The Big MOVE...

I meant to document our move over the last several weeks - that is the amount of time we have taken to transport our lives, countless trips in our pickup! And one hired haul of our furniture. Not the most efficient system - it was quite a roller coaster of chaos and emotion ...we took the final miscellaneous things from the house on Wednesday and still have yet to empty the garage..hopefully tonight!

Packing up my studio was the hardest part...I will have a very different space arrangement but I'm looking forward to starting fresh in a new place and working completely above ground for a change...and who knows what new imagery will emerge living across the street from a bread factory!

The new house is over 100 years old and is very sunny and bright and has these incredibly high ceilings. I chose Peacock Blue for our kitchen and living space - I love it and it also sets Izzy & Alice off very nicely!

Alice looks on as I paint the final pieces in my Bucktown Studio from her favorite ratty green chair that we left behind in the alley...

More Change...

Another sketchbook entry from earlier this month. I'm such a Sentimental Lady...isn't that a song?

Just gotta get my own color on the walls, all the comforts of our home inside and a makeshift studio set up in the new digs and I'm sure all will be right as rain...

Change

Illustration Friday Theme = Change

I recently celebrated my 16 year anniversary of moving to Chicago, quite a long time for someone who had only planned to stay a year or two. I commemorated by drawing all the places I have lived in my sketchbook...and tomorrow the change continues as we close on a new house in a new neighborhood. I never thought we'd leave this one but I guess it's true that the only thing that you can count on is change... so I will cherish the memories and wonderful things that have happened here and look forward to wonderful new adventures on Washtenaw.

FARM

Illustration Friday theme = Farm

As much as I love urban landscapes I have an equal love for rural landscapes. I have a lot of images that fit this topic, but this one came to mind first...it was inspired by the crazy drive I took to a show at an art fair called "Art in the Barn" - we set up our displays in the barns on the grounds of Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington. I also have many farm related images from the work I did in 2003 during "The Fields Project" an incredible experience.

Safe

Illustration Friday Theme = Safe

Earlier this summer we discovered a bird in our house, it was so frightened. I had to catch it (with very little help from Rich!) and release it back to the safety of the outdoors. This is a digitally colored drawing from my sketchbook.

Last Walk to Bucktown Arts Fest

Sunday morning we took our last walk from our house...past the morning glories, north to the pool, and through the newly renovated park to the magical Bucktown Arts Fest.

So much has happened to me in the 12 years since I first exhibited atthis fest in 1995.It is the response to my work from that show thatgave me thecourage to pursue my artistic dreams. Over the years many of the otherartists and patronsIhave met have turned into treasured friends. So many people in thecommunity come by every year to say hello, update me on their lives, introduce me tonew babies and pets. It's a wonderful reunion with great art, friends,music, poetry, dancing and performance. I was pretty emotional at the endthis year. I know I tend to be too sentimental, but it’s the end ofan era for me with our upcoming move from the neighborhood. I'vebeen thinking about applying to the Port Clinton show next year, butrealized this weekend, there is no where else I would rather be the lastweekend in August than in Booth #33 at the Bucktown Arts Fest.

Anne's Art on a Bus!

My painting, "Three Birds Flying" is featured on the back of buses in the Detroit area!  Common Ground Sanctuary's Art in the Park Committee decided to feature it in ads for their upcoming Art Fair, September 16-17 in Birmingham, Michigan. The sad part is that I had to cancel the show, some big changes for us happening around those dates...more on that later!

I also designed their Art Fair Poster back in 2001.

Laughing Through the Tears

On Friday morning I tearfully answered the door to greet Jenny from Tree House Animal Foundation. She was coming to pick up all of Ollie's things which we were donating to their shelter which houses hundreds of homeless cats. She was also coming to deliver a fiberglass cat for me to paint for the first annual Cats On Parade Art Auction and Gala. I went from crying to laughing when I saw how enormous this cat was - and thankfully, it looked nothing like our Oliver.  This cat is larger than both Izzy and Alice. Having it sit in the middle of the living room all weekend has been good comic relief.