Month: April 2025

Lilacia Park Paint-Out Thursday, May 8, 2025

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Image credit (edited) Lombard LilacTime.com

700 lilacs, 35,000 tulips, coffee, and Celia’s homemade muffins will welcome artists arriving at the Nature Artists’ Guild’s paint-out at Lilacia Park on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 9:30 am.

In addition to the scents and scenery, Lombard’s annual Lilac Time festival honors and celebrates the park’s long and fascinating history featuring Col. William Plum and his wife, Helen Maria Williams Plum, Joy Morton, and renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen.

The Guild’s paint-out is scheduled to end at noon, when other festival events, such as local garden club and park district lilac and perennial plant sales, begin.

Interested artists are encouraged to register here to be added to an email list for details and possible weather cancellations or other updates.

Nature Artists’ Guild Request for Art and Articles

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Quarterly cover art (left to right) by Karen Romani, Ann Lamoureux, Jean Black, and Mary Ann Jimenez.

The Nature Artists’ Quarterly is a publication consisting of artwork, articles, and announcements by and for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.

Guild members are invited to submit their artwork and articles for the 2025 summer edition of the Quarterly by May 1 for possible inclusion (an email address and details for contributions were recently emailed to all members).

Nature Artists’ Guild members can look forward to receiving their copy of the summer Quarterly by mail in the beginning of June.

A Great Time to Get Started

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Magnolia 2, copyright Lisa Kanellos

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 2025 Autumn Exhibit at the Arboretum in November, is “Flora.”

Merriam-Webster defines “flora” as the “plant, bacteria, or fungal life . . . characteristic of a region, period, or special environment.” The special environment in this case will be The Morton Arboretum, so the available material for inspiration will be varied and plentiful!

The Arboretum is currently bursting with flora, from flowering trees and shrubs to native wildflowers and blooming bulbs, providing a perfect opportunity to do some sketching, plein air painting, or even photographing for future study.

  • 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 2025 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
  • Artwork should follow general Nature Artists’ Guild exhibition guidelines (except matting and framing and size requirements).
  • A registration form will be emailed to members later in the year.

Daffodil Glade Paint-Out this Thursday, April 17, 2024

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Daffodil Glade, copyright Yvonne Buckley

The Nature Artists’ Guild’s Daffodil Glade paint-out at The Morton Arboretum is just a few days away! Who knows what the weather will bring, but two things are for certain—the daffodils will be in full bloom, and Celia’s homemade muffins will be delicious.

The paint-out will begin at 9:30 am on April 17 as participants meet at the Fragrance Garden entrance, near the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum, to grab a cup of hot coffee and a homemade muffin before heading out to find a scenic spot among the daffodils. Registration is recommended to receive more details and possible updates about rescheduling due to inclement weather. Non-members are also invited to stop by (Arboretum gate fees will apply).

The Daffodil Glade paint-out will also be a great opportunity for members to begin working on the Guild’s annual project honoring The Morton Arboretum. This year’s theme will be “Flora.” Each artist can create up to three 8 x 8 inch works, completed at or inspired by the Arboretum, to be included in a special display at the annual Autumn Exhibit. More details to come soon!

Congratulations to the Nature Artists’ Guild for a Wonderful 2025 Spring Exhibit!

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Blackburnian Warbler, copyright Vicki Liszewski, Featured Artist of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2025 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. Click on image for a sample of exhibit artwork.

The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to congratulate and thank all those involved in the success of the 2025 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum!

Visitors to The Morton Arboretum were able to enjoy more than 200 lovely works of art created by 65 members of the Nature Artists’ Guild last weekend, thanks to Exhibit Co-Chairs Alice Wych and Lisa Kanellos, Featured Artist Vicki Liszewski, and all the artists, volunteers, demonstrators, and Arboretum staff who put their time, effort, and talents into making the exhibit a success.

  • Woods Garden and Peter’s Pond, copyright Ann Lamoureux
  • Stretching to Bloom, copyright Celia Rodee
  • Nature’s Symphony, copyright Shannon Yeh
  • Desert Place, copyright Todd Serrano
  • Butterflies, copyright Linda Hilderbrant
  • Poppies and Olive Trees, copyright Ann Lamoureux
  • After Rain, copyright Lia Liu
  • Poppy Pods, copyright Terrie McComb
  • Hidden Prize, copyright Bernadette Hanacek
  • Zinnia, copyright Mark Scherer
  • Butterflies, Linda Hilderbrant
  • Canada Goose, copyright Nancy Staszak
  • Winter Sunset, copyright Joanne May
  • Paphiopedium Matchmaker Orchid, copyright Celia Rodee
  • Wisteria, Multi-Color, copyright Joanne May
  • Summer Shadows, copyright Maryann Wattelle
  • Foggy Mountains, copyright Lia Liu
  • Pretty in pink, copyright Lisa Kanellos
  • Great Horned Owl, copyright Nancy Staszak
  • Golden Peaks of Banff, copyright Shannon Yeh
  • Garden Wild, copyright Julie Rivera
  • Winter Tree, Fermilab, copyright Todd Serrano
  • Piping Plovers, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Resting Deer, copyright Jill Adzia
  • Apple Blossoms, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Blackburnian Warbler, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Poppy, copyright Mark Scherer
  • Bluebird, copyright Jill Adzia
  • Zinnia, copyright Mark Scherer
  • Crabapple 1, copyright Sandra Wilcoxon
  • Creek, copyright Patricia Joyce
  • Juncos, copyright Patricia Joyce
  • Striated Parrot Tulip, copyright Kathi Kuchler
  • Center Attraction, copyright Kathi Kuchler
  • Crabapple 2, copyright Sandra Wilcoxon
  • Gift from the Rose Garden, copyright Jean Black
  • Natures Bounty, copyright Deb Giampoli
  • Garden of Cosmos Delights, copyright Julie Rivera
  • Water lilies, copyright Lisa Kanellos

Click here to view the images in larger format.

(Exhibit artists who haven’t already done so can send up to two images of their exhibited work to Denise Fisk this week to have them added to the online display.)

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit Opens this Friday, April 4, at The Morton Arboretum

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Exhibit artwork by Spring 2025 Featured Artist Vicki Liszewski. Poster design by Jane Kellenberger.

The Nature Artists’ Guild’s Spring 2025 Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum opens this Friday, April 4, 2025.

The exhibit will include more than 200 works of nature art in a wide variety of media, created by 65 members of the Guild, and will be free to attend for all Arboretum visitors (regular Arboretum gate fees will apply).

The reception on Friday evening from 4:30 until 7 pm will be open to the public, completely free of charge. Admission to The Morton Arboretum will be waived for the reception, and as always, there will be no charge for parking. No registration is required, and attendees can let the Arboretum gate attendant know they are there for the reception to be directed to parking for the event.

While enjoying wonderful works of art inspired by the natural world, attendees will also have opportunities to interact with talented artists demonstrating their processes, purchase raffle tickets (cash only) for popular themed gift baskets, and speak with Featured Artist, Vicki Liszewski. (Read more about Vicki and her art in a recent article on Art Beat Buzz.)

The exhibit will be held in the Cudahy Room and reception area adjacent to the Sterling Morton Library, in the Administration Building of The Morton Arboretum, a short stroll from the Visitor Center.