My Christmas pillows are pretty cute, if I must say so myself. My fingers, however, are pretty tired from “embellishing” them! I add little painted details to the printed pillows … it makes them sort of special, I guess you could say. So far, the holiday season has been busy and pillows are selling which means more embellishing for me!!! Find them here: https://etsy.me/2Piicmc
I’m sure this happens to all artists but it still sucks. A good many years back I painted a macaw and was sure EVERYONE would love him so I reproduced him on giclees, prints, cards….everything. In my opinion, he was my masterpiece. Well….. it was only in my opinion, that’s for sure. Little by little, over a longggggg period of time, I sold most of the macaw products and hard it as it was, I had to retire him.
The original Mr. Macaw still hangs proudly above my desk in my warehouse and a couple of weeks ago, I decided to bring him out of retirement in time for the holidays!!! He deserved another chance. See him here…. the original and the luggage tag that proudly shows him off again! Decided to add sets of 3 luggage tags to my Etsy Shop …. https://www.etsy.com/shop/GiftandHomebyGerri … luggage tags make great gifts in case you didn’t know! Mr. Macaw became part of the Tropical Bird set of tags: Flamingo and Toucan accompany him. You can find them here! https://etsy.me/2zYz23L
If Mr. Macaw is successful as a luggage tag, look for him as a canvas piece in 2019!! 
It’s hard trying to build business on Etsy all year long but especially now with the holidays approaching. Now is the mad dash time when all Etsy shop owners know they have to be ready for holiday shopping even though Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away. So here it is….. my holiday Cheer offerings. Of course, my shop is full of great gifts (it’s called Gift & Home by Gerri after all) but these are my special, 2 months out-of-the-year products! Hope you see something that brings you some “holiday cheer” ! 
Did you know that you can mix red and green paint for a nice, rich brown shade? Yes you can! Every now and then, I need a little brown but just every now and then and just a LITTLE. I don’t buy brown paint for that reason… I don’t need it often; so, I mix red and green because I have plenty of red and green tubes and in lots of shades!
A while back at an art show, a woman pointed to a print of my pelican on canvas. She let me know right away that although she liked the pelican piece, they “didn’t have pelicans in those colors on her beach” so therefore it just wouldn’t work in her home! Oh my….. as an artist who LOVES color (any boy can you tell) I just immediately decided this was the most boring, uncreative, dullest
person in the whole world. But…. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts. I was here to sell…. not tick off the customer. I graciously explained to her that of course, she was correct…. pelicans are NOT orange, blue, black, yellow and white….. they are BROWN! But…. this was my pelican and he came straight from my imagination and in my colorful and crazy mind, pelicans most definitely should be brightly colored. After all….. wouldn’t you rather have a colorful, intriguing, happy pelican hanging on your wall than a big ole’ brown one? The lady was quite taken with my explanation and totally “got it”….. but she didn’t buy it. Nope she didn’t. Hopefully I broadened her horizons just a little that afternoon 🙂
I’m learning some facts about manatees as I paint one for the gift shop at Crystal River Wildife Refuge in Florida. Also called a sea cow, this large aquatic relative of the elephant is usually found in shallow and warm coastal areas. Unfortunately, the Florida manatee population is endangered, and these animals face a number of human-made threats. The Defenders of Wildlife Organization tries to raise public awareness about this endangered species all year round but especially in November, Around this time, Manatees search for the warm-water shelters once common along the Florida coast. With collisions with watercraft as their leading cause of death, and residential development eating up much of the warm springs habitat on which they rely, there’s no question that manatees need our help. Whether you’re a Florida resident, a frequent visitor, or just want to get involved, check out the ways that you can help these gentle giants.we take this time to raise public awareness of the threats to these beloved but endangered sea creatures. Check out their website to learn more and to help! https://defenders.org/manatee-awareness-month
I’ll put this design on cards, flour sack towels, acrylic magnets and luggage tags, and probably canvas art. I’ll donate a percentage of sales to Defenders of Wildlife….. I know they’ll put it to good use helping these big, gentle creatures of the sea.
Gift and Home by Gerri 