"Wild Rose Berries" by: Pauline Eble Campanelli

Photo taken by: Scott Douglas

Wild Rose Berries is in my living room. This piece was a wedding gift 14 years ago. We love the look of this print, simplistic. The colors are perfect and the feel is warm. This is our attitude towards life - simply said simplistic. Pauline uses this approach in many of her pieces and they are sold nationaly. This is a signed print by the artist, it is a dear treasure.

"Winter Hand Wreath" by: Meghann Brady

Photo taken by: Sean Thoman

My friend Meghann made this simple hand wreath in the year 1990. It is 18 inches by 18inches and made of finger paint on construction paper and red yarn. It reminds me of my childhood. I remember making a similar art piece in my early grade school years. Art is very freeing as a child. I remember only being concerned with my own aesthetics. Those were works that may have lacked in skill but made up for it in sincerity.

"Survival Series -Truism" 1995 - Allentown Benches by: Jenny Holzer

Photo taken by: Patrice Rine

Allentown Benches: Selections from the Truisms and Survival Series 1995
Granite: 5’ long, 1’6"deep 1’5" high.
Jenny Holzer was born in 1950 in Gallipolis, Ohio. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design and moved to New York City. She now lives and works in upstate New York and in New York City. Fourteen granite benches were commissioned for the United States by the General Services Administration to Jenny Holzer and are located throughout the federal building. Each is inscribed with a selection of text from "Holzer’s Truisms or Survival Series". Both thought provoking and meditative the inscriptions offer a sampling of opinions, sentiments and conflicting truths. Holzer believes that these texts are well suited to the courthouse because, like the people who come before a Judge, they present ideas, which the speaker believes to be true. Readers must then interpret these "truths" and draw their own conclusions.

"Cloud Gate" by: Anish Kapoor

Photo taken by: Patrice Rine

Award winning sculptor Anish Kapoor was born in Mubai, India in 1954. In the fall of 2006 "Cloud Gate", nicknamed "The Bean", a 66' long x 33' high stainless steel sculpture was unveiled. Cloud Gate weighs in at approximately 110 tons. Kapoor went to the Doon School in Dehra Dun, India and then moved to England in 1972 and has remained. I find myself in Chicago at least once a month on business and had the opportunity to see this sculpture a couple of weeks ago. It is truly magnificent as is the entire Millennium Park. Millennium Park is an award winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. It's a wonderful place to visit.

"Pendant" by: Marilyn Druin

Photo taken by: Susan Magenta

My photograph is of a pendant made by my husband's aunt in 2001. Marilyn Druin (1941-2001) was a very well know enamelist. This piece is made with 24 karat gold cloisonne, guilloche and basse-taille enamel on pure silver (base metal for enameling) and 24 karat gold. The piece was then set in 18 and 24 karat gold with diamonds. The diameter of the piece is 1 1/8 inches.
Transparent and translucent enamels were used which required many firings. Individual colors were added layer by layer to create the delicate shading. The use of cloisons (very thin gold wire) creates cells that can be filled. The shaping of the cloisons was influenced by the artist, Gustov Klimt.
The exquisite beauty that I see in this piece is secondary to the place that it holds in my heart. It is art and it is a treasure.

"Sande Zoe IV" by: Nora Musu

Photo by: Menseh Jones

Nora Musu is a Liberian artist whose art and life experience epitomize a multiculturalism that transcends boundaries or specific styles. The artist achieves this effect with an innovative blend of acrylic polymers, and iron and copper particles enhanced by a process of rusting and patina that results in a three-dimensional sculptural relief effect.
The significance of this painting is about the village girls doing their ceremonial dance prior to a celebration of a wedding. The girls' dance symbolizes the inner and outer of both the bride's and groom's family's history. i.e., the tree of both families. It tells who's the elder, or who gives the authority for the groom to ask the bride's hand in marriage. And, who authorizes the acceptance that the bride is ready to be taken. The girls would dance for several hours until the groom's parents come up to give the kola nuts and cowries (ceremonial items used for high esteem of African Families) as a sentiment for continuation of the ceremony. If not, the ceremony will be postponed to a later date. Because, the no show of the groom's parents do show that they are not yet ready to take the bride's hand in marriage.

Lilly Pad Lake by: Maureen Douglas

Photo by: Scott Douglas

This water color was created by my oldest daughter, Maureen, when she was in the first grade. I enjoy this painting and have it displayed in our home. I felt she captures the water movement and placement of the lillie pads just as they would be on a real lake. The flowers and the pads are drawn with crayon and then blue water based paint applied over the entire piece. The water based paint does not stick to the crayon, therefore not covering or drying on those areas. This painting was from her mind's eye, from a child's imagination. Not too often one can capture that moment. My photo does not do it justice and of course I am bias towards it. I will forever enjoy this piece.