Warm January Days Are Good For The Soul ~

I know the weather has been so cold and snowy in many places this winter.

Here in Southern California, we have had an unusually warm January ~

and I have been taking advantage of it ~ 

Brisk.

Daily 3 mile walks ~

You see, it is so easy for me to be lured into my studio ~

And that's good.

I have deadlines.

But these warm and sunny days call me outdoors ~

Mountain view beyond the path ~ 

Fresh desert air (well, sometimes fresh, sometimes smoggy) ~ 

Walking and just being outside.

Daily sights...

A tree that encompasses a foreign object ~ 

Grown completely around the rubber ties that supported it in it's early life ~ 

Oh....hello tree that says "Ohhhhhhhhh."

You make me smile everyday ~

Happy tree.

Sunny days.

Fooling me into believing springtime has arrived.

After a brisk walk...

Eating healthy.

Craving fresh fruit ~ 

The puppies are frisky on these glowing winter days ~

Taking advantage of the morning rays ~

There are times when I wake up and grasp for excuses not to go for a walk.

There are all sorts of "things" I could do or need to do around the house.

But, I know.  

I know that once I'm on that path, I will be thankful that I forced myself out of bed.

This view ~

The sound of buzzing bees.

The smell of pine needles and sweet winter blossoms.

When I am tempted to stay home.

To be lazy.

It is this view that tugs on me and reminds me that there is a whole world beyond my own front door.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

P.S.  I am having a give-away on my facebook artpage.  I have 3 extra prints to share.  Stop by and leave a comment and you can be entered into the give-away.  You'll see it, it's right uptop, the first post.  I'll randomly choose 3 winners in a day or so.  

Gerushia's New World ~ the art of kimberly wlassak

Here are the 3 prints included in the give-away ~ 

"The Keeper of Odessa's Hymn"

"Jubal's Huckleberry Heart"

"An Unexpected Visitor"

2014 L.A. St. David's Day Festival & Working (Playing) ~

Do you like to work?

Whatever work you do, you should like it.

It makes life happier, I think.

I love my work.

So much so, that I find it hard to even call it "work."

I'm under several deadlines at the moment.

And, I've just finished an illustration for an upcoming book called:

"The Age of Saints. An illustrated guide to the Saints of Wales" written by Peter Anthony Freeman and published by A Raven Above Press.

Each participating artist was asked to create a piece of art based upon a Welsh saint.  We were given a list of saints and asked to choose one.

I chose Saint Dyfrig (Dubricius)

The story of Saint Dyfrig is very dramatic and filled with fire and magic and all sorts of bold imagery. 

Saint Dyfrig was the illegitimate son of Efrddyl, the daughter of King Peibio.  Legend says that Peibio was horrified to discover that his unmarried daughter was pregnant and the shame led him to have the poor girl executed for adultery.  She was tied up in a sack and cast into the River Wye but, miraculously, she always returned safely to the bank.  So Peibio had her burnt on a funerary pyre.  However, when he returned the next day to recover her body, the King found Efrddyl sitting amongst the ashes, clutching her new-born baby boy.  Upon seeing Peibio, the new-born Dyfrig reached out to the King and kissed him on the cheek.  The King, who had leprosy, was immediately cured of the disease.  His heart melted and he welcomed them both back to the royal court.

So, my art piece is a sort of bold look into the fire.

Efrddyl is in the heat but she is casting away the flames.

The image I created shows Efrddyl still pregnant with Dyfrig ~

There will be a book release party at the 

2014 Los Angeles Saint David's Day Festival on March 1st.

The book includes an amazing line-up of artists from Wales and the States.

In between deadlines I'm also working on new art for my Etsy Shop.

With the current loss of income, the more originals I can put in my shop, the better!

I just listed another new piece last night ~ 

"Lida's First Sing-Along"

"Lida was a top notch singer and guitar player. 

She was shy....so shy that she only sang and played alone in her room. 

Her sister would listen to Lida's music through her bedroom door and she knew that Lida had so much talent to offer the world. 

She pleaded with Lida "Please Lida, please play and sing for the world. I'll stay by your side and we'll sing together." 

Lida was very afraid, but she trusted her sister and she swallowed her fear. 

