Creativity Helped Me Escape Severe Depression...

Chicago-based artist Anne Leuck calls herself a child of the ’70s, an era known for its bold sense of color and graphics. Grew up in Sparta, a small, idyllic, midwestern town in Wisconsin, Anne got intimately attached to the delights of color at home, where creativity spurred in little things since both her parents had a taste for art. Today, this 54-year-old visual storyteller experiments with traditional painting and drawing, as well as digital media, journaling, and ceramics. She has licensed her designs for stationery and home décor products, and her artwork has appeared on billboards, movies, books, TV, and magazines.

But there’s more to her story! In the prime of her career, Anne sunk into clinical depression. While the world got brighter and more joyful with her art, she suffered in silence. In a candid chat with Real Life Heroes - By Manvi, she discusses her life, artistic, and mental health journey.

Read on… Many Thanks to Manvi Tiwari

REDFIN Feature: Artwork for Home...Decor Tips for Your Interior

There’s never been a better time to try to make your home your happy place! Ryan Smith of REDFIN shares wonderful tips from Artists around the country as well as YOURS TRULY…in this recent blog post where I was interviewed and my painting ‘PLANE CATCHER’ was featured. Check it out!

My Advice from the article : The best way to create a home that reflects your unique personal style is to only buy artwork that you LOVE! Do not worry about it ‘matching your sofa’; your home decor can be built around that crazy painting that lights you up when you look at it or the one that brings you a sense of serene calm. You can tie your space together compositionally by purchasing a pillow, a throw or painting a wall that showcases common color elements in your art pieces, perhaps getting an architectural lamp or plant that mimics a line, if it is a sculpture. Lastly, from time to time, move pieces around, you will see them, anew! – Anne Leuck Studio

My small screen mini doc debut with Touchvision...

Warning: You might need tissues. I was humbled and grateful to have had my work and message captured so beautifully by Enero J. Ray and Chad Fedler of Touchvision. This was edited down from a 40 minute interview with me as well as a visit from my client Claire and her pups Medi and Tula.

Warning: You might need tissues (according to the folks on Facebook who watched it already). I am humbled and grateful to have had my work and message captured so beautifully by Enero J. Ray and Chad Fedler of Touchvision. This was edited down from a 40 minute interview with me as well as a visit from my client Claire and her pups Medi and Tula. We also took a field trip over to the new Urban Pooch Canine Training Center to get some footage of the new mural I designed. What a gift to have this tribute to my pups Izzy and Alice who were such an integral part of growing my art business and inspiring me to get involved with addressing the Homeless Pet situation so prevalent in our society.

We Love Kids N Dogs!

I'm so excited to tell you about my new partnership with We Love Kids N Dogs and Neeman Barkus, based in Okemos, Michigan. We met at the Windy City Pet Expo back in July, they were exhibiting with their new Poochie Bowl, a genius invention inspired by their dearly departed Basset Hound, Scooter - it's oval shaped so those long ears don't get in the bowl - 'the dry ear' bowl! We've discussed some exciting possibilities for 2015...stay tuned! And if you live near the Meridian Mall in Okemos, get over there - their current Basset, Dudley, is often working at the store, I know he would love to meet you!

Cesar's Way Magazine feature!

My custom Pet Portrait Gift items caught the eye of Cesar's Way Magazine editors, they decided to feature my pendant necklace in their August issue! If you order a Pet Portrait, I can put the image on any of my gift items, these can be purchased on etsy. If you have not ordered a full portrait, I also offer Personalized Gift Items (you pick a pet from my portfolio and I add your pet's name and create a resin charm with the art work) for $50 each. These are available as necklaces, zipper pulls or key chains. 

Below are some recent new orders: Great gifts ideas for the dog lovers in your life! (If you plan to order for the holidays, please do so before Thanksgiving).

Milwaukee Sentinel Feature!

Check out this great

feature article

on the beautiful remodel of my client's home in the

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

. It includes the narrative story portrait I did of their five pups:

Chicago Reader Holiday Gift Guide Features Anne's Pet Portraits!

...Hey, hey! We made the Chicago Reader Gift Guide = GRATEFUL!

Spotted in the press...

It was just brought to my attention that my work was spotted in TheChicago Reader on July 18th in an article about Judy Fiske of Fit +Frisky in Evanston. I did their logo and they have some of my work in their beautiful store!