Artist Ashley Ann home

The journal · Inside the drawing

Why Lisle's Hot Air Balloon History Made the Mug

A passion project found its visual hook in a distinctive local tradition.

I began the Lisle mug while exploring communities near where I grew up. The town's hot air balloon history gave me a detail that felt playful and unmistakably local, making this more than another nearby suburb in the series.

Ashley sketching the Lisle mug artwork on paper
The Lisle drawing in progress.

See the finished mug

Explore the artwork and find current shop information on The Lisle Mug page. The mug is carried through Creme & Co. Cafe; please check the mug page or contact the shop before making a special trip.

A gift idea with a real place behind it

The family connection in this story makes The Morton Arboretum and Four Lakes more than a checklist of landmarks. If you are giving the mug to a relative or an old friend, name the particular memory that brought you to Lisle. That note can make a practical gift feel unmistakably theirs.

Soli Deo Gloria,Ashley Ann's signature

Ashley Ann

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