There’s little doubt that the large mammals initially grab visitors’ attention at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, but smaller specimens, with their intricate textures, colors, and designs, can be every bit as fascinating for nature artists.
On Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 9 am, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University to draw, paint, sketch, study, and photograph some of the more than 10,000 specimens in their collection.
Interested members can register here or by contacting Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee to be added to her email list for further details and updates.
Aquatic Plant 2, copyright Rachel Davis. Click on the image for more about Rachel and her work.
Multi-talented artist Rachel Davis will share methods and inspirations behind some of her ‘Paintings, Prints, and Textiles‘ with members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and guests in a special presentation at The Morton Arboretum.
Rachel Davis has been creating art inspired by nature since earning her MFA at the University of Wisconsin, and her skills and education are apparent throughout her works. Rachel’s textiles featuring natural dyes, prints, field guide illustrations, and even sketchbooks share the comment elements of color and delight.
The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum is pleased to sponsor a program by Rachel Davis at its Thornhill Education Center on Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 7 until 9 pm.
The program is open to all, completely free of charge. There is no requirement to be a member of the Guild or the Arboretum. Visitors can let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the presentation to be admitted and directed to Thornhill.
Hail to the Kingbird, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe. Lindsay will be the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Featured Artist of the 2024 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
As spring begins to peek around the corner, the Nature Artists’ Guild looks forward to all the wonders that it brings.
For the Nature Artists’ Guild, spring brings not only the return of all the wonderful flora and fauna of the season, but also an exhibit at The Morton Arboretum, paint-outs, and a presentation by a talented artist.
A spring tradition for the Nature Artists’ Guild is the annual paint-out at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine College in Lisle, IL. The Guild will have exclusive access for sketching, painting, and photographing some of the bird, mammal, insect, and reptile specimens in the museum’s collection on the morning of March 7, 2023. While members are welcome to drop by any time that morning, registering in advance will ensure that they receive any emails with details and updates about the paint-out.
The March 7, 2024 program sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum will feature Rachel Davis, a talented artist who will share techniques and inspirations for her fabulous and fun work in “painting, prints, and textiles.” The presentation, from 7 until 9 pmat the Thornhill Education Center of the Arboretum will be open to all, free of charge. (Copies of the Spring Nature Art Exhibit’s postcards and posters will also be available that evening for members to take and share with friends and local businesses.)
The Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual Spring Nature Art Exhibit has marked the beginning of the season at The Morton Arboretum for more than 30 years. This year’s exhibit will include approximately 200 works of art by more than 50 members of the Guild, including Featured Artist Lindsay Sandbothe, from April 5 through April 7, 2024. Members of the Guild were emailed a link to the prospectus and online registration form on February 5. Much more to come soon!
Towards Arctic Shores, lithograph, copyright Lars Jonsson, Sweden. Photo courtesy of Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.
Note – While the Nature Artists’ Guild was unfortunately unable to organize a field trip to the Plum Creek Nature Center to experience the internationally renowned Birds in Art exhibit, we encourage our members to consider visiting (about an hour’s drive from The Morton Arboretum) before February 25, 2024.
Greenhouse at Orchids by Hausermann and artwork by (clockwise) Maggie Mardis, Linda Fairbanks, Nancy Wu
This Thursday, February 8, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will return for their annual ‘trip to the tropics’ at the greenhouse of one of the world’s largest growers of orchids, Orchids by Hausermann.
Whatever the weather outside, inside the greenhouse it will be balmy and filled with the sights and scents of the tropics. The paint-out begins at 7:30 am and continues until 10. The early start allows our artists to have exclusive use of the facility before the showroom opens to the public.
To help the creativity flow at such an early hour, Paint-out Coordinator Celia Rodee will supply hot coffee and a delicious snack to all attendees. In addition, one lucky participant will be randomly chosen to receive a gift certificate towards the purchase of a stunning orchid to bring home! Interested members can register here and be added to the email list for updates and details, or contact Celia by email.
Tomorrow at 7 pm, February 1, 2024, Claudia Lane will present ‘The Evolution of Botanical Art’ to members and guests of the Nature Artists’ Guild.
Guild members and guests were emailed a link to this online live presentation on January 25. Please click here to read more.
In other Nature Artists’ Guild news –
The Guild is now accepting reservations for the limited spots available at the upcoming paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann on the morning of February 8, 2024 from 7:30 to 10. This paint-out starts early so that participating artists can enjoy the greenhouse before the display area opens to the public for the day. Interested members can register here or contact Celia Rodee to be added to the email list for updates and details.
