What a year!

(scan of the artwork for our family photo)

Presenting: our 2011 family Christmas card! Here is the art from the card I designed. It was made with prismacolor markers, micron pens and some great watercolor pencils that I've enjoyed lately.

It was a good year for art. It feels like I did more this year. Perhaps it only seems like that, since it's harder to juggle any "semblance" of a "career" with three precious chewboos buzzing about.

Fortunately, my only goals for the year were to add beauty to the world. Or, if you have a dark sense of humor, some quirkiness... since illustrations heavily influenced by late 70s Sears studio portraits don't exactly count for "beauty."

Whatever the case, I had fun in 2011, and I was able to share my art with my children, my family, my friends, etc. I even worked on several commissions, which was a lot of fun and a big blessing.

The Etsy store had some happy buzzing during the Paschal season! Thank you to everyone who bought Pascha cards! I look forward to adding more this Spring, for the Lenten/ Paschal season!

I was even able to buy a new camera, and with it I plan to take more pictures of my larger work. Two of my watercolor commissions went off undocumented... so sad. I would have loved to share them here. Now that I have a camera, though, I will be able to keep track of my art.

Goals for 2012? Work on cards and try to get them printed and packaged in the most efficient way possible. Work on cards for the parish book store, and other local stationery retailers. Perhaps work on some commission work, if I come across any. Create an acrylic painting to donate for our yearly school auction. Of course, continue the family Christmas card, later this year.

Slowly but surely, I plan to whittle away at improving this blog. I know it's not much at all to look at, but I thank you for taking the time to stop in and see what's going on in my world.
Above: ink drawings of my three gorgeous kids, printed on a t-shirt for my dad's Christmas present-- he loves t-shirts with his grandkids on them :D


Have a Happy and Blessed New Year, from X.K., and the precious and patient people who share her house-wide "studio"!

Just in time: St. Nicholas cards!

I love St. Nicholas, and I love how he is reverred so enthusiastically all across the world, especially within Orthodox Christianity. St. Nicholas is an ever-popular saint, and his feast day is coming up! If you've already visited my ordinary blog, I'm sorry for the repetitive information... But I have 6-packs of these special St. Nicholas cards available in my Etsy shop now! You'll find them there, along with other Nativity cards and goodies. Take a look!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are well.

And the winner is...

The lucky winner of the pack of cards is HANNAH! Wahoo for first-time commenters! Nice work-- Congrats, Hannah! Please drop me a note-- xktussing(at)yahoo(dot)com-- and let me know which cards you'd like and where to mail them.

Elizabeth, Marfa, Phronsie, Michelle-- thanks so much for commenting and for your support! I really appreciate it! It made the "Winter re-opening" of the shop extra special. I hope you have a blessed November and, as of the 15th and thru Christmas, a very blessed Nativity! Much love to all~ Xenia Katie

Nativity is just around the corner....

(this one is not yet in the shop, but I'll be adding them tonight, after the kids are in bed)


All right, I have some NEW ITEMS in my Etsy shop!

Get a head start on your Christmas shopping and pick up some unique, Orthodox Christmas cards! Take a look!

I've also got some vintage items that I've been hoarding for too long-- time to find them them new homes!

In honor of the new goodies, I am giving away a pack of cards! Please leave a comment and I'll have a drawing next Friday, NOVEMBER 4th. The winner gets to choose whichever style available in my Etsy shop. Tell your friends, and comment away (well, one per person, please)!

Thanks, as always, for your support!

Fall "Thank You" notes

A little preview! If I can get my act together, I'm hoping to have the etsy shop up and running this Friday (Oct. 14th) and have some boxed thank you notes for sale.

Which one is your favorite? "Leaf" a comment-- I'd love your feedback.

Welcome and an Update

Hello!

If you happen to be visiting for the first time, and you've seen my auction item for the Greek Open, please click here to browse some of my portrait work! Thanks for stopping by!

It's been a long time since I've updated this blog. Life has been busy. I spent the summer working on some sewing projects and even a few art projects, here and there. Mainly, though, I just enjoyed being with the kiddos. Now it's back to school, and I find myself with more opportunities to be diligent in housework... not to mention, getting back on the ball with ART. As a disclaimer, I will say that I thought I'd have "more" free-time with 2/3 of my children shuttled off to school. This isn't necessarily true. However, it is giving me a glimpse into the future, and I can't help but wonder how big of a part creating art will have in it. You see, even as a child, I always wanted to be a mom and an artist. I always envisioned having a studio and creating art once my kids were old enough and in school. Now that I'm actually, kind of, sort of, at that point, I want to take baby steps into making my old dream a reality.

I'm trying to make some goals to get myself motivated, even it I won't be able to work on those goals for another 2-5 years or so (then again, who knows? Maybe sooner).

Mainly, I'm eager to take a class or two on how to use the Linux-version of Illustrator and Photoshop programs. You see, I'm kicking myself in the head for not taking more graphic design courses in college! I just wanted to spend all of my time painting and drawing... But now, it seems there are so many hoops to jump through just to attain my goals. These "hoops" wouldn't be a problem if they didn't involve expensive technology applications or equipment or classes that take me out of the home.

So for now, I'll just keep drawing and painting and scanning and fidgeting with images in the compartively-primitive Paint program (or in my case, the Linux equivalent, KolourPaint). The main goal for now? To get pen to paper, and to just give myself permission to create. Even if it's just to beautify my home, or the lives of my children, or family and friends.

In the end, I just hope I can be responsible and a good steward of the gifts and talents that God has given me-- may His will be done.

Etsy news

Pascha cards, in the shop! Take a gander if you want :)