Mohamed B. A. Drisi

Mohamed Ben Abdeslam Drisi, age 91. He is survived by Nanette (nee Ankarlo), his best friend and dearly loved wife of 64 years with whom he had four cherished children. Mohamed and Nanette were inseparable. He is the loving father to Ru (Kathleen) Drisi, Cid (Erin) Drisi, Tama (John) Pickford, and Aisha (Keith) Miller. He was particularly proud and fond of all his grandchildren: Margaret Drisi, Madelyn Drisi, Cara Pickford, Ashley Pickford, Ian Miller, Aidan Miller, and Ewan Miller. Born in the northern port city of Tetouan, Morocco, Mohamed is the son of the late Selam and the late Fatima (aka Tama) Idrissi. He is the much-loved brother of Ahmed, Abdelkader, (late) OumKulthum, Abderrahman, Fatima, Amine, Omar, and Abdellah. All of Mohamed's siblings and extended family still reside in Morocco and Spain.

In 1949 while still in Morocco, serendipitously, Mohamed met esteemed American architect and Seattle, WA resident, Arthur L. Loveless (affectionately known as Grandpa Loveless to the Drisi children). A friendship and respect quickly forged and Loveless sponsored Mohamed and helped him to emigrate to the United States, helping him to attend the University of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Throughout his adult life, Mohamed referred to Loveless as his adoptive father and Loveless (having no biological children of his own) referred to him as his 'son'.

Shortly after Mohamed arrived on visa to the United States he was drafted into the U.S. Army (still learning to speak English) and sent to fight in the Korean War where he served honorably. Thanks to his exceptional artistic skills Mohamed was assigned as a cartographer who would fly with reconnaissance aircraft to survey landscapes and routes and draw maps for the troops to use for movement and combat missions. Mohamed was extremely proud of his U.S. Army service, as are his family. He was particularly proud that both of his sons served in the U.S. Air Force as well.

Shortly after concluding his military service, Mohamed became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He had already briefly studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain and later graduated from the University of Chicago / School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was there that he met Nanette and they married after graduation on June 14, 1958. Shortly after they were married, they moved to Eze, France where they lived while Mohamed traveled to the palace daily to sketch and paint HSH Princess Grace de Monaco, probably his most notable commission in his long and remarkable career as a portrait painter and artist. The official portrait is displayed prominently in the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco.

Upon returning to the United States, Mohamed founded the Drisi Studio of Fine Art in Glenwood, Illinois with his wife and fellow artist, Nanette. The studio was attached to their home and was filled with students 5 days a week, painting, drawing, and listening to mostly classical music. The Drisi home was adorned by many pieces of their artwork, and Mohamed painted numerous paintings of his children and grandchildren over the years. Priceless pieces of Mohamed's artistry and love for them to cherish.

Mohamed was a co-founder of the Professional Artist Alliance. For many years he served as the president of the Municipal Art League of Chicago. He was a founding member of the Oil Painters of America, and a member of Allied Artists of America and the Chicago Society of Artists. His artwork and portraits have been displayed in museums in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Seattle, and Washington D.C., with one portrait displayed in the National Treasury Building in DC.

While Mohamed was predominantly an oil painter who specialized in portraiture, he was also a teacher and mentor to dozens of students in his studio during his lifelong career. A highly respected and loved member of his beloved town of Glenwood, Illinois – Mohamed and Nanette dined near daily at Gabe's Restaurant in Glenwood, where they were treated like family. Mohamed is known to many as a very kind man and a perfectionist in his craft.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) interviewed Mohamed and Nanette in 2012 and that interview can be viewed at this link. https://vimeo.com/46230706