24 | DECEMBER 2 • 2021

to make large paintings,
” she
says of the cards, which were
originally 24- by 36-inch pieces
of art.
Then, having the paintings
professionally photographed,
Zausmer was able to create
smaller versions in printed
cards that are emblazoned with
menorahs, Jewish sayings and
more.
The Temple Israel member
has been inspired by the classes
she’s taken at the synagogue,
where she’s learned about
Jewish studies, life and culture.
“I have been guided into some
of the things I want to write on
the paintings that I make,
” she
says of her education.
Zausmer’s Jewish gifts are
colorful and often abstract. The
cards are sold in boxed sets or
individually.

LINDA BUCK
Linda Buck has built a personal
and professional life around
art. Working as an art teacher
for 20 years in both public and
private schools, she continued
to practice different forms of
drawing — her go-to medium
— throughout retirement and
beyond.
“I’ve drawn all my life,
” the
artist says.
Just before retiring, she

took a creative workshop that
introduced her to a new form
of drawing that involved draw-
ing on clay. “I really liked the
texture and the final product,
”
Buck explains, “so I stuck with
it.
”
Now, Buck has been making
clay-backed drawings for near-
ly two decades. Yet when some
of her Jewish clients suggested
making Judaica pieces to com-
plement the candleholders she
was creating at the time, Buck
realized there was a new way to
evolve her art even further.
Though Buck isn’t Jewish,
she designs one-of-a-kind
menorah and mezuzah draw-
ings created on clay that she
says have a “positive view of
life.
” For sale at the BBAC
Holiday Show will be Buck’s
Judaica artwork that includes
beautiful blue and black mezu-
zahs, among others.
“One of the things I really
enjoy about being in an art
show is that many people will
ask me what a mezuzah is,
” she
explains. “I feel privileged to
be able to tell them the signif-
icance.
“It really warms my heart to
see so many people nod their
heads and say, ‘Oh, that’s a real-
ly nice tradition.
’ And I’m glad
that I know it.
”

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