by *EliteArtists!

January, 2007

~photopixie — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:37:41 PST

Joined a new group run by a familiar stock artist

Did a freelance photo-shoot for a friend and was paid for it!

Left my job at the photo lab after 6 years of hard work and non-advancement.

Started a new job that I am loving but am suffering financially as it is quite a paycut

Making new contacts and gaining a lot of experience with Web design and communications

Finished 9 classes in 2006 as a part-time student, earning a 4.0 GPA

Returned to school this year as a full-time student.

Have some leads for freelance work in Web design Haven't heard anything back yet from these leads

Will be moving to the country with my parent's if I can't come up with a way to afford rent for an apartment on a scarily close to minimum wage pay rate

Hoping for freelance opportunities to supplement my income and save me from having to drive for hours to get to school and work in the "city".

Someday I will be motivated enough to sort through my work and put together a body of my best artwork to redo my entire print portfolio. Then I'd like to cancel this deviantart account and start fresh. I need to get rid of the photopixie name, since that was me at 18 or 19.

Thank you to those who are supportive and caring

All things faery

~photopixie — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:33:55 PST

I've been featured on Fae Nation My featured image stars the wonderful stock artist, =Elandria

Would anyone be able to help me find some work? Commissioned art, photo-retouching, photo restoration? This type of work may be the only income I have, soon.

Wonderful groups I belong to...

October, 2006

~photopixie — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:52:16 PDT

Well...I haven't been spending much time here at all lately! I'm still not used to the new deviantART, as a result. I don't know if I like it or not.

I'm taking a couple night classes and another online class along with working, so I have less time for creating. I really want to be working on improving my photo-manip skills! I'm also oh so tempted to create a CSS journal to practice my newly learned skills from the hellish summer college session I endured. Unfortunately that's pretty low on my priority list right now

I'm now a member of the Fantasy Art Gathering, run by artist Carol Ochs. Check out my feature there: [link]

I also will have a feature coming up with Fae Nation. Yah! I love that place.

One of the photographs I took at a Mediaeval Baebes show last year in Canada will be used in promo materials...I have no idea exactly what, but I do hope to find out! Hopefully more info on that later.

You can still see my photographs on the Mediaeval Baebes Official Web Site

I finished some new photographs for a fantasy series I've had in mind for months! Thanks to my good friend Kristy, her lovely dress, and some beautiful scenery. Take a look at the Crimson Queen.

So, that's it. These are tiny accomplishments that may not seem like much, but I'll take what I can get

All is not lost

~photopixie — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 20:21:35 PDT

The creativity in me has drifted away sometime during this long hot summer, and I'm nowhere near the sea in which it floats. Classes end this week, and I'm struggling with the last difficult assignments that could be the difference between an A and a B. When things settled down a bit, I opened Photoshop for the first time in about two months and found that I could no longer create. Part of it has to do with my lack of confidence in my previous work, though I know it continues to improve with each piece I create. I want to continue learning and experimenting, but I've lost the spark that I need when I embark on another creation. I hope that I can sort through the many life-changing decisions (or non-decisions) that I have to make in the coming months so I can settle down in the calming sanctuary I hope to find where I can focus on my studies and my art. Until then, I still have photography. I'm now using my old analog Canon lens because the one bought from amazon.com was defective...and I'm waiting to buy another. It's good enough, but not the best. I take my camera out on weekends when I have some free time and am able to find my creativity again, somewhat, while taking pictures. Photography was my first love, and it's nice to have it to fall back on when all other forms of creation fail me. Otherwise...I'd go mad.

I'm thankful my house was free of flooding in the recent torrential downpours we had here in northeast Ohio. Wow. I hope anyone here on DA from my area are doing alright considering the unusual natural disaster conditions we've had! I thought of documenting it in photography, but I had to work during the whole ordeal. That's one of the big decisions I have to make..... Will I be okay if I quit working for 1 to 2 years while I finish up my bachelors degree? I wish more than anything right now to be able to do that.