Before she knew it, she was playing and singing for her whole world to hear, on a lovely springtime day."

If you're interested in "Lida's First Sing-Along"  you can find her Here.

So, as you can see, I am keeping busy.

Working.

Although really, I must admit, it really feels like playing.

But truly, it is my work.

Until next time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

P.S.  Always know that I do custom commission pieces.  I can create custom art with scans of your own photos.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at gerushiasworld at aol dot com.

Hope in 2014.....More Faith and Less Fear ~

2013 left my family and me on an unpredictable note.

And we are still hanging there...staying hopeful.

On December 9th, my husband was unexpectedly laid off from his job

We celebrated Christmas and New Year's with that reality hanging over our heads.

With a new year upon us, we are vowing to make 2014 the year of "more faith and less fear."  Hope is at the center of our everydays more now than ever.

Believe it or not, we actually managed to have a nice Christmas.  We had our traditional meal of homemade enchiladas and enjoyed a quiet holiday.

Much to my surprise, my daughter gifted me with something I never dreamed I would have (and proved to me never to give up hope) .... 

"The Bust Of Deirdre"

 I've had my eyes on Deirdre for several years now.  I saw her at Kat Von D's Wonderland Gallery.  She is an amazingly engineered candle.  When you light her, she drips wax tears from her eyes.  She is more than a candle....she is a piece of art.

My daughter secretly visited Wonderland Gallery without me and managed to keep Deirdre hidden from me throughout the season.

I haven't lit her yet.  I'm a little afraid.  But, I do want to light her for a short time just so she has a few tears streaming from each eye.

Isn't she beautiful?

My daughter rocks!

I recently planted some wildflower seeds ~

They are sprouting now ~ 

I check them everyday and they offer hope for future beauty.

Little things can make a huge difference.

I collected little things when I was a girl.  Miniature glass animals.  I was in LOVE with those tiny glass sets of breakable creatures.

There was a time when I had so many sets.

But through the years, some broke and many more were misplaced during a move.

I had really given up hope of ever finding any of my little glass animals.

I said good-bye to them a long time ago...

Then....

A few weeks ago, my husband was looking through a box in the garage...

Guess what he found!

He found 3 of my little glass sets...

A deer family

A squirrel family

and

A tiger family.

You see?

There is always hope.

My little studio gives me hope for work ~

...and the blessing of creating art from home ~ 

"Marvalee" is a character from my fairy tale.

I have always wanted to create an illustration of Marvalee and her red basket of hope.

This time in my life was the perfect time to finally bring Marvalee to life ~ 

"Marvalee's Basket of Hopes" ~ 

Here is an excerpt from my book that tells a little about Marvalee ~ 

"Marvalee was known for her hopefulness. She gathered hope like other's might gather wildflowers for a kitchen table bouquet. She collected hope in her red basket and passed it out to her family and friends and neighbors in need. It was the greatest gift. The gift of hope.

People knew her for miles around and they came to her on their lowest days. Days of loneliness, sadness, hopelessness. Marvalee would reach into her basket and pull out a handful of hope big enough to conquer loneliness and strong enough to push away sadness. There was enough hope inside Marvalee's red basket to heal her whole world...."

I just listed the original in my Etsy Shop.  The art will come with a printed sheet that tells Marvalee's story.

I also listed a print from a brand new piece ~ 

"Jubal's Huckleberry Heart"

Jubal (and Lucy) are also characters from my fairy tale.

I have great hope for them this year.

So....at this time, I am not offering the original art for purchase.

You can also have a look at this new print set ~

"Jubal's Gift to Lucy" and "Jubal's Huckleberry Heart"

Jubal and Lucy are at the forefront of a secret project right now.

I am hopeful that they will have a great journey this year.

It's these little things that keep me going onward.

Never give up.

Hope for a quiet space and a few good books to savor ~ 

Hope for Johnny Appleseed Skies ~ 

and sleeping puppies ~ 

Always

Always

Always.

There is always hope.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

Unexpected News, December Skies And a House Full of Christmas ~

Well, it's been quite a week so far.

So much Christmas happening everywhere.

Right in the middle of decorating our own house, we were hit with some unexpected news...

My husband was laid-off.

It was unexpected, but not really a surprise.