Guild members who would like to contribute artwork images for the Spring Quarterlycan do so by February 3. An email sent to members on January 26 has all the details.
The Nature Artists’ Guild continues to welcome new and returning members for 2024. Interested artists can join online or by mail (more details here) and be eligible to receive a prospectus (to be emailed late next month) for the upcoming Spring Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
Covers from 2023 Quarterlies. Cover art (left to right) by Jackie Louis, Dan Danielson, Jeff Walter, Joanne McKibben.
The Nature Artists’ Guild is already thinking of spring with a call for art and articles from its members for The Nature Artists’ Quarterly.
Four times a year, members are invited to share artwork, news, and much more with their fellow artists. Personal stories about adventures in nature and art, members news and accomplishments, book reviews, and information about Guild events are all accompanied by beautiful seasonal member artwork. Skillfully designed and edited by Jane Kellenberger and other volunteers (listed inside the back cover), the Quarterly is a publication that Nature Artists’ Guild members look forward to receiving in the mail.
Current members were emailed details on January 26 about where to send their material for the Spring Quarterly. Materials should be sent by February 3 for possible inclusion in the spring issue.
Nearly everyone who grew up in Chicago or its suburbs will remember the excitement of boarding a big yellow bus with their classmates and eventually spilling out to skip up those impressive steps to the entrance of the Field Museum. First, the awe of the Stanley Field Hall. Then, the treasures, large and small. The dinosaurs! The gems! The mummies! The elephants! The dioramas! Where to begin?
Entrance to the Field Museum. Photo credit FieldMuseum.org.
At 9:30 on themorning of Wednesday, January 31, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be revisiting the wonders that the Field Museum, one of the world’s largest museums of natural history, has to offer. At this paint-in, members will probably spend most of their time drawing or painting in the quiet corners of the dioramas (click here for a short video of Artist-in-Residence and friend of the Guild, Peggy Macnamara, doing just that). But the other artifacts are still there, along with many new and modern attractions, for visitors to enjoy after the sketching is done.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild recently received an email with details about meeting at the museum. Admission will be free on this day, but members will have to arrange for their own transportation, and there will be a fee for parking. Those who would like to attend can register here by January 28 to learn more and receive email updates from Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee.
Maidenhair Tree, Ginkgo biloba, female, copyright Claudia Lane. Used with permission. Click on the image to view more of Claudia’s work.
Botanical Art combines scientific observation and artistic expression. As a member of the Board of the American Society of Botanical Art, which has a membership of approximately 1850 botanical artists from all over the world, I do my best to promote this genre of art. – Claudia Lane
The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum is pleased to sponsor The Evolution of Botanical Art, an online presentation featuring Claudia Lane on February 1, 2024 at 7 pm.
Claudia’s personal artistic experiences, along with her involvement in the world of Botanical Art, have given her unique insights into its history and evolution to share with viewers in what promises to be an interesting and enjoyable evening.
This event will available live online to all (no recordings will be made). Allmembers of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be emailed a link shortly before February 1, and non-members can request a link by clicking here.
Update – Links for the presentation were emailed to members and guests on January 25. Requests for a link will be accepted through January 30.
A sheet of paper, a kneaded eraser, and a few sticks of charcoal are all one needs to create nuanced and evocative works of art.
In Charcoal Techniques, an upcoming 8-week class at The Morton Arboretum, artist and educator John Fleck will share his expertise in working with charcoal (thought to be the world’s oldest drawing material) in both old and new ways. “Charcoal is both boldly expressive and very forgiving. Charcoal is a malleable, inexpensive drawing medium with a rich heritage and a pleasing tactile quality. It makes an ideal entry medium to drawing and also offers deeper possibilities as experience is gained.”
Registration for the class is open to all, and members of The Morton Arboretum will receive a discount on the enrollment fee. The class meets each Wednesday morning from 9:30 to 12:30 beginning on January 24 and continues through March 13, 2024.
The special exhibit by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum is now open at the Downers Grove Public Library.
Nature Artists’ Guild members have filled the walls of the library’s exhibit area with works celebrating nature in a variety of media, sizes, styles, and subjects. Large multi-media collages share the space with intricate botanical pieces and bold landscapes painted en plein air.
Many of the more than thirty works have been previously exhibited at The Morton Arboretum and some will be making their Guild exhibit debut at the library.
Nature Artists' Guild 