Wonderful groups I belong to...

getting nowhere, nothing new

~photopixie — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 15:38:25 PDT

Things are BAD. I can't even explain how miserable I am feeling lately, so I won't. Not that I'm a popular artist around here or anything, but this is why I haven't been here much. I don't have any free time to be creative I broke my dslr lens. My wonderful boyfriend helped me buy a new one though...but I feel bad and I want to pay him back. Classes are very very very difficult, overwhelming, and dehumanizing me. I don't think I can handle the computer programming, and I'm even overwhelmed by Web programmin, which I have a lot of experience with. Work is hell. Insane, busy, low-paying, unrewarding hell. But it allows me to get some schoolwork done. I'm seeing my doctor every six weeks to check-up on my switch to a new anti-depressant. I'm not stable, and can't see how I ever will be. I'm not happy, and feel fake when I have moments of contentedness or when I tell people I'm fine. I have no motivation or desire to work on my classes, even though they're interesting and ones I want to take. Somehow, my Web site is finished.....just a few things to add, but it's finished; catherinesgallery.com. I have no time to work on my portfolio, design...anything that would help advance my "career" or to help sell my art and skills to employers or willing buyers. I whine a lot, and I don't like it very much. I hurt all over.

I won't be able to spend much time here, or I'll never get my programming labs finished. To my good friends here, thank you for your support and caring...you have no idea how much that means to me!

â¥ Catherine

p.s. My website is slowly returning from the mists!!! My Official Site. Not much is there yet, but the design is finished. Let me know what you think of the new design!

Wonderful groups I belong to...

June, 2006

~photopixie — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 14:07:53 PDT

It's summertime and I am so busy! I'm taking three classes and as always, working full time. And seemingly getting nowhere in my quest for change. BUT, I always make time for photography & digital art, because without it, I will go mad with monotony. Art is my escape from the world into one of my own creation. Someday I hope to be a full native of that world!

I'm thinking of buying a subscription again...it's been so long and I miss it! So maybe soon I will have a more image-friendly journal here. We'll see...I'm concerned about money since I haven't been able to find a place that I can afford to live, yet.

I hope you are all very happy and having better luck in life than I!

â¥ Catherine

p.s. My website is slowly returning from the mists!!! My Official Site. Not much is there yet, but the design is finished. Let me know what you think of the new design!

Wonderful groups I belong to...

P.S.A 1st May, 2006

~photopixie — Mon, 01 May 2006 15:57:49 PDT

NOT a very good omen for the coming of May...

Catherinesgallery.com is gone...

After two years of hard work, my web hosts have lost my entire website for a SECOND time. The hard drive it was located on had to be replaced, so all of my uploaded files and images are gone. I do have the code backed-up, learning a lesson from the last time this happened, but to re-upload all those images and paste all of the code into the hundreds of pages I had is just something I have NO time for. I'm a student who's working full-time with little free time for re-building an entire website

I've decided to not spend the time working on something that has not really helped my "career" much, and to wait until I've finished more web design classes for my degree (which is,
ironically enough, web/graphic design) before I create a brand new website. By then I will hopefully be more knowledgeable about web hosting companies and will know which ones will crash
every two years. For now, when and if they get my account back online, I will have to keep the site until my contract runs out and at least have the links to my *deviantART gallery* and *myspace profile*. I'll have to use my flickr account and other free image hosting sites to display my images on myspace and other sites, which will take some time.

I feel so horribly empty right now. But I hope to take this chance to work on other projects that may help me pay my way through the rest of college and give me more experience. I'm always available for photo-restorations and other freelance work, and the info about this can be found * here *. And of course, there are always prints for sale

Can I truly stop myself from designing a new site? It's my chosen area of study, so maybe I'll be able to work on it for my classes this summer. Who knows, catherinesgallery.com may be back before we know it.

Thanks for your support
<3 Catherine

Wonderful groups I belong to...

April Artist Feature, Myspace, and New Groups

~photopixie — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 23:45:57 PDT

Since everyone and their mother is a member, here's where you can find me on Myspace...

CatherinesGallery.com on Myspace.

âª Artist Feature âª

The are so many artists here on deviantART that inspire me, and I would like to feature them here on occasion as a way to say thank you. Thank you, to all who inspire my imagination and soul...

First I must feature the friend who has been the most supportive and keeps in touch often:

We share the same birthplace and great love for art and photography. Her photo-manipulations are what inspired me to spend more time playing about in Photoshop. She's been a good friend and wonderful support of my work for the past year or so. Thank you, Tracy

Also check out her photo account:

Wonderful groups I belong to...

April, 2006

~photopixie — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 07:59:33 PDT

Ooohh! My friend tagged me! I've never been tagged before, and was never quite sure what it was. I guess it's what my friend Andrea and I used to do before the age of computers and Internet. We'd write "surveys" for eachother to answer...usually quite silly, we were kids at the time....and then exchange them to read and laugh about the answers. It's been awhile, but here I go...

1. first name?
Catherine

2. were you named after anyone?
Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke on "The Dukes of Hazard" tv show). lol.

