Tag Archives: chicago art

Project Silly is taking over S Halsted

SillyPress

https://www.facebook.com/events/495836850563832/

The 1800 block of South Halsted Street will be taken over for the months of May and June by Project Silly. Project Silly is an art installation by Chicago Artist, Face Painter, and Self Published children’s story author Anna Todaro (ms Anna).

On display will be over 45 18″ X 18″ photographs and paintings of Chicago residents, most of whom attended the April 2015 Second Friday Artwalk. with painted faces making Silly Faces.

In the main showPod at 1843 S Halsted, on both May 8th and June 12th, ms Anna will be offering facepainting for all ages for anyone else who would like to come by to be a part of #projectsilly. Ms Anna will also have original paintings, prints, and copies of her newest board book, SillyFace, available for purchase.

“I love how everyone, every age, color, and shape, is a perfect canvas for face painting. I think that most people, when they think of the south side of Chicago, they forget about the everyday community, the smiling faces, the peace keepers, the moms and grandmothers, the gardens, and the laughter. I really believe in the love that is here in my community and I hope that my art installation will help shine some light on that.” -ms Anna

To view more of ms Anna’s work, please visit her on social media:

http://www.msAnnaArt.com/

http://www.AnnaTodaro.com/

http://www.AnnaTodaroblog.com/

http://www.facebook.com/annatodaroart

https://twitter.com/annatodaro

https://instagram.com/annatodaro/

— with Alena Delacruz and Deanna Seglem at Chicago Arts District.

Magic Spring Mural

This is a commissioned mural in a new home in Skokie, IL. It descends a staircase and is on the ceiling. The inspiration for the mural came from a collection of ideas and images special to the home owners.

As I painted, a story emerged. It is the story of a lonely unicorn who comes across a magical spring. When he leans down to drink, he finds that there is a whole other world on the other side of the water. A world filled with beings just as magical as he.

I am going to title it “Magic Spring”.  It make me think of the “Through the Looking Glass” concept.

I am available for commissioned murals in your home as well. Prices start from $600.

SillyFace Pre Sale Art Opening

https://www.facebook.com/events/291156061085545/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Art Opening and PreSale Party

My second book is almost here and to celebrate, I am having a pre-sale book party during the second friday art walk in my studio.    Come for face painting (all ages welcome), art, prints, and to be among the first to see what I’ve been working so hard on.   The official release will be on November 22nd in my booth at the DIY Trunk show in Chicago.

PreSale Party

Friday, October 10th, 6-10pm

Saturday, October 11th, 11am-7pm

1932 S Halsted 4th Floor, Chicago, IL

Facebook Event 

 

FROZEN

Oh my goodness, Frozen!    Frozen parties are everywhere this summer and I wanted to share a few of the events and designs I have created over the past few weeks with you!  I think I’ve done four Frozen birthdays, one Frozen store event, and two groups of dancers all for the Frozen theme.   I even made custom Elsa creations from anything like mustaches and princess crowns, butterflies, bunnies, and kitties.

Olaf and Anna for https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dance-and-Music-Academy/181964811814022 Summer Camp Performance
This is 1/2 of the dancers Ms Anna painted in 1.5 hours before their double header summer camp performance of FROZEN at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dance-and-Music-Academy/181964811814022
A few Ms Anna alterations on the Frozen theme- Creations by Elsa like Frozen Mustache, Frozen Kitty, Frozen Butterfly, and Frozen Flower Fairy Princess
Ice Design
Sister decorated outside of One Strange Bird in Chicago for their Frozen event with Building Block Toys

Facepainting from Do Division last weekend

Lovely Swan Princess
Flower Fairy and Kitty
Whimsical Bird
Bella Bouquet
Kitty and Swan Queen
Some lovely to festival with.
Mad Love Angel Bauer getting painted up.
Peacock Crown
Little Monster
Something lovely to match her outfit and makeup.
Sleeved Tattoos with custom names
Angel from Mad Love ready to rock her booth with custom face paint by ms Anna
Little Dolphin
Something to match her outfit and makeup.
Cute little flower fairy.
Detail of Angel’s makeup.
Little Flower Details to match pretty in pink.
A lilly for the cranky pickle who wore my work well in her own booth during Do Division last weekend
Snakeface and Monster, these boys wanted my scariest designs

I painted well over 200 faces during the three day festival, not to mention the 60 faces I painted the thursday night before at a design office party.  It was a lot of work but it was worth it.  I also got a few young art collectors out of the deal as two young girls came to raid my $5 sketch pile.  I also sold several copies of Everybody Hoops but me.  What a weekend.

What’s Blooming on Harrison this weekend in Oak Park

What's-Blooming-Logo (1)

This Saturday from 10am to 8pm in Oak Park on Harrison, just west of Austin, I will be out with my facepainting cart and copies of my book.  I am in space #35 on the south side of Harrison.   I have been pretty busy this week with the artwalk and face painting at One Strange Bird on Division.  Below are a few of the photos. I really with I had more of the kids… I painted nearly 100 faces at One Strange Bird on Saturday (not to mention my new sun tan.)    I am really looking forward to seeing everyone who comes out in Oak Park.

after my tent with 200 lbs of weight on it flew away in a gust of wind, I decided to bring back the infamous facepainting art cart. It turned out to be a great show and I painted a hundred or so happy wee ones and a few adults too!
Extra goodies on my roving facepaint cart in Elmhurst last weekend.
Something fancy for this woman during the second friday artwalk.
Guests during that artwalk last friday at my studio in Pilsen
A guest decorated as an owl for the artwalk at my open studio last friday. Look at those eyes!
A happy collector walked away from my studio with a sketch from my little book of laughing. She specializes in laughing yoga and thought it would be just the perfect art for her home.
A lucky collector came away with my lung meridian drawing based on traditional chinese medicine. This was also during the artwalk.

