Nature Artists' Guild

Nature Artists’ Guild’s Summer Paint-Outs Continue

Published on June 18, 2026June 18, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

Thompson garden. Photo credit Mary Ann Thompson.

The next paint-out in this summer’s Nature Artists’ Guild series will feature the garden of Guild member Mary Ann Thompson in Wheaton, IL.

It is obvious from the start that Mary Ann’s exquisite garden was carefully planned by an artist using the elements of design – color, line, shape, texture, space, form and value. Those elements, along with the stunning focal point, a large koi pond, ensure that paint-out attendees will have an abundance of subject matter for their sketches, paintings, and photographs.

Mary Ann and coordinator Celia Rodee will welcome participants at 9:30 on the morning of Thursday, July 9, 2026, with coffee and delicious pastries. Interested Guild members can register here, or by contacting Celia by email, to receive the address and all the details and updates.

Prospectus Coming Soon for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Bloomingdale Exhibit

Published on June 11, 2026June 18, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

Detail of Yellowstone Tree Root, copyright Jeffrey Zawada

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will soon receive (by email) a prospectus and instructions for registering for the Guild’s 2026 summer special exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum.

(Update – the prospectus was emailed to Guild members on June 17, 2026.)

Rooted in Observation: Art Inspired by the Living World will be exhibited from August 8 through September 12, 2026. A reception will be held on Sunday, August 16, from 2 through 4, with music and light refreshments provided by the museum, and a demonstration by a talented Guild artist.

Participants must be members of the Nature Artists’ Guild (half-year memberships are now available for first-time members), and the artwork must either have been included in a previous Guild exhibit or be juried by emailed photos to ensure it meets Guild exhibition guidelines.

The museum welcomes artist demonstrations during its open hours, and the Guild’s special exhibit coordinators, Irena Gintilas and Jeffrey Zawada, encourage members who may be interested in demonstrating to contact them by email. Museum hours are Wednesdays, from 3 to 7 pm, and Thursdays and Saturdays, from noon to 4.

There is no entry fee or volunteer requirement for this exhibit, and the artwork drop-off will be on August 7 (time to be announced). Volunteers to help hang the artwork that day would be welcome and can contact Irena or Jeffrey to sign up. Artwork pick-up will be on September 13, and no artwork can be stored. All the details will be included in the prospectus.

Paint-Out Bonus this Saturday

Published on June 4, 2026June 11, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

New opportunity!

Guild members who register for the Bouchards’ private garden paint-out on June 11 will also be invited to paint in the garden when it is featured by The Garden Conservancy for an “Open Day” event on June 6. “Open Days“ is “America’s only national garden-visiting program . . . and offers the extraordinary opportunity to visit private sanctuaries across the country and to learn from the gardeners behind these exceptional spaces.”

Nature Artists’ Guild participants can register here (and do not need to register through The Garden Conservancy’s website). Celia Rodee will share details with those who register by tomorrow.

Three Talented Artists, a Paint-Out, Meet-Ups, and Gatherings Greet the Summer!

Published on June 3, 2026June 11, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

Pondside Dancer, copyright Terrie McComb, White Petunia, copyright Marge Hall, Oriental Bittersweet, copyright Kumie Kim

It’s a great time to set aside a few hours from the gardening, summer parties, and vacation plans to enjoy some nature and art with the Guild.

Coming up this Thursday evening, June 4, 2026, at 7, is the Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual “Talented Trio” program, featuring three members demonstrating their methods and materials at The Morton Arboretum. This program is free and open to the public, and there will be no charge for the event, for entrance to the Arboretum, or for parking. No registration is required. Details here.

Next Thursday, June 11, 2026, the first summer paint-out for Guild members will be held at the private garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, in Glen Ellyn, IL from 9:30 until noon. A large, beautiful garden and wonderful pastries will be on hand for participants. Registration is required.

Garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Photo credit Anne and Charles Bouchard.

Each Wednesday morning, at about 9:30, Guild members and their guests meet at the Arboretum’s Visitor Center for coffee, friendship, and the opportunity to sketch or photograph the surrounding beauty. “Coffee and Art” is a casual weekly gathering, and all are invited to drop by.

Registration is now open to all for The Morton Arboretum’s summer classes and workshops, including a new offering of a “Plein Air Community Meet-Up.” The meet-ups are not classes, but gatherings of artists interested in painting nature, and will take place every other Wednesday evening throughout the summer, from 5 to 7:30, beginning on June 10. Member Maggie Mardis will be attending the first event and sharing information about the Guild. Guild membership is not required to attend, but registration is required, and there is a nominal fee.

Untitled, oil on canvas, copyright Maggie Mardis

Fauna of The Morton Arboretum

Published on May 30, 2026May 30, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

Camofrog, copyright Linda Hilderbrant (cropped to illustrate square format of the Fauna project. Click on image for full version).

It’s time for Nature Artists’ Guild members to get started on this year’s small works project honoring The Morton Arboretum!

This year’s theme for our members’ 8 x 8 inch works, to be displayed alongside the Guild’s 2026 Autumn Exhibit at the Arboretum in November, is “Fauna.”

Merriam-Webster defines “fauna” as the “the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment.” The special environment for this project is The Morton Arboretum, so inspiration will be diverse and plentiful this time of year!

From the tiniest insects to the largest mammals, all the wild creatures ever found at The Morton Arboretum will qualify as subjects for “Fauna 2026.” (Domestic animals not eligible.)

Fauna 2026 –

A registration form will be emailed to members later in the year.

Guild members can participate by creating up to three works, completed at or inspired by The Morton Arboretum.

Artwork must be exactly 8 by 8 inches and less than 1/2 inch in depth, unframed, and can be in almost any medium.