3. do you wish on stars?
Not in a long time

4. when did you last cry
I really cannot remember...medication seems to stop all extreme emotion other than gloominess.

5. do you like your handwriting?
When I take my time.

6. what is your favorite lunch meal?
SUBWAY. I go there so much the gang all knows me and what sub I order.

7. when is your birth date?
November 17th

8. what is your most embarrassing cd?
This is a tough one...

9. do you have a journal?
I go through phases of writing...so I have about 25 half filled journals. Need to do some spring cleaning

10. do you use sarcasm a lot?
Of course not...

11. what are your nicknames?
Cathy, Cat, Craic, and many other various nicknames from my family and boyfriend.

12. do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Never, I'm always in a rush.

13. do you think that you are strong?
Not really. I just hide from the world.

14. what is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate with chocolate fudge. Chocolate is my 5 minutes of happiness

15. shoe size.
8 1/2

16. red or pink?
Red

17. what is your least favorite thing about yourself?
So much...

18. what do you miss most?
Deb from work, my old friendships.

19. do you want everyone you tag, answer it too?
If they so desire

20. what color pants and shoes are you wearing now?
I'm still in bed wearing the grey shorts and a t-shirt that I wore to bed.

21. are you listening to your favorite music right now?
Yes...ambient fantasy peaceful music I listen to all night.

22. what was the last thing you ate?
Fish...it was Good Friday.

23. if you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Earthy Green

24. what is the weather like right now?
Glorious! A beautiful Spring morning...finally!

25. last person you talked to on the phone?
Ben. He's the only person that ever calls me.

26. the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Face and hair.

27. do you like the person who tagged this to you?
Yes! She's been an awesome support and creates lovely photo-manips

28. favorite drink?
I drink too much pop (Coke, Pepsi), which is my curse. But it's also my favorite thing to drink.

29. favorite sport?
I don't play anymore, but (slow pitch) softball could be funat times. I like to watch figure skating and other Olympic sports.

30. favorite colors?
Green, violet, earthy colors.

31. eye color?
Brown

32. do you wear contacts?
Yes. I am horribly nearsighted.

33. favorite food?
Beef Stroganoff, My grandma's macaroni salad (hopefully she'll make it for Easter dinner!), and salads.

34. last movie you watched?
I can't remember...

35. scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings

36. summer or winter?
Spring and Autumn!

37. hugs or kisses?
Hugs

38. what is your favorite dessert?
Ice Cream

39. what books are you reading?
A few, actually. At work I'm reading "King's Dragon" by Kate Elliott (again), at home I'm reading "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries" by W.Y. Evans-Wentz and "The Celtic Sp...

Looking to the skies

~photopixie — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 21:10:15 PST

Well, I've finally done it! I'm taking my first college class in three years. It's an online introductory course...actually, half of my classes will be online. The other half will be taken at my community college, where I graduated in 2002 with my Associate of Arts Degree. I have about 20-22 classes left to earn my Bachelors Degree in Digital Communication (Concentration in Website/Graphic Design). Right now I'm taking one class at a time, since I'm still working full-time. So far it's going pretty well.

My overall outlook on life is doing pretty well, actually I am making an effort to think more positively this year, to work harder with my artwork and personal growth, and to just try to have fun. It's amazing...I actually feel a lot better than I have in quite awhile!

One of my goals this year is to get some of my work in a local gallery. I'm sending out emails to galleries, and waiting for someone to respond. Hopefully I'll get a least a small break this year.

I'm adding a lot of new prints to my store, and updating many of the older ones with newer and better versions.

Work is slow, thankfully, and I'm sticking it out because I need to keep working to pay for tuition . And I truly fear not having a steady full-time job! I've been working at the same place for 5 years now...there are good days and bad days, but it keeps me busy and constantly striving for a better existence.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is having a good start to 2006!

New Year

~photopixie — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 16:18:21 PST

Many blessings and good fortune for the New Year!

* S e a s o n a l S a l e *

~photopixie — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 20:09:14 PST

I've lowered all the prices in my prints store for the months of November and December...so please take a look around if you're interested in finding original art for holiday gifts....

My Prints Store

Thank you

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portfolio

~photopixie — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 20:24:52 PDT

I need to start working on a professional portfolio of my work, as many job interviews require them. Thing is, I really have no graphic design work! And that's my best bet for a career, I think. It's a growing industry, but a competitive one...and I'm not a very competitive person. It all comes back to where I began...trying to finish my degree. so....very.......very frusterating. I hope there is someone or something looking out for me in the great cosmos, who can convince those in charge to grant me a scholarship for a very insightful and humbling essay I wrote.

