#cowsonparade

A Story, part II At the two year mark, I was ready to head back to my own studio practice and (it’s ok but I was wrong) assumed the trend had passed so sold to my partner Nancy Albrecht who did an amazing job of continuing the business and then selling herself to Christine O’Brien. The business continues to work with projects all over the country under new ownership! 🐄 All of this prompted because one of the cows we painted 19 years ago is in my backyard for repairs, and a change of portraits to the owner’s son (although I still love the idea of a girl being A Future Cubs pitcher..). Repairs at local fiberglass shop, and several spent repainting and varnishing in the backyard has been great. Especially when the kids from the park are playing ball! The sale of the business provided me with a sweet sum of money, and rather than head off on a two year travel binge, made the decision to buy a house. A big run down 1889 three story house. Almost 19 years later, am in second round of de-assessment and preparation for opening the house for possible sale. Having the cow sit back here, in the backyard that it helped pay for, is somehow perfect. That’s the story. Thanks for reading. Seemed a good time to tell it. #publicart #cityofchicago #chicagostories #publicart #cowpainters #cowsonparade thanks to Lois Weisberg for agreeing to the project, and @masonnnathan for doing the heavy lifting. (at Chicago, Illinois)

A story. Moved to Chicago in late 90’s for love and adventure and found a Greektown Studio on 10th floor of building owned by the Art Institute: 500 sq ft $250 a month with a city view. Heaven. Every day was new and Chicago was (still) a great city to explore ✨ New Public Art Project was heading to town, brought from Switzerland, of three styles of Swiss Milking cows. 🐄 An artist friend gave me an application and I painted a life size fiberglass cow for the project. 300 of the pieces hit the streets April 1 2000 and to say it was a hit would be an understatement. Tourists from around the world taking pictures and wanting some kind of cow souvenirs 💥 it was the first of the now on going fiberglass pieces popping up all over the US. ( the world?) 🐄 Same artist friend had the great idea to offer our services to anyone who wanted the little 27 » cows, manufactured by @adampincus Here in Chicago. We made a stack of brochures and left at downtown tourism office. By the time we got back to the Greektown Studios, my phone was ringing with orders, at $750 each, designed + hand painted by us. Within a week, we got a request for one of the big ones, with the stipulation that we paint it in three weeks. For $8500. So I found one!Nancy and I hired another artist in the studios, a young @nicolegordonartist, and we painted that cow. 🐄 More orders for the big ones, so we set up import business to bring in containers of 10 at a time! From original Swiss manufacturer. We couldn’t order fast enough. 🐄 With expanding business- at one point we had 12 artists and lots of interns working with us- we gratefully paid the Art Institute $1 a month for huge empty space on 9th floor, as the building heading to sale. 🐄 Phones rang off the wall and we shipped all over the countty to zoos, private clients and businesses. It was an amazing time. 🐄 Continued in next post.... #publicart #cowsonparade #cows #cowsofinstagram #womanownedbusiness #entrepreneurship #cowpainters thanks @cityofchicago @masonnnathan (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/BmBiVxGhL-K/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=gm3a3eu851cv

Oh you know, just some cows taking a stroll through the city streets... Nothing out of the ordinary... 🐮 #Moo #CowsOnParade #FutureSteaksOnTheMoooove (at Los Barriles, Baja California Sur, Mexico)

Portrait of me as a cow by my sister. #CowsOnParade #CowArt #INeedToDust #JustMooIt (at Tucson, Arizona)