Chicagoland Tails Feature...
I was interviewed by Agnes Jasinski of Chicagoland Tails last fall and am honored to be featured in an article she wrote that appears in the December/January Issue of the Magazine titled: "Pet Artist Uses Work To Promote Adoption and Rescue Groups", I have included it below. Our (tentative) first adoption event at the studio for 2010 will be on February 13th with Chicago Canine Rescue ...stay tuned. If you know of a group that would be interested in having an event here, please send them my way!
Pet artist uses work to promote adoption and rescue groups
By Agnes Jasinski
AnneLeuck Feldhaus was still working a corporate job when she adopted Izzy,the beloved canine who sparked her creative spirit and got her to leaveher job and pursue art full-time. Around the time Izzy came into herlife, she began doing dog images, paintings, and promotional art forshows put on by rescue groups. Her images were “very funny bright,colorful dog paintings,” she says, that started out as a hobby butbecame a calling and a way for her to promote pet adoption.
“The first dogimages came from her, along with the whole awareness of how serious theproblem was,” Feldhaus says about her passion for adoption and Izzy’sinfluence. “I went to a lot of different places to meet dogs and tofind the right one, and had two cats at the time from Anti-Cruelty. …That process really opened my eyes.”
Feldhaus has now been donating art for fundraisers to rescue groupslike the Treehouse Animal Foundation and Young at Heart Pet Rescue forthe last 14 years. Her work with the rescues has been pro bono, but shealso does paintings of people’s pets. Her artwork has been hung up inlobbies, sold to raise money for local rescues, and used on T-shirtsand posters to promote shelter events.
Earlier this spring, Feldhaus also opened a storefront studio in RoscoeVillage at 2040 W. Roscoe, where she hopes to not only have a presencein the neighborhood as an artist, but to also invite local rescuegroups to hold adoption events there. The first event was held Aug. 8with Chicago Canine Rescue. A portion of any sales at any of theadoption events will go toward the rescue that day. The next event willbe held Dec. 12, with pets brought in from Young at Heart Pet Rescue.
“My goal and mission are to give back to our dogs and cats all theunconditional love and devotion they provide us by spreading the wordabout animal adoption through my art and designs,” Feldhaus says. “AlsoI truly believe that our pets make us better human beings.”
For more information, visit AnnesArt.com.
Pet Portrait Reveal #3...Hank!
Another holiday Pet Portrait reveal, Hank is my first Leonberger. I was just given a little history lesson "The
original breed was created by taking a Landseer Newfoundland and
breeding that to a Saint Bernard. That dog was then bred to Great
Pyrenees. The original breeding took place in the 1800s in Germany." Stay tuned for more in the next week...
Generous Feature from artist, Marilyn Grad...
Hubcap Art for the Landfill Reclamation Project...
I painted this hubcap on Tuesday for the Landfill Reclamation Project...it was tricky, with very little flat surface. "Landfillart is an international effortencompassing one-thousand-forty-one (1,041) artists to claim a piece ofrusted metal garbage and create fine art. The 1,041 pieces of rusted metal are actually old automobile hub caps from the 1930’s through the 1970’s." So what kind of car did this come from? We guessed Rolls Royce because of the 'R' but could be completely off base...if you know, please post a comment. Every time I look at the finished piece I see a chip and dip bowl...maybe a good start for a tabletop line?!
grateful...
I had grand plans for a year/decade end post...but time is slipping away. At the very least I want to express my enormous gratitude for all the people I have met friends, clients, mentors (many on-line folks who I have yet to meet in person) and my very supportive family, especially Rich. (And the dogs!) I would not be living my dream without all of you. I am amazed and grateful for all the incredible opportunities that came my way and it excites me to think what wonderous things this next decade has in store. So, let's dream big, don't let another day pass you by wondering 'what if?' Fear regret, not failure...and most importantly (and tough for me) remember that it's about the journey, not the destination.Warm Wishes and Safe Travels to You...
Warm Wishes and Safe Travels to You...wherever you may be or are going this year for the Holidays. It's been a wonderfully busy season for me, but things are definitely winding down here. I have my last Pet Portrait pick up tomorrow (I'll share photos after all the gifts are given!) and I'll stick around the shop until about 3pm, hoping to help out any last minute shoppers! (Is it annoying that I sometimes say studio and some times say shop? Let me clarify, when the black cloth is on my work table it's a "Shop" and when it's not, it's my "Studio"...although I'm thinking of painting the table black then that all goes out the window!) Then we'll load up Izzy and Alice and hop in the car to head up to rural Warrens, WI to my my Mom's beautiful log house in the woods. It's the perfect place to visit at this time of year and I always have so much fun baking with my Mom, we will be creating our bi-ennial Gingerbread House.This is all providing that the weather cooperates...
Before I go, I wanted to share this photo of Izzy from the other day...she is havingquite a rally lately, aside from the 'night time crazies' (a period of45 minutes or so every evening when nothing seems to appease her...Rich and I are working on a song). And here's silly Alice careening around in the snow...she loves the white stuff!
Merry Happy Holidays to You & Yours, Safe Travels, Peace and lots of Joy!!
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