I hope to have some work featured in a gallery, maybe. I have a connection with someone at work who knows some people who have a gallery downtown. Another thing to offer up to the cosmos!

the Baebes concert was mystifyingly enchanting....just the thing I needed to inspire me creatively!

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toronto

~photopixie — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 18:17:08 PDT

this is my year for travelling, I guess. I am going to Niagara Falls, Toronto, and then Buffalo, NY all in two and a half days! Niagara Falls, which I've been to many times, is just to pass the time before we have to be in Toronto for a show in the evening (The Mediaeval Baebes!!), and we're stopping in Buffalo on our way home to meet some of my mother's relatives.

I don't travel much, but I really do want to start. It's been nice going to a few new places this year...Florida, Pittsburgh, and now Toronto. I borrowed a DSLR from work !! so I hope to have some really nice photographs.

Have I ever said how much I love Autumn? It's glorious!!

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if anyone is in need of a little creative boost (especially, but not limited to, fantasy-genre artists), you MUST buy this album:

Mirabilis, the latest album from the Mediaeval Baebes.

Buy in the UK: amazon UK

truly amazing sounds will fill your ears with magical dreams....

~~~

~photopixie — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 16:52:17 PDT

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if anyone is in need of a little creative boost (especially, but not limited to, fantasy-genre artists), you MUST buy this album:

Mirabilis, the latest album from the Mediaeval Baebes.

Buy in the UK: amazon UK

truly amazing sounds will fill your ears with magical dreams....

at yet another crossroads

~photopixie — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 15:58:22 PDT

i am terrified. i've made the decision that i cannot go on working where i do any longer. the emotional and physical stress and abuse are not worth having an income. no matter how small it is. when i finally do find the right time to leave, what will i do then? i'm hoping to have something lined up before i quit...but that's next to impossible. i'm shaking just thinking about it. things just keep happening to me at work...negative things that i have no control over and that i did not cause. then there's the overall change in my personality over the last five years. i've grown as a person, yes, being more assertive and in-charge. i've always been independent, but not a leader. i've learned a good bit about leadership. but i've also learned to settle for the status quo, when the status quo absolutely SUCKS most of the time. because it's "comfortable". i hate uncomfortable situations, even if it's a healthy challenge.

this is another crossroads because I have the choice to enter a Bachelors program through my community college (in web/graphic design & programming). Because things at work are at another huge transitional phase, which I do NOT have the energy to go through again so soon. i'm thinking about just quitting and going to school full time for a year, to get it over with. AND get away from this hellish work environment I'm in. But i worry about money and survival. and my parents worry. it's amazing how much influence one little cautionary bit of concern from your parents makes you change your mind in an instant. what i really need is to leave for awhile. This would be the perfect time to study or work abroad, IF i had the connections. if i work abroad, in a photolab or something, i definitely have the money to do this. school...probably not.

i don't think i have the energy to make a change that will make me happy for once. i'm so tired, still getting over my illness. i have no one to talk to, really....all my long-time friends are...not really friends anymore, actually. god, i thought i was alone all these years...i am more alone now than ever. i wish i was that strong woman who picked herself up and supported herself through college all the way to the top. i'm most definitely not right now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

if anyone is in need of a little creative boost (especially, but not limited to, fantasy-genre artists), you MUST buy this album:

Mirabilis, the latest album from the Mediaeval Baebes.

Buy in the UK: amazon UK

truly amazing sounds will fill your ears with magical dreams....

travels

~photopixie — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 16:41:18 PDT

I'm going to Pittsburgh this weekend...I've never been there before, so I shall see how it is. I have some people telling me they hate it, others say they love it. Can't be any worse than Cleveland, right? We shall see. Definitely bringing the camera! I also will be meeting the rest of my boyfriend's aunts and uncles, all wonderful artists. Should be a nice trip...

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if anyone is in need of a little creative boost (especially, but not limited to, fantasy-genre artists), you MUST by this album:

Mirabilis, the latest album from the Mediaeval Baebes.

Buy in the UK: amazon UK

truly amazing sounds will fill your ears with magical dreams....

5 winters this eclectic community has seen...

~photopixie — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 17:17:45 PDT

Thank you deviantART for randomly choosing me to receive a free 1-month subscription!! Happy Birthday deviantART!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

