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Written by Chesterton Art Center

On Sunday, March 3rd at 2:00, Anita Ann Johnson will give a presentation titled, "Stepping Into the Art Fair World" at the Chesterton Art Center. Anita has been doing art fairs in the local and surrounding area for more than seven years. "I love doing art fairs, and have a wealth of information that I have learned along the way." During the presentation, Anita will share information, answer questions and provide handouts on topics such as how to find art fairs, the jurying process, making a good impression, where to find a setup, what to bring along, art fair "etiquette" and many other helpful details.

Anita, a self-taught artist, began her art career as a landscape designer in Colorado. After raising a family, she rediscovered her yearning to create. Anita believes that she was given a second chance to make the most of her life, and that her art is a gift to be shared. She says, “I truly believe that painting is what I was made to do. I love experiencing the whole process of creating art - from the first twinkling of an idea to the point of knowing the work is finished."

For questions or more information about the "Stepping Into the Art Fair World" presentation, please contact the Chesterton Art Center at 219-926-4711. The Chesterton Art Center is located at 115 S. 4th St., Chesterton, IN 46304.

The show at the Indiana State Museum was gratifying and such an honor. I was one of twelve painters among the 65 artists chosen to participate.  As a result of this past weekend’s show in Indy, there are already TWO, possibly three exciting things in the works, more details to come!! Also a large piece will be going to its home!!
This past weekend was busy, fun and ADVENTUROUS! Due to snow and icy roads, it was somewhat of a treacherous drive there and back. A middle of the night fire scare at the hotel with the alarm sounding for nearly ...an hour, and having to evacuate our rooms rendered me nearly sleepless! BUT I received a full refund for my nights stay!
I so enjoyed meeting the other artist’s and meeting some key contacts for the future. A special thank you to the staff of the Indiana State Museum for going above and beyond in the area of helpfulness, it was so appreciated! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!

I'm excited to share that as of this month, I now have a Facebook Page exclusively for my art. I am sharing on this page two to three times per week, with an inside peek into my "studio life". Also included are special posts which include: limited time special discounts, new artwork that is available and often doesn't make it to my website before it sells, and a very fun ongoing saga, "From The Peanut Gallery”, the not so serious side of my life as an artist. All of which include our dog Penelope, and two parrots Twinkie and Bushie. To link to the page for all the extra goodies, simply click the facebook icon on the left. Once at the page click the "Like" button near the top of the page to stay updated.

Was on the beach this afternoon and got inspired to paint Cuckadoos! Twinkie was sitting on my shoulder this evening while I painted, and she happily posed by the finished painting! 

I titled this one "Cuckadoo's Sunset Foot Soak" it is currently available for purchase in the gallery area.

 What a wonderful weekend I had at the Schoolhouse Shop Art Show this weekend.  This show is always one of my favorites, and couple of paintings found thier new homes as well!

Several of you have inquired about not seeing me at a couple of larger local art shows this year; it was good to hear that you had been looking for me. Without getting into the gruesome details, I will let you know that in the early summer I had a major surgery, and unfortunately some unexpected complications arose. I had been juried into two shows, and had paid for them, but at the last minute I was not able to participate due to my health. Also, sadly, during those months I was not able to paint. Now however, I am as good as new, maybe even better! I have been hard at work at the easel, trying to make up for the lost time. The end of the year has been successful so far, in that most everything I have painted has sold. Now inventory is low, and it has motivated me to paint my heart out!

I was fortunate to spot a small group of terns on the beach in St. Joe Michigan. These two flashy characters seemed like a pair. I had a lot of fun working on this one; I used sand medium for texture, and it looks and feels like real sand!

Gearing up and getting excited for this seasons art fairs!  I was looking through some images today and found this one of my daughter booth sitting for me at the Chesterton Art Fair last year.

I worked on my studio most of the day. It’s a necessity for me to clean it before starting another painting, as I find it hard to work in disorganization. The clutter had really started to pile up and I just couldn’t take it anymore! I bought a new room sized drop cloth for the floor and moved some blank canvas and other odds and ends into the other room. Also, I moved our large treadmill out and a couple of tables in and gained some much needed work space. The treadmill is really heavy and my body will probably be reminding me of that fact tomorrow morning when I get out of bed. However, the hard work was worth it as I will be all set to start work in the morning in a clean and organized studio.