Author: Denise

Nature Artists’ Guild at the Gardens of Cantigny on October 2, 2024

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Perennial Border, the gardens of Cantigny Park. Photo credit cantigny.org.

On the morning of Wednesday, October 2, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will visit the renowned gardens of Cantigny Park to paint, sketch, and photograph the early autumn colors.

Located in Wheaton, Illinois, Cantigny Park is the 500-acre former estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune.

In 1967, [famed landscape architect Franz] Lipp began construction of this lush, horticultural masterpiece, which is one of the largest display gardens in the Midwest with more than 160,000 annuals, perennials, ground covers and flowering shrubs and trees.  – Cantigny.org

On October 2, 2024 Guild artists will meet at 9:30 on what will hopefully be a crisp and glorious autumn morning with their art supplies, cameras, and chairs (some chairs and benches are already available at the gardens).

While Nature Artists’ Guild members are welcome to stop by between 9:30 and noon, registration is encouraged in order to be added to the email list for paint-out details and updates. There will be no charge for parking or admission to Cantigny for the paint-out.

Photo credits cantigny.org

A Busy Season for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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2024 Nature Artists’ Guild’s Autumn Exhibit Poster. Poster artwork by Dale Olsen, poster design by Jane Kellenberger. Copies of the exhibit poster and postcard will be available at the October 3 meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild at the Thornhill Education Center.

What a busy season for the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum!

  • The Guild paint-out at the lovely gardens of Cantigny Park will be the last of the year. Members can register in advance to be placed on an email list for updates, or just drop-in on the morning of October 2, 2024 after 9:30. More about this paint-out coming soon.
  • The Nature Artists’ Guild is excited to announce that the speaker for the October 3, 2024 meeting will be paper artist Don Widmer. The meeting will be open to all, free of charge, at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. More to come about Don and his work.
  • Guild members and guests are always welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum (near the cafe) to chat, sketch, or just enjoy a quiet morning with fellow artists any Wednesday between 9 and 11 at a Coffee and Art gathering.
  • Finally, the Nature Artists’ Guild is looking for a few volunteers for positions opening soon. The Social Committee will need a new chairperson for next year, as well as assistance this year in planning and managing the annual holiday party. The Outside Exhibits Committee will also need two new co-chairpersons, who would begin late this year by helping to plan the January 2025 exhibit at the Downers Grove Library, and continue throughout next year. Volunteers for either position will work alongside current committee members until comfortable working independently. For more information, click on the links above for position descriptions or click here to have a board member contact you.

Meteorological Autumn 2024 for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Autumn, Sterling Pond, copyright Dale Olsen. Dale will be the Featured Artist for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2024 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.

Today’s beginning of meteorological autumn brings more than just a new tongue-twisting term for the Nature Artists’ Guild. It also brings opportunities for creating, exhibiting, and sharing artwork that celebrates the season. Here are a few coming up –

  • The prospectus for the 2024 Autumn Exhibit of Nature Art at The Morton Arboretum will be emailed to all Guild members within the next few days. (There is still time to join the Nature Artists’ Guild and receive a prospectus!) Much more about the exhibit coming soon.
  • The Autumn Quarterly, featuring artwork, photos, and news about and by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be arriving in members’ mailboxes soon, just in time to enjoy along with a favorite beverage and some wonderful weather.
  • The final paint-outs of the year are in September and October. A paint-out at the Grand Garden of The Morton Arboretum is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, September 5, 2024. Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to drop by and even bring a friend or two to this paint-out (applicable Arboretum entrance fees will apply). Registration is recommended, but not required. (October’s paint-out will take place at the always-lovely gardens of Cantigny Park – more details in coming weeks.)

Painting in Pastel with Laverne Bohlin this September

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Lake Marmo Reflections, copyright Laverne Bohlin, began as a demonstration at a recent Arboretum workshop.

Even after her move across the country to New Mexico, gifted artist and experienced educator (and long-time Nature Artists’ Guild member) Laverne Bohlin returns to the Chicago area every year to enjoy the early autumn colors and teach at The Morton Arboretum. In 2024, Laverne’s workshop, Painting the September Garden in Pastel, will take place on Friday and Saturday, September 27 and 28.

Painting the September Garden in Pastel will be open to all artists with a “foundational experience with drawing the landscape” and members of The Morton Arboretum will receive a discount on the registration fee. Space is limited for this wonderful workshop with a popular instructor, so early registration is recommended.