if anyone is in need of a little creative boost (especially, but not limited to, fantasy-genre artists), you MUST by this album:

Mirabilis, the latest album from the Mediaeval Baebes.

Buy in the UK: amazon UK

truly amazing sounds will fill your ears with magical dreams....

no really, this will happen!!

i listened to the album while re-designing my website (again), taking photos, working on photo-manips, and finishing up a difficult freelance photo-editing project i'm working on, because this music inspired me to impulsively create!

summery journal..

~photopixie — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 20:58:18 PDT

it's august...how did this happen? summer is flying by, and since returning from florida, i've spent all of it at work! though, i must say that my creativity is still intact and flourishing...even if i'm not creating any new artwork. my mind seems to be going non-stop, day and night. my dreams are so vivid that when i wake up i felt like i've been somewhere. all of this keeps my brain working, formulating new ideas that i have very little free time to finish. i'm certainly not complaining...things at work have improved 98% over the last 2 months! it's nice to finally, but still only occasionally, be heard...and action being taken when needed. one thing i never really believed i've found is unfortunately true...it's tough being a young girl in the workplace. it's quite rewarding when i can overcome some of the obstacles, though

if anyone is in need of a little creative boost (especially, but not limited to, fantasy-genre artists), you MUST by this album:

Mirabilis, the latest album from the Mediaeval Baebes.

Buy in the UK: amazon UK

truly amazing sounds will fill your ears with magical dreams....

no really, this will happen!!

i listened to the album while re-designing my website (again), taking photos, working on photo-manips, and finishing up a difficult freelance photo-editing project i'm working on, because this music inspired me to impulsively create!

who bought my prints? :-)

~photopixie — Sat, 25 Jun 2005 19:21:57 PDT

i thought that if i ever sold a print, i'd get an email notification from deviantART or something....well, I checked my print sales, expecting to see the sales i knew of (one print bought by a friend two years ago, a bunch bought by me) and I have like 5 more prints sold! so, thank you whoever bought one! i'd love to know who you are so i can thank you i'm honored!

new design...again

~photopixie — Sat, 18 Jun 2005 11:35:58 PDT

Mood: peaceful

New design and new work added to my website! I wanted a more calming spring/summer look, and to finally add some of the work I've been submitting here. I've been working so much all week! My poor boyfriend is sick of seeing me always working on my laptop so, maybe I'll take a little break. heh, yeah right At least I'll take tonight off so I can have a relaxing Saturday evening with Ben and my family. It's much needed after such a stressful week at work.

I hope you like the new design! I'm debating about one thing....is the pure white background too harsh on the eyes? It doesn't bother me, and I tend to have sensative eyes. I wanted to mute the white a bit, but that would mean more work to make the images in the design match the background. Soooo, for now... it stays white. Yeah.... I wish that was my most difficult decision to be facing right now. Unfortunately, it isn't. I still need to find out about finishing school and finding a new job (if that's even possible).

I love this cool breezy weather we're having in Cleveland...it's perfect sleeping weather. I think I may do that right now...treat myself to a Saturday afternoon nap

Devious Journal Entry

~photopixie — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 05:05:45 PDT

where did this subscription come from?! what a lovely surprise for me this morning!!! thank you if someone bought one for me! but being that it expires next week, i'm guessing it's a little trial version or something? thank you deviantART!

returning

~photopixie — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 17:23:09 PDT

I'm back from Florida, with many photographs to display. I realized something today...not many people seem to use film anymore. I think I may be one of the few younger people left that uses film for more than a majority of my work. Being a photo lab manager does have its advantages I love film, the quality is like no other (and slide film is even better), and I'll probably always use it. Though before I leave the photo place, I will have to buy a digital SLR, soley because I won't be able to afford film processing any longer! So, I'm looking forward to that day...but sort of sad that I won't be using film as much. One of the sacrifices we make to get by financially, I guess. Too bad it's at the expense of art! Digital photography is a wonderful techonology, don't get me wrong...I just scan my negatives to convert them to digital anyway! So, I suppose it won't be too difficult a transition.

I'm sick of photopixie...I wish I could change it. Maybe I'll start a new account and see if I can get 1,000 pageviews in a month like these other new people do.

vacation

~photopixie — Mon, 30 May 2005 14:47:28 PDT

i am taking a vacation. a real vacation, my very first. i'm also riding on an airplane for the first time. i am going to florida for a week, and i'm treating this exoerience as a photo assignment. hopefully i'll get to all the places i want to visit....the gulf, beaches, ancient ruins, archeological and nature parks, an old scottish town....many photo ops! so, expect some more work up here in about a week or so

