Ann & Arvin at Big Rock Garden Park in 2006.
Hi. I'm Ann Chaikin. With me is my husband Arvin. Since I retired in 2005 I've been focusing on art and music. I'm becoming a painter and am looking forward to my first group art show in March 2007. I'm still active in photography and will be showing some of my work at the Whatcom Art Guild show in May 2007. I sing in the Bellingham Chamber Chorale and am a charter member of the New Albion Early Music Guild.
Arvin is continuing his volunteer teaching of computer literacy at Goodwill Industries. He plays the piano daily and is about to embark on classical guitar lessons. Though he has played guitar for years it has been a long time since he took lessons. He also has a large collection of vintage fountain pens.
Arvin and I both love each other, our children, our families, our friends and our cat. We also love taking long walks, attending concerts and plays, watching movies, and spending time with good friends. We love to collect antiques and fine art. We feel it is very important to live in a community rich in the arts and do what we can to support the arts in Bellingham.
Recently Arvin and I traveled to Southern France with the Blue Horse Gallery. It was great to share the trip with a small group of friendly artists, poets and photographers. We hope to go on another Blue Horse Gallery trip in the future. Our next trip will be to the Balkans with the Bellingham Chamber Chorale in 2008.
Here are some pictures my brother Stephen took of us in 1977, 1985 and 1986. Steve took the 1985 picture during our travels in Australia. Stephen joined us and the three of us spent four weeks together exploring the Great Barrier Reef, the Kakadu, the Red Centre and the area around Sydney.
Here Ann is in 1945, 1983, 1987 and two in 2002. Can you see a resemblance?
Here Arvin is in 1943, 1980, 2000 and in December of 2001. Can you see a resemblance?
View of Lake Whatcom from our house.
We live in the beautiful city of Bellingham, Washington. It is known for its beauty and its closeness to the mountains, the ocean, the San Juan Islands and two great cities: Seattle and Vancouver B.C.. We love living here. Our house looks out at the north end of Lake Whatcom.
Fall view of Mount Shuksan in Picture Lake, Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington.
Mount Baker seen from Route 9 in Whatcom County, Washington.