The Bloomingdale Park District Museum has more gallery space than anticipated for next month’s Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit, so the final day to register and the total number of pieces per artist have been extended!
Nature Artists’ Guild members are each invited to register up to a total of four pieces (including pieces that have already been registered), by this Saturday, August 1, 2026. There is no entry fee or volunteer requirement (although demonstrators are welcome!) to participate in this exhibit.
It’s time for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual trip to the display gardens of one of the world’s most renowned growers, Ball Horticultural!
Guild members are invited to attend one of the year’s most anticipated paint-outs at The Gardens at Ball on the morning of Tuesday, August 4, 2026, from 9:30 until noon.
“What began as a row trial garden for seed varieties in 1933 has grown to encompass over 15 acres of display gardens for annuals, perennials, cut flowers and vegetables, including the newest plants from the industry’s leading breeders and marketers.”
The gardens are guaranteed to offer a glorious variety of color and form for Guild artists to capture in their sketches, paintings, or photographs. Space is limited for this opportunity, and registration is required. Coordinator Celia Rodee will contact participants with details, directions, and updates.
A few reminders —
The final day to register for the summer special exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum is tomorrow, July 27. Members were emailed the prospectus and registration link earlier this week.
The last day to submit announcements, images, and articles for the Autumn Quarterly is this Saturday, August 1. Instructions were recently emailed to Guild members.
The Nature Artists’ Guild will sponsor a program featuring Cynthia Hellyer Heinz on the evening of Thursday, August 6, at The Morton Arboretum. This presentation will be free and open to all, and no registration is required. Details coming soon.
Clockwise: 2025 Quarterly covers, details of artwork by Ann Lamoureux, Linda Hilderbrant, Ann Lamoureux, and Jeffrey Zawada.
Nature Artists’ Guild members have lots to do this July, both indoors and out —
The current forecast is for gorgeous weather on July 23 for the paint-out at the private garden of Guild member Ann Lamoureux. Participants will be greeted with light refreshments and a chance to spend the morning painting and sketching in Ann’s lovely garden of annuals, perennials, and large trees providing cool shade. Registration is required.
When the weather is a little less comfortable, members can spend a few cool hours indoors looking through their artwork or writing a poem or essay to contribute to the Guild’s Autumn 2026 Quarterly. Artwork images and articles can be submitted by August 1, as outlined in the July 18 email sent to members.
Another important indoor activity for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild is completing their registration for the exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum opening in August. Registration must be submitted by July 27 through the link emailed to members on June 25. Update – registration extended until August 1.
Also beginning indoors, cool and comfortable, are the casual weekly gatherings of Guild members and visitors, Coffee and Art, at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. All are welcome to stop by any Wednesday morning beginning about 9:30, and possibly move outdoors if the weather is nice. (An Arboretum membership or gate fee will be necessary to enter the Arboretum.)
And finally, it’s back outdoors, on another lovely day of the artists’ choosing, to find a subject to depict in their contribution to the Guild’s 8×8 small works display, Fauna, this autumn at The Morton Arboretum.
The garden of Ann Lamoureux in Wheaton, IL will provide artists withbountiful blooms, but the top attraction this summer just might be the cool, cool shadeof the towering trees.
The Lamoureux garden is full of annuals, perennials, mature trees, and nearly everything that an artist could desire for inspiration. Ann has generously offered to share her lovely garden and porch with fellow members of the Nature Artists’ Guild for a paint-out on Thursday, July 23, 2026, beginning at 9:30 am.
As always, delicious pastries and coffee will be served, and there will be plenty of room for artists to set up for a lovely morning of painting, sketching, or photographing. Registration is required, and coordinator Celia Rodee will email attendees with the address, details, and updates.
Woods Garden and Peter’s Pond, copyright Ann Lamoureux
July brings a multitude of wonders for artistic inspiration, and Nature Artists’ Guild members and The Morton Arboretum are generously providing opportunitiesto enjoy many of them.
On the morning of Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 9:30, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at fellow artist Mary Ann Thompson’s home to paint and sketch the beauty of her garden. Mary Ann’s garden is filled with wonders, including a large koi pond and swaths of floral color. Coffee and delicious pastries will be provided, and registration is required.
Two weeks later, on Thursday, July 23, another Guild member, Ann Lamoureux, will open her garden to fellow artists. The wonders of Ann’s garden include numerous large trees shading and cooling the surrounding flora, as well as the artists painting it. More about this paint-out coming soon, and registration is required.
Nature Artists’ Guild members and guests can sketch birds, butterflies, and bees at The Morton Arboretum each Wednesday morning, about 9:30, at a Coffee and Art gathering at the Visitor Center. These cool mornings, before the crowds, would be perfect opportunities for members to work on their contributions to this autumn’s small works display, “Fauna,” or to just enjoy the company of fellow artists. (An Arboretum membership or gate fee will be necessary for entry.)
Members (and not-yet-members) of the Nature Artists’ Guild will have numerous opportunities to learn and practice nature art skills at The Morton Arboretum this July!
Artists who paint or sketch outdoors will enjoy the Arboretum’s Plein Air Community Meet-Ups on alternate Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. The coordinator at each session will greet artists and help them locate a prime location on the grounds for capturing lovely landscapes or captivating close-ups in paint, colored pencil, pastels, ink, or other portable media.
The Nature Artists’ Guild has many fabulous fiber artists in its membership, and the Arboretum is offering space to gather on alternate Thursday evenings. These Bring your own project: Fiber Arts sessions are a fun way to share tips with and enjoy the company of fellow artists.
In addition to these meet-ups, the Arboretum is offering nature art classes and workshops taught by talented and experienced instructors (many of whom are Guild members or former presenters) that begin in July.
Cyanotype Printing – Harness sunlight to create striking blue botanical prints.
The next paint-out in this summer’s Nature Artists’ Guild series will feature the garden of Guild member Mary Ann Thompsonin 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.
Detail of Yellowstone Tree Root, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
The prospectus and registration link were emailed to Guild members on June 25, 2026. Registration can only be completed through the emailed link, not through this website. (Guild members who did not receive the email or have questions about the exhibit should contact Irena Gintilas or Jeffrey Zawada. Their contact information is listed in the Guild’s 2026 Yearbook.)
Rooted in Observation: Art Inspired by the Living World will be exhibited from August 8 through September 12, 2026 at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum. 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.
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. 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 and emailed to members.
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.”
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 forThe 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.
Nature Artists' Guild 