wish me luck on my first plane ride...

store

~photopixie — Sun, 01 May 2005 12:43:55 PDT

Happy May Day!!

I've opened a cafepress store, with designs you may not see here. take a look if you are interested...any profit I make from this will go towards my "back to college fund" ---> leaves of the grove

I need to go back to school

~photopixie — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 20:10:59 PDT

I have this ongoing battle with myself and my situation about going back to college. Since my junior year of high school, I have tossed around the idea of applying to the Cleveland Institute of Art, a renown school that would look amazing on my resume. I did apply for a full scholarship in my senior year, just to see...I didn't win, of course. I had and still have little faith in my talent and my acceptance to the school. But if I do get accepted, I most definitely will not be able to afford it, and will struggle on my own to pay off the loans. As all college graduates do. But for me...the money thing is mostly what's holding me back!! It's not fair, it's not right, it's cruel to be bogged down by such a huge debt to receive an education...and with no guarantee of a job afterwards to pay it off. I'm terrified of the prospect of going to a school that costs more than I make in a year as a photo lab manager (which I will be QUITTING if I go back to college).

Deb, my guardian angel and co-worker , is trying to talk me into just going for it. She is a graduate of CIA, loved her time there...so I told her what I need is for someone to keep pushing me. She tells me to imagine what it would be like to have an exciting and happy two years finishing up my bachelors, studying digital art and photography, being in the art atmosphere, meeting other artists... it's appealing. And I know it will be worth the $35,000 a year to go there. But I am so poor. I will apply for financial aide, but I usually never receive any. Scholarships...ha, I've never had much luck with those. But if I can be pushed enough...and excited enough, as I was today talking to Deb about it...I think I can do anything.

I need some more urging...and help. If you feel inclined, please visit my prints store and see if you'd like to purchase one. Every little bit helps...mostly the idea that someone would like having my art on their walls! Fuel for my motivation. Advice about college tuition woes would be grateful, too. Thank you...

website

~photopixie — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 01:09:27 PST

after months of putting it off, tonight/this morning i finally had a stroke of energy and motivation to work on my photography website. a good bit of it is finished, so please check it out!

catherinesgallery.com

i have a lot of photos/digital art i need to go through and put up on the site, but for now the most recent work is there. plus i may organize things into categories...but for now i just wanted something that actually looked finished

i would like to add many more links, so if you have a photography site, any other type of art, or even just your deviantART gallery, let me know if you'd like me to link you! it's the least i can do for my ers!

a better view

~photopixie — Sun, 02 Jan 2005 13:32:26 PST

New year, new life. A brighter outlook and even a feeling of slight motivation to get things started and finished. I will force myself to make this a good productive year. I think I'm ready to try harder. Yet in all this, I also must let myself chill out once a day. I believe that is the key to success, knowing when to give yourself an unselfish, guiltless break.

Down...

~photopixie — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 17:27:29 PST

These are hard times, it seems. My creativity is lost somewhere in a snowdrift, and I'm too exhausted to go dig it out. I'm fed up with my work environment that has been the major cause of my depression these past 4 years. I'm having such bad luck there now, screwing things up accidently which I'm afraid will make me look bad. But I am officially on "the hunt" again. Anyone want to hire a dedicated and reliable photographer or graphic designer? I'm available!

The weather in Northern Ohio this year is becoming very intolerable for me. I've never been this annoyed with it before. My dreams of Ireland are coming back strongly...visions of green fields and ancient cultural landmarks drifting through my mind. The need to get away from here is overwhelming. There is ice streaming on the wall outside of our store, it looks like an ice house. Maybe I'll post a picture of it. Water is pouring from the ceiling inside the store. This is what I came back to after a couple of days off for Christmas. I had to take precautions to protect my lab supplies...we'll see if it does any good. The building owners don't see the multiple leaks in the ceiling as a high priority. It's cold and miserable. But, it always is and always has been. There is no heat in the back room and I never remember there ever being any...we have to work and eat back there. Well I sure don't eat there anymore! I'm just waiting for all the water that is on the floor and in the drip buckets to freeze over. Then we could all go ice skating. I'm wondering what will happen to all that expensive merchandise and electronical equipment that has no protection from the leaks. I already slipped many times on the water puddles while carrying heavy supplies... I even broke a camera when I slipped once, trying to take "insurance" pictures of the carnage. That's the last time I'll do anything to try to help out. I'm sure I'll have to pay the $400 that it was worth. It's only just cracked in one place, though, and it still works. I'm just expecting the worst from these penny pinchers. All this fun, every single day! I sure hope I'm not anywhere near an electrical outlet when the ceiling tiles full of melted snow collapse...