There will be no exhibit fee or volunteer requirement.

This special display is separate from, but will be exhibited during and alongside, the Guild’s 2026 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.

Artwork should follow general Nature Artists’ Guild exhibition guidelines (except matting and framing and size requirements).

(Click here for samples of artwork from last year’s “Flora.”)

A Talented Trio of Nature Artists at The Morton Arboretum on June 4, 2026

Published on May 21, 2026June 5, 2026 by Denise1 Comment

Everyone is invited to The Morton Arboretum on the evening of June 4, 2026, at 7 pm for a free program featuring three talented members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!

Each year, the Guild invites three of its artists to share their sources of inspiration, their methods, and their list of favorite materials with the audience as they demonstrate their processes.

This year, the Guild will welcome visitors to the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on June 4, 2026, at 7 pm for a program featuring Terrie McComb sharing techniques for using colored pencil on Mylar film, Marge Hall working in oils, and Kumie Kim demonstrating watercolor.

This free event, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, will be open to the public. Visitors can enter the Arboretum free of charge by letting the gate attendant know they are there for the program, and they will be directed to free parking for the Thornhill Education Center. No registration is required. Plenty of seating and free light refreshments will be available.

Pondside Dancer, colored pencil on Mylar Film, copyright Terrie McComb

White petunia, oil, copyright Marge Hall

Oriental bittersweet, watercolor, copyright Kumie Kim

The Bouchards’ Garden Paint-Out on June 11, 2026

Published on May 15, 2026June 5, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

This summer’s private garden paint-outs for the Nature Artists’ Guild begin at the home of the Bouchards in Glen Ellyn, IL.

Anne and Charles Bouchard have a large and lovely garden, and have graciously offered to share its sights, scents, and sounds with members of the Guild from 9:30 until noon on June 11, 2026 (with a rain-date, if needed, on June 12).

Paint-out coordinator, Celia Rodee, will greet attendees with hot coffee and delectable baked goods to help begin the morning on the perfect note. The artists can then choose their subjects and compositions before settling in to enjoy the morning, free from the distractions of public passers-by.

Participants can sign up and learn all the paint-out details by emailing Celia, or by using this registration form.

Exhibits, Paint-Outs, and Programs Coming Soon!

Published on May 7, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

The Joy of Plants, copyright Patricia Joyce.

The next few months will be filled with opportunities for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to share, sketch, and learn, all while enjoying the company of fellow artists.

The Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum will be the location for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s trio of artist demonstrations on the evening of June 4, 2026, beginning at 7. Three talented Guild members will share their inspirations, methods, and materials at this popular annual event. The program will be open to all, free of charge, and registration is not required.

On June 11, 2026 (rain date June 12), Anne and Charles Bouchard will share their professionally designed and beautifully updated private garden in Glen Ellyn, IL, with members of the Guild from 9:30 until noon. Guild members can register here for this event, the first of four different private garden paint-outs scheduled for this summer.

Initial preparations for this summer’s Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum have begun, and prospectuses will be emailed to all members next month. The exhibit will run from August 8 until September 12, 2026, and will include member demonstrations and an opening reception. Guild members will have the opportunity to enter work previously exhibited at The Morton Arboretum or juried by email photos.

Guild members can use this busy time of wildlife activity to begin their contributions to this autumn’s special display of 8 x 8 works honoring the Arboretum, “Fauna.” Each member will be eligible to include up to three unframed works, which must be 8 x 8 inches, less than 1/2 inch deep, and inspired by the fauna of the Arboretum. (Examples of last year’s small works display, “Flora,” can be seen here.)

As always, Guild members (and guests) are invited to attend a casual Wednesday morning gathering at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum, Coffee and Art. This friendly and welcoming group of artists spends a few hours each week chatting, sketching, or just enjoying the morning sights and sounds of the Arboretum. No registration is required.

More details about these and more events coming soon!

Visiting Lovely Lilacia Next Thursday, May 7, 2026

Published on April 30, 2026April 30, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

The Nature Artists’ Guild will enjoy the sights, scents, and sounds of spring at a paint-out at Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL, beginning at 9:30 on the morning of Thursday, May 7, 2026.

According to the Lilac Time “Bloom-O’Meter,” the 7-acre park’s 700 lilacs and many of the 25,000 tulips will be in full bloom!

Attendees will be greeted by Celia Rodee, the Guild’s paint-out coordinator, with hot coffee and delicious treats. The rest of the morning will be spent among the beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers throughout the park, painting, sketching, and photographing.

All are invited to stop by this beautiful and historic park for the paint-out, but registration is recommended to be added to an email list for details and updates (including weather related).

(Historical tours and perennial and lilac sales are also planned by various clubs and organizations during or after paint-out hours, for those interested. Click on this link for more information and a Lilac Time schedule of events. Registration or pre-ordering may be required.)

Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2026 Spring Exhibit Went Swimmingly!

Published on April 23, 2026April 30, 2026 by DeniseLeave a comment

Sea Turtle, copyright Eva Holy. Please click on the image for a sample of artwork from the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2026 Spring Exhibit.

The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to congratulate and thank all those involved in the success of the 2026 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum!

More than 1300 visitors were able to enjoy over 200 wonderful works of art at The Morton Arboretum last weekend, thanks to Exhibit Co-Chairs Alice Wych and Lisa Kanellos, Featured Artist Cheryl Holz, approximately 60 participating members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, and all the volunteers, demonstrators, and Arboretum staff who shared their time, effort, and talents to make the 2026 Spring Art Exhibit so successful.

Following is a small sample of artwork images contributed by Nature Artists’ Guild exhibitors –