Chicago, IL

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Anne Nordhaus-Bike, Artist-in-Residence for Curves of Brookfield, IL, for 2009, is displaying her oil paintings Early September Still Life and Late Summer Sky at that Curves location in September.

As artist-in-residence, Nordhaus-Bike premiers paintings in small monthly shows that open on the first weekday of each month, with paintings chosen to reflect themes associated with the month in which they appear.

Curves of Brookfield is located at 3734 Grand Blvd., Brookfield, IL 60513, (708) 485-1616, curvesofbrookfield@sbcglobal.net. Although Curves of Brookfield is a women's gym, men and children as well as women are welcome at any time to view Nordhaus-Bike's artwork during Curves hours of operation: Monday through Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3:15 to 7:15 p.m.; Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 8 to 11 a.m.

"I'm thrilled to have chosen Anne as our artist-in-residence," said Curves of Brookfield owner Jennifer Vydra. "Her art makes our atmosphere even more pleasant during workouts and helps attract the public to our retail business area in Brookfield."

"Curves is a wonderful place to work out and a great Brookfield business, so it gives me great pleasure to show my art there," Nordhaus-Bike said. "I believe in bringing art to where people are, making it part of their everyday lives, so Curves offers a perfect venue that is highly accessible to the public."

Nordhaus-Bike discussed Early September Still Life

"The mix of lavender and white in the background, the tablecloth, and many of the flowers hint at the cooling that autumn would bring later in the month, while one bright yellow bloom pays homage to the last of summer's warmth," Nordhaus-Bike said. "This image shows the contrast between the heavy texture used for the Queen Anne's lace and black-eyed Susan at the top left, the smooth strokes defining the little morning glories in the center and at the vase's rim, and the opaque, brushy softness seen in the droopy grass stems at left, right, and top center.

Concerning Late Summer Sky, Nordhaus-Bike said, "This oil came out of a painting date with one of my artist friends. Inspired by the shimmering summer sky we witnessed while on our walk after lunch, it mingles strokes of pink, crimson, yellow, and blue with plenty of white paint to capture the image that filled my mind's eye after we returned home. The birds entered the piece at the end, almost as an afterthought, to add to the painting's airy quality and suggest the fluttering feeling we experienced that day from a restless yet gentle breeze."

Nordhaus-Bike, who lives and works in the Clearing/Garfield Ridge community on the Southwest Side of Chicago, also displays the works in her monthly Curves shows on her web site. The "Top News" section at the top of her home page has details and a link to the Gallery, where viewers will find the September paintings.

Her original oils and watercolors are available for purchase; posters and greeting cards featuring her art also are available. Go to www.anbcommunications.com, e-mail info@anbcommunications.com, or call (773) 229-0024. -30-

Anne Nordhaus-Bike

President

ANB Communications

Chicago, IL

773-229-0024