...or maybe I do, so I can be free of this misery!

There are places you can call to take care of these unhealthy working conditions, are there not?

But I AM looking elsewhere now. And I have hope. And a friend who is looking elsewhere, too. We've got a great support system going. Maybe a nice opportunity will arise this coming new year. Maybe even a real career will blossom for me I do have at least an ounce of hope, and it's helping me survive...

My Lists

~photopixie — Sat, 04 Dec 2004 23:24:41 PST

There is so much I could be doing, but where has the time gone? I'm one to make lists, and I have many notebooks and slips of paper with reminders and ideas posted on them. It seems that I only get things accomplished in rare perfect moments...like the one evening last week that I spent a few hours creating a simple beginning of a website for a co-worker/ artistic collaborator. That's one I can cross off the list. How many more projects to go? Quite a few.

What is holding me back? Lack of honest to goodness FREE TIME. Lack of support. Delay after delay from the higher-ups at work. No cooperation whatsoever. Very little help. Lack of confidence. My own laziness and lack of motivation. Depression (my own and other's close to me). Lack of solitariness to think and create.

Today, I'm at least happy that I learned how to create real sound from my newly acquired violin Just needed a little bow-prepping. Now if only I knew how to read music, or at least the fingering for violin-playing!

...

~photopixie — Thu, 25 Nov 2004 17:06:19 PST

it's very cold...very very cold...

-

~photopixie — Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:09:00 PST

I wish I had more time, and a better internet connection, to indulge myself in deviantART. I'd probably be more inspired than I am at the moment. You all inspire me, all your beautiful artwork. I wish I could be as artistic as some of you. Maybe I could if I had the time and motivation. My job takes a lot out of me...looking at other people's snapshots all day seems to really drain me, so usually by the end of the day the last thing I want to do is look at more photography. I have so many ideas at work when my mind drifts away. I want to market my photographs to people looking for unique holiday gifts, plus so much more I could be doing....It's time to begin creating again!

Important

~photopixie — Sun, 15 Aug 2004 12:29:47 PDT

My cousin made an independent film...the premeire was in Paris last week. Get a very informed and hard-working U.S. citizen's view on the problems with America. She's being called the "independent alternative" to Michael Moore, who is a true inspiration of hers. Please check out her site if you are interested...

Liberty Bound

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.:my prints:.

many thanks to:
~Kristy, for buying a print of "autumn leaves"
~Kristy, again, for buying a few more of my prints. she's my good friend and i don't even expect my close friends and family to buy my photographs! very sweet of her

oy

~photopixie — Sun, 27 Jun 2004 21:02:59 PDT

making a living as a photographer and photoshop artist must be a difficult thing. i'm glad i have a "real" job to fall back on. i'm the manager of a photographic mini-lab located in a local photo-supply store chain. i became manager after three years of being the part-time help. it's a great job for me...a lot of work, patience, and organization. it's sort of a one-step-below-a-custom-lab mini-lab, and it can be very demanding work. my eye for color and design have been birthed from the work i do, so i'm truly thankful for the experience i'm getting. right now i'm also displaying some of my photography in a friend's art gallery/photography studio, so we'll see how that goes. hopefully i'll visit them this week and have some frames to frame more of my photos. lots of work and money is invested in a thing like this, but i believe it's worth it. if not just to say i had my art in a gallery! i'm very grateful for that. we'll see if i have the time to get some of that done. i've been informed at work that i need a day off, so i took their advice and am taking this friday off we'll see how that goes.

working hard to get where you want to be, in my case, seems to be very unfruitful so far. it's frusterating and demoralizing, but it's gotta pay off someday right? i may not get to Ireland anytime soon (to photograph and study the land's history for my future book i'd like to publish), but at least i'm working toward that goal and others every day. oy, so much to be done and such little time to do it these days...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i am Domina Caitríona, welcome to my gallery.
Caitríona is Irish Gaelic for my real name, Catherine.
and Domina is Latin for "Lady". "Domina Cai" sounded a little more interesting than "Lady Catherine" to me, as an artist name. is that silly? re vera, cara mea, mea nil refert.

member of:

| ladiesoftheroundtable |
| naturelovers |
| sacred antiquity |
| clevelanddeviants |

ireland

