What a year 2017 has been so far! With a whirlwind of family injury and illness from Fall 2016 through Summer 2017, I have missed updating both my website pages and this blog. With recovery and some tentatively optimistic developments, I am finally back to something like my normal routine. I am glad to be back.
In addition, this summer, we attempted to look for a new house, though to our disappointment, we were not able to find a place that suited our needs and timeline, this time. Perhaps next Spring will deliver the perfect answer, in time for us to put our current home on the rental market.
We did have some wonderful excursions with my niece and nephew, who came to Illinois for two months this Summer. We visited …Kline Farm in Naperville and the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst with my parents, and Brookfield Zoo with most of the family including my brother, Jake. I also had time to teach them to gently catch and release butterflies, to use pressed flowers to make cards and to work with cursive handwriting. I will miss them terribly now that they have returned to Seattle Washington.
We got some lovely news from my youngest brother, David and his wife, Tasha. I am going to be an Aunt again. The new baby, currently nicknamed, “Gummy Bear”, due to the first ultrasound picture’s resemblance, is due early next year. I am sure going to love having another little one to dote on!
A variety of locations are now hosting my art classes. At the Michael’s in Downers Grove, you can take acrylic or watercolor painting, and drawing. Through the Elk Grove Village Park District, you can take drawing, watercolor or acrylic painting, and printmaking without a press. The Community Arts Council of Kankakee County hosts my painting and drawing studios at their Community Arts Center, located in the Northfield Square Mall in Bradley, Illinois.
This Fall, at the Expressions Graphics Printmaking Cooperative, I will have one day Calligraphy and Sumi workshops for Beginners. In addition, I will be teaching Drawing and Watercolor for the Nature Journal to the Wood Dale Homeschool CMC group from mid-September into the Winter 2017. Follow the links above or see the menu on the blog for detailed class information and instructions to register for your favorites now!
Gallery and shop representation of my artwork, cards and coloring books continues to 
grow. The Journeys line of coloring books is now offered by a variety of vendors, including: Life Force Arts Center & The Occult Bookstore, in Chicago, IL; Apothecary Arts/ Upper East Gallery, in Momence, IL; Dancing Krow Gallery, in Oak Park, IL; and now at Moon Cookie Gallery, in Kankakee, IL.
This Fall, I am participating in shows at several galleries. I would love to see you at an opening! Dancing Krow Gallery, located in the Harrison Street Arts District, in Oak Park, Illinois, is holding the opening reception for their “Un-Earthed” exhibit on September 16th, 2017 from 1-6pm. I will attend after my Watercolor Workshop in Elk Grove Village, IL . For this show I am exhibiting The Milk Maiden & the Dancers, an acrylic on canvas (below upper right), and Tree Cycle in the Storm, and oil on canvas (below lower right). In addition, the gallery carries my Journeys coloring books, greeting cards, hand printed silk scarves, and hand crafted stone and shell tipped wooden wands.
Life Force Arts Center, 1609 Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL hosted the opening reception for Art: The Lanuage of Community on September 10th, 2017 from 4:30-8:30pm. This exhibit will feature my original watercolor on paper, Stone Circle (above left). The gallery is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-6pm. The exhibit runs until January 9th, 2018.
Expressions Graphics Printmaking Cooperative continues to carry my limited edition and monotype prints. They are open Friday afternoons, some weekends and Third Fridays &/or Saturdays, including September 15 & 16 and during the Annual Arts on Harrison Festival, October 20 & 21, 2017. My works in the gallery include: Stonehenge Views, Day of the Dead Series, Sphere Series, Birds & Buildings Series, City Views Series, Symbolic Immersion prints and more.
Also in October, my donated acrylic painting, Tulips & Orchids (above), will be part of the North Riverside Library‘s Annual Gala & Silent Auction. The auction is hosted at the Riverside Golf Club and the event takes place on October 21st, 2017 from 5-9pm. Gala tickets can be purchased at the North Riverside Library, see the bottom of the home page for Library hours. Or purchase your tickets online at the Eventbrite site:
Vida continues to offer my images printed on tops, scarves, handkerchiefs, purses and tote bags. Please visit my signature collection to purchase:
https://shopvida.com/collections/jessica-kronika
Before all this busyness in the Fall, I took a long overdue vacation to visit friends in Florida. Hoping for a little sun, perhaps some fishing, swimming and painting, and rest and relaxation to sink in. So the airbnb we rented was a dream, a spacious home with a full size pool and hot tub, in a very quiet neighborhood and blessed with a lot of lively nature out the windows and doors. I took lots of photos, lounged in the pool, and did a lot of relaxing listening to the variety of bird calls.
We made a day trip to Wild Bill’s Airboat rides to check out the new local wetland reserve, set aside in 2010. The captain of our boat took us on a tour of the local sights, flushing out an adolescent alligator and numerous shorebirds. 
Another day we drove to Winter Park near Orlando, and visited the Rollins College Art Museum and the Morse Museum, where much of Tiffany’s work and life are on display.
Of course, the weather decided to conspire against many in Florida, with Hurricane Irma, chasing us out half a week early. We wound up driving some 30 hours along with many evacuees, to get back to our Chicago area home.
The hits keep on coming as they say. So the day after we returned, I went to see Stevie Nicks playing at Ravinia. Then back into the thick of classes and traveling.
As always, Living Art Everyday!
Jessica Kronika, aka The Fly’n Gypsy
Fly'n Gypsy Arts 
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