Few Things Are As Delicious As The Smell of New Crayons ~

Have you ever been super excited and inspired about doing something...

only to find yourself at a loss for a starting point?

I feel this way every time I start a new piece ~ 

I was asked to donate a piece of my art for the 2014 Mayor's Celebration for Arts & Innovation.  I am creating a new piece to donate for the silent auction.  I know exactly what I want the piece to FEEL like but I haven't captured how I want it to look....yet.

So,  at a time like this, I pull out the "big guns" for inspiration ~

Yep!  A new coloring book and a brand new box of crayons ~ 

Really...there are few things in life as delicious as the smell of new crayons.  ♥

I puttered about my studio today, admiring the odds and ends that put a smile on my face ~

My newly adopted Jackalope!

(I finally talked my son into letting me "borrow" this guy) ~ 

These lovely pink carnations are almost a week old and they are still gifting me with color ~ 

I read and re-read this lovely and thoughtful note I received from the postman a few days ago ~ 

This hand-written note was sent to me by someone that won a give-away on my facebook page.

She so kindly sent this beautiful dragonfly card (ACEO) as a "token of her gratitude" for the print she won.

Isn't that amazing?  Kindness is all over the world!  

This is the kind of thing that makes me happy about doing art give-aways.

Kindred spirits gently gliding into each other's lives...if only for a few moments or days.

I will keep and cherish this note and the beautiful art card forever!

Thank you Amanda!

Ohhh...and this morning, I woke up in the mood to have a little sale in both of my shops.

If you prefer to shop at Etsy, I'm offering all of my 4" x 6" prints for $10.00.  Simply use coupon code PRINTSGALORE.  You can find all the prints RIGHT HERE.

If you prefer to shop at Zibbet, you can find the same offer RIGHT HERE.  No need for a coupon code at Zibbet.  The prices have already been marked for you.  Very easy to shop at Zibbet!

Next time you're out and about, buy a brand new box of crayons.  Even just a little one.  They are still as magical as they were when you were 5 years old!

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

A Finished Book Cover and Random Goodness ~

Hello There!

I have been so busy lately.

Busy working on a book cover...

and I'm finally finished!

I am so excited to show you.

I still have 20 illustrations to finish for the book by February, but the cover is officially done.

This book was created from the Welsh excerpts of "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries."

It is an old text that hasn't been published since early in the 1900s.

My publisher, "A Raven Above Press", is publishing the text for the first time in many years and I am doing 20 illustrations plus the cover!

The idea for the cover came from an 1879 illustration ~ 

  

A re-imagining of this old illustration in my own style ~ 

If you look closely, you will see some of the same characters represented in my new piece. (Click on the photo above to see a larger version).

"Tylwyth Teg" are Welsh Faeries.

Let me tell you, they can be trouble!

Not always, but they certainly can be little buggers.

The book will most likely debut at the 2014 St. David's Day Festival in March.

It takes place at the beautiful Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood.

So...this book is certainly keeping me busy.

I have several more pieces with deadlines as well.  There are no words to describe how grateful I am for the work I do.

I am glad to have busy hands and a busy heart.

In between creating and researching....there is life.

Real, good life.

Birthday tables ~ 

Green tomatoes soon to be fried ~

Red tomatoes soon to be sliced ~ 

and Johnny Appleseed Skies ~ 

My friend, Shell, came by for a visit ~

and sketched out the basic idea for my new tattoo ~ 

It's sort of a "life" tattoo, I guess.

It represents 5 things that have always been important in my life ...

My family

 (all the flowers are my families birth flowers)

Art

Gardening

Music

and Welsh Mythology.

The yellow daffodils actually represent both my love of Welsh things AND my birthday.  

Shell did an amazing job capturing just what I wanted.

Here's the tattoo after the first session ~ 

I realized after talking to Shell that I forgot to ask her to add a pair of Victorian scissors to represent my collage work.

Fortunately, my tattoo artist, Dan Smith from Captured Tattoo, was able to introduce the scissors .

My arm is super swollen here after an almost 4 hour session.

I still have two more sessions to go.  One more for shading and the third to add all the color.

I have to share this rather unflattering photo with you.

When I get a tattoo, I tend to drift off.  I actually start falling asleep.  As you can see here, I'm starting to slump and, evidentally, Dan thinks it's funny ~ 

My arm is looking gorgeous right now.

The swelling is gone and the lines are amazingly dynamic.

Life is good!

Simple things make me so happy.

Fresh flowers in the studio ~ 

Stocks?  Stocks at summer's end?  Go figure! I couldn't believe it when I saw these springtime favorites at the grocery.

My studio smells like a warm spring day ~ 

Book covers, dinner from the garden and birthdays.  Pretty tattoos, fresh flowers, and Johnny Appleseed skies.

Random goodness.

Busy hands and a busy heart.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World