Merry Christmas to You from Little Dreamer

About the Book

A fun fantasy story about a little pony who dreams of becoming a “Jumper” and makes his dream come true at Christmas time and gets to join the “Jumper” horses at their Christmas party.

About the Author

Bring the joy of art to patrons by illustrating, sculpting and painting animals and the people who love them.

One of Mary and Ralph Ruch’s eight children, Lizi Ruch was born and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. As a child, Lizi loved animals and was always “horse crazy”. Some of her first horse drawings were discovered (much to her mother’s dismay) scratched with a safety pin onto the family Chippendale dining table. Other fine examples of Lizi’s early work were found scribbled inside the front covers of assorted library books within the Ruch household. Deciding Lizi might have some artistic inclinations, father started bringing home extra yellow legal pads and pencils from the office, thus launching his daughter’s artistic career.

After graduating with a BA from Transylvania University and while working on her graduate degree, Lizi taught art and served as department chair at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY. Upon completing an MA in Ceramic Sculpture from University of Louisville, Lizi began to create work for showings in local galleries featuring animated and whimsical sculptural interpretations of local restaurants and residences in clay. Many of these works are still treasured today by their owners as estate heirlooms.

Awarded a partial scholarship to study at Parsons School of Design, Lizi moved to New York City. Upon graduating with a BFA in fashion design, Lizi launched her own knitwear business (with the help of a very supportive dad and husband). Her designs were sold throughout high end specialty stores like Sak’s Fifth Avenue and the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. Lizi Ruch Designs were also selected as the merchandise for the PGA opening golf championship at Valhalla.

She also assisted with designing a women’s clothing collections under the label of P’galli. Lizi has taught within the fashion design departments of both Parsons and Otis College of Art and Designs, and currently works as a freelance consultant and was an instructor at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising). Lizi is still crazy about horses and animals, and sheis passionate about the sport of riding. As a member of the Santa Fe West Hills Hunt and an occasional guest riding with both the Santa Fe and Santa Ynez Valley Hounds, Lizi has been plenty of opportunity to collect the inspiration for her current passion, which is to bring the joy of art to patrons by illustrating, sculpting and painting animals and the people who love them.

Lizi lived in Marina Del Rey, California with her husband Harvey and their two four legged Cocker Spaniel children, Coco and Zazu. Lizi’s trusty steeds, Chuckee and Woody lived in Chatsworth (because there wasn’t much grass at the beach), but Lizi made the trek to the barn on an almost daily basis and now Lizi and her husband live in Chatsworth, with their three dogs, Jessie-Belle, Clifford and Mike and her horse Woody is in great care with her trainer and stylist Carey Wendler. Lizi is regularly commissioned to paint horses, hounds, and dogs of every sort, both on canvas and clay. Her ceramic sculpture of the barn “Runnymeade” (Woodside, CA) won third place at the Draft Horse Classic. She is currently adding pieces to her many spectacular lines of “equestrian themed” dinnerware and one named “Morning for Reynard”, painting scenes from the western hunt country, two of which toured with the MFHA Traveling Centennial Art Exhibition which opened in New York in January of 2007. Lizi is a member of the Chatsworth Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce, the Chatsworth Fine Arts Council and the Kiwanis Club of Chatsworth.