Italia 2024 - Anne's Travel Sketchbook Art Workshop Registration is now OPEN!

CIAO..! DO YOU LONG FOR A CREATIVE ADVENTURE? 

Explore The Off the-beaten path of Venice, beautiful Padua, and the Italian culinary heartland in Parma, Italy

JOIN ME IN ITALY IN OCTOBER OF 2024!

Join me and THE BLUE WALK on an artistic adventure in Venice, Padua, and Parma, Italy! Ever dreamed of exploring the enchanting canals of Venice or savoring Italian cuisine in a villa garden? Imagine capturing these moments in your own art journal. Experience it all in our Sketchbook Art Workshop, a small-group travel and art vacation where I'll guide you through daily classes inspired by our Italian adventures. Discover the authentic Italy of today while indulging in incredible food and creating lasting memories.

Don’t delay, this trip will fill up fast! MORE INFO + REGISTRATION HERE

RECAP PART II: Italy Sketchbook Teaching Trip

Santa Margherita on the way back to Rapallo from Portofino

I took so many photos, and also wanted to share some videos that I made on the trip…so here is part 2. Though the photos are cross between the whole week. A reminder if you did not read my first post it is HERE and this is about my JUNE 2022 Sketch Journaling Travel Teaching Trip to Italy with the Blue Walk, and its lovely proprietors, Jeannette and Suzy.

Arriving in Lake Como on a very windy day, ready to teach a class…

I’m back from Italy…a few words to recap

Farewell, Italy!

DOES A TRIP LIKE THIS INTEREST YOU? Join me on my next trip this October 18-30, 2022 as we embark on another incredible adventure to GREECE! Follow this LINK -- But please reach out right away, only a few spots remain!

RECAP Part I: Italy Sketchbook Teaching Trip

MANAROLA, ITALY - CINQUE TERRE

BUONGIORNO! I'll be the first to admit it, I’m generally a happy homebody - but my recent Sketch Journaling Travel Teaching Trip to Italy with the Blue Walk, and its lovely proprietors, Jeannette and Suzy, changed all of that for me. They took care of all the details, which made enjoying the trip so easy - the group was small enough (14 in all) for us to easily get to know one another and scheduling flexible enough for everyone to have flexible time apart or meet up for meals, extra creative time and exploring! Each day was filled with wondrous adventures, amazing sights, taste and experiences...so much for my students and I to capture in our sketchbooks.

APERTIVO IN RAPALLO …ITALY’S MUCH CLASSIER VERSION OF HAPPY HOUR ;)

This smattering of photos are from Milan, Rapallo, Portofino, 3 towns in Cinque Terre: Monterosso, Vernazza and Manarola - as well as: Varenna, Lenno, and Bellagio on Lake Como. When you travel you become aware of how easy it is to become stagnant in our lives and limit our perceptions of what is available to us. I’ve come back to the US so grateful for this experience, and with a more open-hearted vision of the possibilities for my life and future.

DOES A TRIP LIKE THIS INTEREST YOU? Join me on my next trip this October 18-30, 2022 as we embark on another incredible adventure to GREECE! Follow this LINK -- But please reach out right away, only a few spots remain!

READ RECAP PART II HERE

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

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.

Last night...

Saw a lovely performance by Jose Gonzalez at Lincoln Hall last night...made for a colorful sketchbook entry this morning.

End o'October...

Screen shot 2014-10-31 at 7.45.49 PM

Have I mentioned how much I love weather and water? (...spent much of the last 2 summers paddle boarding on Lake Michigan). So Late afternoon, on Halloween, when WBEZ reported a 21 foot wave clocked south of Chicago...I got myself to the lake, stat! No 21 footers on the northside, but I was not disappointed! It was so powerful and beautiful, these were a few of the salvageable shots...it was hard to get good ones because it was impossible to stand still in the wind.

Screen shot 2014-10-31 at 8.07.35 PM

Screen shot 2014-10-31 at 7.49.14 PM

before

The next day...November 1st: I was invited to a Día de Muertos Potluck, makeup optional. I watched some makeup videos on youtube and I was hooked. Equipped with makeup from the Halloween store and paint brushes from my studio, I went to work...I love how it turned out! It was so much fun, as was the party and seeing everyone in costume (only about 20% of us). I used to be the boring girl who wouldn't dress up, I think that girl is gone, now!  

Camera Happy....

A belated Happy New Year! I've been busy working on all the commission orders I received over the holidays - which is great, because it hasn't been the ideal weather for getting out and about. But when I can get out, I do, and then I take lots of photos. Sharing some favorites from the last few weeks...including spruced up ones, compliments of instagram...another fabulous new diversion, for me! You can follow me at: http://instagram.com/anneleuck

New Years Eve Day. I got my car stuck for a short while...thank goodness for all wheel drive!

The "silly beast" outside my kitchen window. Construction has since insued. Hoping I won't be left in the dark come spring!

I gifted myself some snow shoes, took the inaugural outing last week with my friend Laura.

Laura opted to use her cross country skis. it was great fun!

The ice formations formed from the "Polar Vortex" were phenomenal and breath taking!

This is where I spent most of my summer! No paddle boarding or kayaking today...

The sand and snow wind formations at the beach were delightful to see.

We finished the day with a few tobaggon runs down Cricket Hill. I had not done that since high school….wheee!

Sunset walk last Sunday in my neighborhood.