....it was an amazing week on the farm: part I

I spent a magical 9 days, June 18-26th, at the 13th Annual Fields Project Artist Residency. I'll split my recap into a few posts because I have a lot of photos that I would like to share. I stayed with the Pfieffer Family near Ashton, IL on their pig farm, and I'm glad to report that they have agreed to adopt me! ...do you like their license plate?! My toes are the green ones, painted in honor of the week, which was filled with laughter and an endless supply of rural artistic inspiration.

I'll start with the family farm dogs...this is Beauty.

...and Bebe, hard working farm dogs most of the time!

...and old, Tiger - he has quite a set of lungs!
Lots of kitties running around, too!
Pigs! I'll go into much more detail about these guys in the following posts. Momma cow and her calf...sorry Taryn, I forgot momma's name, baby'g going to be an 'L' name...I suggested "Louie", "Lester"....oh, how about "LeRoy"?
And this is Frosty (note the ears...struck with a little frost bite) and Daffodil in the background..they were really fun goats, totally engaging and loved attention! So beautiful.
A painting of them in process in my outdoor art studio at Castle Rock State Park.
Daffodil, so pretty.

Frosty was often 'standing' on the fence like this when I would get in my truck to leave for the day.
Look at that mug!
...more to come!

Happily Ever After...

VanSluys

This Custom Narrative Commission Print was a gift for newlyweds Katie & Tim. It features their Chicago neighborhood, Lincoln Square, their house, their beloved beagles: Nigel & Zoe, their love of travel and Mini Coopers (he races) and the site of their recent wedding ceremony: the Natural Bridges of Santa Cruz, in California. They received a Gift Certificate and were able to collaborate with me on the design for a most meaningful and vibrant work of art!

Katie & Time came by the studio this afternoon to pick up "Happily Ever After". And on that subject, they are currently fostering Kaylee (see below) a very sweet Beagle here in Chicago that needs a home. Please contact the number below or visit FoundChicago.org if you think you could give this wonderful dog a 'happily ever after', too!