We're excited to announce our 4th Karla Gerard puzzle, By The Sea.
It's a super-cheery summertime puzzle with colorful textures and details (sneak preview below).
We caught up with Gerard for an interview.
AP: What is the hardest step to painting for you?
KG: Staring at a blank white canvas.
So, I decided to paint colorful backgrounds on each canvas first, to get some color going. It gets the inspiration flowing and helps me to decided what will be painted on it.
AP: What inspires your works?
KG: I love painting trees and houses... Growing up, my Dad was a building contractor, who had house plans and books in his home office, I would go in there and peruse the books and plans. I think that is why I like painting buildings. I also had a love of the woods behind our house and the tall trees and the birds chirping, so peaceful. So I put the things I like all together in my paintings, with lots of color and interesting shapes.
I try not to paint my houses with straight lines. It gives them more character, almost as if they are alive.
AP: Rumor is one of your paintings is on the wall in Superman's house in the latest superman movie?
KG: Yes, Warner Bros. purchased my painting, “Tree & 3 Birds”, in June 2011 for the Superman-Man of Steel movie. It was hung in one of the rooms in the farmhouse.
AP: Where else have your paintings ended up?
KG: Well, here are a couple of interesting stories.
A few years ago, one of the managers of the deli my family owns (in Maine) paid a visit to her sister in California. When at her sister’s house, she noticed on the wall, one of my paintings! She went over to it thinking “That can not be one of my bosses wife’s paintings!”, saw my signature on it and could not believe that her sister, on the other side of the country, had one of my paintings hanging in her home. She called my husband immediately and we were surprised too!
Another story happened several years ago. I was inspired to paint real life homes in neighborhoods I found interesting. Online, I found a particular style home I liked, so I painted it up and listed it for sale in my Ebay gallery. Of course, it sold. A few years later, I was contacted by a lady who had been surfing the internet for art and came across my art and that particular painting image. She said she needed to have it - that it was her childhood home! Unbelieveable! She loved my painted version of it. The original was long sold, but she was able to buy a print of it.
AP: I really enjoy the unique style of your artwork, with its bountiful patterns and colors it's perfect for puzzling. Did you intentionally try to cultivate a recognizable style?
KG: My art has developed and evolved naturally over time, the past 15 years.
AP: Besides our puzzles, where else can people find your art?
KG: I sell my original paintings, prints, and pillows on my Etsy store and on Ebay.
AP: Oooohhh I want this pillow (see below). Well, we're hoping to come out with our 5th K.G. puzzle "Evening Stars" by Xmas. Guess we better get to work on that... Thanks for the interview!
