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

Busy in a Good Way ~

It has been so long since I've visited my blog.  I've been very busy for the last few months...busy in a good way.  Although, I do admit, my blog has left me a bit frustrated, as my typepad friends have such a hard time leaving comments.  I've tried to "fix" the problem, I've checked my settings and so on....but so far, I can't seem to get to the bottom of the problem.  So...for all of my typepad friends, I truly appreciate the effort you've put into leaving comments.  I know it takes a long time.

Now...on to all the goodness ~ 

My friend and artist, Rochelle Rosenkild,  has started a project called "Dragons for Nathan".  Nathan Lev is a 7 year old boy that adores dragons...all things dragony.  He loves to draw them as well as collect dragon art.  He is also a very sick little boy.  Nathan has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Through "Dragons for Nathan", it is our hope that we can collect oodles of small format dragon art to be delivered to Nathan within the next month or so.  We are inviting any artist that would like to participate, to create a small format piece of dragon art.  Some artists have chosen to do ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5"), and some artists are doing pieces a bit bigger.  We even have a kind gentleman that decided to create his dragon art in the form of a poem.

If you are interested in participating in "Dragons for Nathan", please feel free to contact me, Kimberly Wlassak, at gerushiasworld@aol.com.  I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you would like to read more about Nathan...http://www.nathanlev.com/.

Here is my dragony piece for Nathan.  It was a collaboration between my husband, my daughter and myself.  My husband designed the dragon, my daughter did the modeling for the image of the dragon slayer, and I colored the dragon and did all the collage elements...

"Nathan's Dragon"

For those of you who would like to contribute to "Dragons for Nathan", but may not want to create a piece of dragon art, "Nathan's Dragon" can be purchased in print form at Gerushia's New World.  50% of all sales will be donated to Nathan and his family to help them through this very difficult time.

This project is a labor of love, and Rochelle has put her heart and soul into creating and running it.  We can't cure cancer, we can't make it go away, but in this small and dragony way, we may be able to bring a smile to Nathan while he's going through treatment.

Along with my work for "Dragons for Nathan", I have been busy with all sorts of upcoming art projects. Several months ago, I was invited to participate in The 2011 West Coast Eisteddfod: Welsh Festival of Arts.  Purely by coincidence, I have been fascinated with Welsh mythology and legend since I was a young girl, so participating in this Welsh Festival of Arts is quite an honor for me.  I will have work in the Mythology and Legend art show, as well as a piece published in "A Welsh Alphabet" by Lorin Morgan-Richards.  I am over the moon excited about the festival as a whole.  I am happy that I still have many months to work on my piece...the festival isn't until September 23 - 25.

Being a part of the festival also forced me to finally write my "artist's bio" and have a decent photo snapped.  I do not like having my picture taken, and this was a difficult task to get through.  Thank goodness that my daughter is a fabulous photographer AND a patient person too!!

My Bio Photo

Looks like I have a busy September.  The first Friday in September is the opening reception for the show "Connected Spaces".  There is still a humongous amount of work to be done between now and then, but I have to keep things in perspective, or I will find myself overwhelmed!  The show will highlight my work, as well as 3 other artists, and it will take place at The Riverside Arts Project.

I have a few other bits and pieces of news, but that can wait for another time.

In between arty projects, I have found myself craving time in my garden.  I planted Sweet Pea seeds a few days ago and am waiting anxiously to see my little sprouts pop through the soil.  While waiting for this years garden bounty, I am enjoying bouquets of my current blooms ~

I adore a sunny bouquet of Nasturtiums ~

Ohhh, and yesterday evening, I heard the first Oriole of the season.  He was chittering and flitting all around my garden~

This photo is actually from a couple of seasons ago, but this is just what my Oriole looked like last night.  The males are such a bright, beautiful orangey color.  The females are more of a drab yellow, but beautiful as well.  The pair that are now here, will stay here at my feeders, throughout the entire season.  By mid to late summer, they will introduce a youngster or two.  Nature is amazing, isn't it?

Recently, I've re-discovered the joy of keeping an art journal ~

Keeping an art and poetry journal was something that I did all through high school and into my 20s.  But, life changes and moves onward...marriage and kids and all of that kind of goodness.  Journals can sometimes get put away for a time, but not forever.  Now, I'm journaling again ~

"In the Beginning"

"Lollianna" 

So fun to just open a page and draw whatever comes to mind at that moment.  No planning, really, no thinking ahead, just doodling!

Ohhh...and my daughter and I have been eating so healthy since the New Year.  I am ever so thankful that she is a fabulous cook.  Have a look at these delicious low-calorie Margherita Pizzas ~

The pizza crust is whole wheat, low calorie pita bread.  The sauce is a simple homemade tomato sauce.  My daughter created the recipe and we have been feasting on these pizzas once a week!

I know this blog post is so scattered.  Jumping from art shows to journaling and to pizza feasts!  I had so much to tell you, because we haven't talked in so long!

I won't say that I'll be back again soon, because it seems that every time I do say that, I'm gone for months.  I'll just say..."thank you".  Thank you for stopping by and reading about my world.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Gerushia's New World

P.S.  If you have any questions about the "Dragons for Nathan" project, please do not hesitate to email me.

Everyday Gifts...

Everywhere, everyday, there are gifts.  Sometimes big, sometimes small...but they are always there.  Sometimes you receive a gift and sometimes you give a gift...and sometimes, giving IS the gift.

The gift of color ~

Reds...

and yellows...

With the passing of time, the jewel-like leaves will wither and fall to the ground ~

                                                        



only to reveal another gift ~

The structure and bones and life-giver to the leaves ~

Gifts of anticipation ~

Gifts of smell and taste.  Homemade goodness.  Cinnamon rolls my daughter made for my birthday ~

The gift of memories...of passing time ~

Small gifts ~

Spicy gifts ~

The gift of friendship ~

and common interests ~

The gift of creating ~

 The gift of giving ~

The gift of meeting new people ~

and making new friends ~

The gift of Art

There are gifts that warm the heart ~

and excite the eye ~

The gift of simple man-made light ~

and vibrant God given light ~



from Heaven above ~

The gift of Johnny Appleseed skies on a warm December eve ~

Gifts.  Big and small.  They are everywhere in our Everyday. 

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World