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild could even use this opportunity to create artwork for Trees, the special display of small works to be featured during the Guild’s 2024 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum this November!

Wine and Art Walk this Weekend at The Morton Arboretum

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Visitor Center at The Morton Arboretum. Image credit mortonarb.org

“Approximately 60 artists who create work using natural materials or incorporate a natural theme or subject were selected” to participate in the annual Wine and Art Walk at The Morton Arboretum this weekend, August 17 and 18, 2024.

Visitors to the Arboretum are invited to enjoy this “juried art show featuring photography, woodturning, jewelry, painting, ceramics, fused glass, fiber arts, and more from regional artists.” – mortonarb.org

The Nature Artists’ Guild will not have an outdoor booth at the event, but will have an information table inside the Visitor Center, where some members will be sharing artistic tools and techniques (as well as information about the Guild) with visitors.

All are invited to stop by to chat with an artist and learn more about the Nature Artists’ Guild!

Paint-Out at the Grand Garden on September 5, 2024

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Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum. Photo credit mortonarb.org (detail).

Nature Artists’ Guild members will visit the Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum on the morning of September 5, 2024 with their paints and pencils for a fond farewell to summer and a warm welcome to autumn.

Autumn plantings will join the trees, fountains, and remaining summer blooms to create a lovely setting for Guild members to draw, paint, or photograph. The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden opened at the Arboretum last autumn, and was “designed for gathering, relaxation, inspiration, and beauty throughout the year.” – Delights of the Grand Garden, mortonarb.org

Nature Artists’ Guild members and guests are welcome to drop by the paint-out any time between 9:30 and noon on Thursday, September 5, but registration is recommended in order to be notified by email of updates.

Reminders for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Detail of Summer Daydream, fiber art, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker

Some reminders for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum as August 2024 begins –

  • Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild who would like to share articles or images of their autumn-inspired artwork in the members-only publication, the Quarterly, should forward them to Jane Kellenberger by August 1, 2024. Guild members recently received an email with details and an email address for submitting.

Paint-Out at the Gardens at Ball August 7, 2024

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The Gardens at Ball, photo credit BallHort.com

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be visiting the Gardens at Ball on the morning of Wednesday, August 7, 2024 from 9:30 to noon to paint, draw, photograph, and explore the vast showcase of plants.

Ball Horticultural Company is a leader in all facets of horticulture. Our global family of breeders, research and development teams, suppliers, and distribution companies has a strong presence on six continents in 20 countries.  – Ballhort.com

West Chicago, IL is the home Ball Horticultural Company and the site of the Gardens at Ball, their 13 acres of garden showcases filled with thousands of beautiful plants, including hundreds of their latest innovations in research and breeding.

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at the gardens for a paint-out at 9:30 am on August 7 to enjoy all the color and beauty on display. Registration is required for this event, either online, or by emailing Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee.

Kristina Knowski’s Avifauna Watercolors August 1, 2024

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To Sleep, copyright Kristina Knowski. Click on image to learn more.

The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud to sponsor a presentation featuring Kristina Knowski and her ‘Avifauna Watercolors’ at The Morton Arboretum on Thursday, August 1, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm.

Kristina is a watercolorist depicting primarily avifauna and is best known for her portfolio of extinct bird species. She enjoys using observation, anatomical references, and specimens to examine these species with an acute attention to detail.

As an avid birder, Kristina prefers to work from life and spends most of her time sketching and researching species in the field. In working with extinct species, she visits the Bird Collections of the Field Museum and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to study from skins. – KristinaKnowski.com

This presentation will be free and open to all. There will be no charge for attendance, parking, or admission to The Morton Arboretum for this event. Registration is not required, and attendees can let the gate attendant at the Arboretum know they are there for the presentation to be admitted and directed to their Thornhill Education Center. Plenty of parking and seating will be available.

New Half-Year Memberships Available

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Image examples from late summer through early winter 2023

Artists who enjoy and appreciate the beauty of nature can now join the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum for the remainder of 2024 with a half-year membership option (first time members only).

New half-year members will be have the opportunity to participate in any paint-outs, exhibits (including the annual Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum), programs, projects, or other activities throughout the remainder of the year.

Interested artists are invited to visit the About or Membership pages and scroll through previous posts to learn more about the Nature Artists’ Guild.

Learn More About Half-Year Memberships Here