Making a Magical Facepainting Chair from Scratch

I went on facebook to see if one of my crafty friends might have a way for me to take the old shelf chair back and attach it to a 30″ stool (found on craigslist)
The original chair back was a shelf I found at the thrift store. It reminded me of the old chair backs from my aunt’s restaurant and I really liked the stars
To the rescue came Jennie, my sister and law who is so crafty, she crafts buildings for a living (structural engineer) and my favorite (and only) nephew Dean Everett (who has been written about before for helping me write Goofey Face and The Little Book of Laughing when he was only 3 months old)
We started by taking the chair shaped shelf apart. I heard somewhere recently that “For a seed to grow it must completely destroy everything that it currently is.” I guess the same applies to a magical facepainting chair…
Here is Jennie smiling, while I am certain she is really wondering how we are going to make this actually happen.
Using the old shelf base for a pattern for the new chair seat.
Jennie cutting out a new chair base from scratch.
ms Anna working with the drill, making holes for the chair back.
Perplexed…… Jennie and I finally figured out which post went in what order.
The pivot of the chair comes from a lazy susan Jennie found that we learned how to attach online.
Lucky for me, Jennie had this beautiful scrap fabric stored in her basement which perfectly matched the purple of the 30″ stool I found on craigslist (no one had wanted that stool because of its odd violet hue……no one….until ms Anna that is).
Jennie clamping everything together.
Jennie had this great suggestion to paint one of my flowers on the chair seat.
Jennie and ms Anna stretching out a plastic shield to cover the fabric
And Whooolah- A certifiable, 30″ tall, Whimsical, Magical, Star backed facepaint chair for ms Anna to use at parties and fairs this summer!! msAnnaArt.com
Ms Anna Art Facepainting for Fairs, Events, and Birthdays- msAnnaArt.com

             For fair season this year, I really wanted to try something different for my booth.  When I found this old chair backed shaped shelf with stars on it at the thrift store, I decided to see if there was a way to turn it into a Magical Facepaint Chair.   With the help of Craigslist, I found a perfect 30″ stool base (which no one else wanted because the color was so odd).   With the help of my sister in law Jennie (a structural engineer of all things) and my nephew Dean Everett, we were able to create a Magical Facepaint chair from scratch (which also swivels).

Stay tuned for facepainting with ms Anna this summer at fairs, special events, and private birthday parties.  For more information on hiring ms Anna for your event, please check out   http://www.msAnnaArt.com  Summer season weekends are almost completely booked and weekdays are filling up fast.   Please message for availability right away.

I make designs for boys and girls (all ages welcome).  Everything from fairy princesses, butterflies and pandas to pirates, aliens and dragons.  I am also pretty good with funny mustaches.   For parties and events, I can create custom designs based on your theme and color scheme.   At a standard 1.5 hour birthday party, I can paint 18 full faces (as seen on my postcard).  All paint is professional grade, coconut based body paint.

Walking with Heart

Walking with Heart is no easy thing, it becomes easy to trip over things,

To knock, to bop, to tip to spill,

It’s never been easy, it’s not easy still,

But each time Lovey stumbled, her mom chimed, “No big deal.”

“As you know Lovey, as I’ve said from the start,

It’s very important to learn to Walk with Heart.”

 

And so outside Lovey went, into the great unknown,

Her heart wide open, her new birdfeet shown,

With every step, spaced not far apart,

Imprinted was left, little birdfeet with a heart,

And how little Lovey loved walking up the street,

Because everywhere she went, she printed birdfeet.

 

– from Lovey and the Grouch

A Mother Heron Story by Ms Anna

 

Lovey and the Grouch is a story about a young Possum named Lovey who receives a pair of birdfeet for her Birthday.  Because of they way they print hearts when Lovey walks, she calls them the “walk with hearts.”    But what happens when Lovey’s new birdfeet are stollen during show and tell in Ms Mayhem’s class?   Will Lovey blame her enemy the Grouch?  Will she go home and cry and plot revenge?  Stay tuned and see!  This and many other Mother Heron stories by Ms Anna are in the works.

Jimella’s Heron in my Studio

Jimella’s Heron Flys in the Eastern Window of my Pilsen Studio. Handmade by an artisan from Washington State, this bird has a twin who shared a space for years over Willapa Bay at The Ark Restaurant. After the Ark was sold in 2004, this Heron moved to Jimella’s home where it warmed the room with her Earth Stove, overseeing many nights of wood, sage and cedar burning by bookside with Black Bear, Coyote, Deer, Heron, Owl onlookers from the forest. This Heron flew above her through her transition. This Heron then got on a plane with ms Anna and flew all the way to Chicago where it now hangs in Pilsen.

Getting my facepaint board ready to head of to the Rolling For James fundraiser in Niles.