~photopixie — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:26:41 PDT

i have to do this. i am now...seriously...looking for a low-cost way to live and work in Ireland for a few months. so far i'm out of luck. i would like to live with a host family in a rural part of the country. picking berries on a farm would make me happy, as long as i get to enjoy the beautiful countryside and travel on weekends. if not that, then i am an accomplished and well-experienced photo lab technician, so maybe i can find a mini-lab to work in somewhere in a city. now if i had lots of money...i would go to a university in ireland and study celtic culture and medieval history.

things holding me back:

1. money, the root of all evil. (including the evil of my dreams being shattered because of it )

2. fear of being alone and social situations (although the irish are said to be very nice and welcoming)

3. never been on a plane before! (i can quickly get over this if a wonderful opportunity arises)

it's harder than it seems...i know, i've been trying. but not trying hard enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i am domina cai, welcome to my gallery.

member of:

| ladiesoftheroundtable |
| naturelovers |
| sacred antiquity | -a lady of avalon
| clevelanddeviants |

.:my prints:.

Love me broughte

~photopixie — Thu, 08 Apr 2004 19:16:58 PDT

with the arrival of spring my creativity seems to be blooming...we'll see what i can come up with.

gettin' down to business

~photopixie — Tue, 17 Feb 2004 06:46:27 PST

i have so many photographs i want to upload, and i'm going crazy from my forgetfulness! i've been busy working on a webpage and design for a friend who is a musician (who ISN'T a musician? ...uh, me ) for the last three weeks, and it's now finished. check it out! -->[link]

i did absolutely everything to it, even added the information. yeah, lots of work, but worth it for the practice. if ya like what you see and want me to design and organize a site for you, please do ask! i'm trying to get my little business going... the site is--> [link]

I am really enjoying looking at everyone's art and photography here, i would DIE of boredom without this place. thank you deviantartists, and thank you for all your comments!!

:-o

~photopixie — Sat, 17 Jan 2004 10:07:47 PST

I am truly honored to have one of my photographs featured as a daily deviation...and shocked! I have over 100 messages I have to go through and i intend to respond to every one! thank you all very much for viewing my gallery!

i need to work a bit more on that gnarled tree...i always thought the color was a bit off, and some of you noticed it too. originally it was very blue/cyan, so i added a little red and i thought it looked better. i guess my perspective changes daily. i can make a few different versions, i suppose.

in case i haven't mentioned this before, there is an entire series of that graveyard, where the tree photo was taken, on my website [link] to get to it, click on 'series' (icons will then appear in the lefthand box), click on the first icon and the graveyard series will appear in the righthand box.

thanks again everyone, you've lifted my spirits!

2

~photopixie — Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:08:08 PST

I bought a new camera, a Nikon N75. It's...wonderful. I have always wanted a Nikon, and I am definitely not disappointed. I was able to test it out at my friend Joe's band's coffee house gig, in the Little Italy area. Beautiful place and beautiful art...inspiring. Add some beautiful music in with that and you've got yourself a good time.

going...crazy...help.

~photopixie — Wed, 15 Oct 2003 10:16:21 PDT

I'm losing my mind, I swear. But I'll start with a formal introduction since I haven't really done that yet. My name is Catherine, and I am an aspiring photographer. Salvete! I am also a Latin I student at the moment, so bear with me as I spout random latin phrases out to you. You'll love it, trust me.

I am going crazy because tomorrow morning at 9:30AM I am having oral surgery to remove my evil wisdom teeth. I'm scared I've heard so many horrible stories of my friends' experiences with wisdom teeth removal that I've avoided this day for too long. But now the time has come, thanks to my parents and to the evil government who doesn't think a 22 year old college student needs health insurance. Right. I hate politics..but that's beside the point. Anyway, I have to rush to get this done before I turn 22 next month, so here I am...awaiting my destiny. I've gotten to the point of submission, knowing it has to be done and kinda looking forward to the days of sleep and no work or school I will have afterwards. Will the pain let me enjoy it, though?

I have stupidly erased all my wonderful comments somehow, and that makes me very angry. I marked them all as read to make it a little more organized, now I can't find them! Can anyone help me? I'm usually not this stupid with web stuff. Thus, I do believe I am going insane...

I'm very excited to finally have my webpage up and to have started uploading some of my photos onto deviantart! Check out my site if you'd like: [link]

I went to a study abroad fair here at my college and picked up lots of information about studying in Ireland. My dream..to live and photograph in Ireland and all the British Isles. Will I ever be able to afford it? A girl at the Dublin table told me it's worth it to take out loans because the experience will change you drastically. I want to be changed drastically..have a more positive and independent outlook on life. I have to try...