Just the fact that he was laid-off during the holiday season gives you an idea of what type of company he worked for.  Need I say more?

So, we are trying to stay positive and look at this as a blessing in disguise.

In the meantime, I need to put my art shops in high gear.

So, if any of you have been thinking of purchasing something from one of my shops, now would be the best time ever!

Gerushia's New World on Etsy

Gerushia's New World on Zibbet

I'll be working extra hard in my shops so that I can bring in a bit of money to help us get through this turn of events.

I refuse to let this ruin Christmas.

I am looking at this as a positive thing and 2014 will be fabulous!

After all, there are still hundreds of Johnny Appleseed skies to be seen.

Pinks ~ 

and purples ~ 

December is a month of transition.

A change from warm autumn days and orange pumpkins,

to wintery reds and jolly garden gnomes.

Christmas pumpkins ~ 

December is my birthday month.

Lovely birthday flowers were delivered ~

Every year just around my birthday, there's another gift...

The Cedar Waxwings fly in

I watch for them every year.

There were 50 or 60 of them flying all around my yard and birdbath just before my birthday.

They're quick and I was only able to snap a photo of these 2 beauties.

Nature's birthday gift to me ~

December always puts me in a frantic mood.

It's Christmas, I tell you....Christmas does it to me every year.

So many decorations and boxes of traditional goodies to go through.

Decorating, decorating, decorating.

Decorating the mantel ~

Decorating the dining room hutch ~

Filling Moe Howard's head with candy canes.

A Christmas Stooge ~

Noooo...he's not really Moe.  I bought this mug for my husband because he's a "Three Stooges" fanatic and I thought this guy looked like Moe.

Decorating the family tree ~

Putting the lights on the BIG tree ~

Decorating the BIG tree ~ 

Awww...looks like one of the puppies has some new Christmas pals ~ 

Decorating

Decorating

and

More decorating.

My favorite ornaments.

This was the first set of ornaments my mom and dad bought after they were married.

They are the last ornaments to be placed on the tree,

and the first to be taken off and put safely away at the end of the season ~ 

This year, I am happily decorating my studio.

Just a little bit.

I found these lovely black tabletop trees ~

Just perfect for my studio cabinet.

Did you know that black is the new evergreen?

So, time marches on.

Things change.

Jobs come and go.

New opportunities present themselves.

Good and bad.

Light and dark.

Shadows and highlights.

We need the whole spectrum to make this life a bold and textured painting.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

P.S.  Don't tell anyone that my husband loves "The Three Stooges."  It's a dirty secret!

So Much To Be Thankful For....In My Everydays ~

Did you have a wonderful Thanksgiving?

It is such a warm holiday...

It comes and goes so quickly.

So much menu planning and recipe studying.

It's easy to get caught up in the details.

Forgetting the true idea of Thanksgiving.

I am thankful and grateful everyday.

Thankful for my family, of course.

Thankful for the tiny furry ones that found their way into my life. 

Peek-a-boo Puppy ~

Thankful for a warm home and my home studio ~

Thankful for the little bits and bobs that I have collected over the years ~ 

Thankful for my tiny corner reading nook ~ 

I am beyond grateful and feel very blessed to be able to work from home ~

Painting.

Pasting.

Storymaking.

  

(This newly finished piece is called:

"Lily Pads and a Looking-Glass: Alice's Other Adventure."

You can find it listed in my Etsy Shop).

These pieces of art that I offer help my pocket-book as well as my heart.

During the upcoming weeks, many people will be out and about...

shopping

spending

enjoying the lights

Please remember to consider purchasing handmade gifts.

There are other nice things to purchase that aren't handmade, of course.

But if there's someone on your list that might appreciate a piece of art...

or handmade jewelry

or something warm that's been knitted

etc...

Please consider purchasing from some of the online, handmade venues.

I am very thankful for the customers I have.

If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be able to stay home and work from my little studio.

With all of that being said...

I am having a holiday sale over the next few days in both of my shops:

Etsy

Zibbet

  

I am offering 30% off storewide.

No need for a coupon code as the prices have all been marked down for you.

Thank you for continuing to visit my blog and for all the lovely emails and comments.

I have so much to be thankful for.

I try to remember that in my Everydays...

Everyday is Thanksgiving.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World