Author: Denise

This Autumn for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Zion II – Virgin River, copyright Joe Rizzo

For the Nature Artists’ Guild, the unofficial beginning of autumn will be this week, when the prospectus for November’s Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum is emailed to all members.

The Guild is pleased to announce that the Featured Artist for the 2023 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit will be Joe Rizzo (much more about Joe and his work to come soon). The exhibit will include more than 200 works of nature art by approximately 50 members of the Nature Artists’ Guild. The exhibit postcard and posters, as well as many more details, will be coming soon.

Also coming this autumn –

  • A paint-out at the gardens at Cantigny is scheduled for Wednesday, September 6, beginning at 9:30 am. The gardens will still be blooming and beautiful for this event. All members are welcome to stop by any time that morning, but by registering here, they can be added to an email list for details and updates. There will be no charge for admission or parking for the paint-out.
  • A paint-out at Lake Marmo at The Morton Arboretum has been tentatively planned for October 4 at 9:30 am. Lake Marmo and its surroundings will be displaying the colors of fall and attendees might find inspiration to participate in the Joy’s Vision special display. A registration form for the paint-out and more details to come soon.
  • The Visiting Artist Workshop: Conceptual Landscapes in Watercolor with Bryce Lafferty on October 6, 7, and 8, 2023 at The Morton Arboretum is being co-sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild. (Guild members can receive an additional discount by registering by phone and confirming their membership.) Bryce will also be doing a presentation, free and open to all, on October 5, 2023 from 7 to 9 pm at the Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center. More details to come soon.
  • Wednesday morning gatherings, Art and Coffee, will continue each week throughout autumn (except for the days with paint-outs scheduled). Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and their guests are welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum between 9 and 11 am to chat, sketch, or enjoy a quiet morning in beautiful surroundings.

Joy’s Vision in Summer

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Joy Morton on Joy Path at The Morton Arboretum. Photo credit mortonarb.org

Mr. Morton wrote that every evening after work, still wearing his suit and hat, he would walk the path to connect with the sights and sounds of country life. – mortonarb.org

Spring brought the delights of Daffodil Glade and autumn will bring breathtaking color at Lake Marmo. This summer, the perfect location for artists to celebrate Joy Morton’s vision for The Morton Arboretum might be along one of his favorite places for an evening stroll, Joy Path. In 1924, Mr. Morton accurately predicted that Joy Path would “ultimately become one of the prettiest parts of the Arboretum.”

Look for the beautiful spreading canopy of the Miyabe “State Street” maple at the south end of Joy Path, and ponder the number of guests who have enjoyed its shade since it was planted in 1929.  – mortonarb.org

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are encouraged to visit Joy Path (and the adjacent Fragrance Garden) on their own to find inspiration for a summer piece for the Joy’s Vision special display at the Guild’s annual autumn exhibit in November. (There will be a paint-out scheduled at Lake Marmo for autumn – more details to come soon.)

Participating in the special display of small works will not require members to mat, frame, register, or pay a fee to include up to four pieces. The works must be 8 x 8 inches and be inspired by The Morton Arboretum in any or all of the four seasons. They can be dropped off and picked up during the regular exhibit drop-off and pick-up times.

At Last, the Gardens at Cantigny

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Rock and Gravel Garden, photo credit Cantigny.org

Colonel Robert McCormick (for whom Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center is named) was editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune for 44 years and the creator of “an important media empire, Tribune Company, which grew from a single newspaper to a media giant.” Cantigny Park, his 500-acre former estate, was bequeathed by Colonel McCormick as a “public space for education and recreation.”

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

At 9:30 on the morning of Wednesday, September 6, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will meet to explore Cantigny’s Gardens with their cameras, sketchbooks, canvases, paints, and pencils. Included are a rose garden, logarium, hosta garden, idea garden, rock and gravel gardens, and display gardens. Sculptures, fountains, waterfalls, small streams, ponds, and natural areas are also part of this vast estate, all available for the artists to enjoy.

There will be no charge for admission or parking for this paint-out and Nature Artists’ Guild members can register here to be added to the email list for details and updates.

Gardens at Ball Paint-Out this Thursday, August 10, 2023

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Photo credit Ball Horticultural, ballhort.com

It is Ball Horticultural Company’s mission to be the world leader in the research, breeding, production and marketing of ornamental crops.

BallHort.com

This Thursday morning, August 10, 2023, beginning at 9:30, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will have the opportunity to spend a few hours enjoying the spectacular display gardens of Ball Horticultural.

“What began as a row trial garden for seed varieties in 1933 has grown to encompass over 9 acres of display beds for annuals, perennials, cut flowers and vegetables, including the newest plants from the industry’s leading breeders and marketers.” Ball’s “global family of breeders, research and development teams, suppliers, and distribution companies has a strong presence on six continents in 20 countries.”

Interested members of the Guild can register here by tomorrow to receive details about attending.

John Fleck at The Morton Arboretum on Thursday, August 3, 2023

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All are invited to visit the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 7 pm for a presentation by artist John Fleck.

At this program, John Fleck, a talented artist in a variety of media, will be sharing some of his techniques and inspirations for depicting landscapes in charcoal. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and view the artist’s work up close.

The presentation, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild, will be open to all, free of charge, from 7 until 9 pm. Visitors can let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the presentation to be admitted to the Arboretum and directed to Thornhill. There will be no charge for visitors to enter The Morton Arboretum, for parking, or for admission to the program. Plenty of seating will be available and light refreshments will be served.

Coming in August for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Landscape in charcoal, copyright John Fleck
Gardens at Ball, photo credit ballhort.com
The Morton Arboretum, photo credit mortonarb.org

The Nature Artists’ Guild is offering some end-of-summer opportunities for members and guests to enjoy –

  • On the following Thursday, August 10, 2023, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at the Gardens at Ball at 9:30 am for a few hours of drawing, painting, and photographing some of the colorful offerings of the display gardens of Ball Horticultural, one of the world’s largest seed and plant distributors. Guild members can register here and receive details and updates.
  • Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild (and those who would like to learn more about the Guild) are invited to drop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum for Art and Coffee on Wednesday mornings beginning at 9 to sketch or chat. The light is incredible and the views are lovely.
  • Jane Kellenberger will begin work in the coming weeks for the autumn issue of the the Guild’s members-only publication, the Quarterly. Members will receive an email soon with instructions for submitting photos and articles, due by August 1, 2023.

A Visit to the Gardens at Ball on August 10, 2023

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Photo credit Gardens at Ball, BallHort.org

The Gardens at Ball have been the evaluation and testing grounds for the world’s wealth of horticultural introductions and improvements for over 80 years. What began as a row trial garden for seed varieties in 1933 has grown to encompass over 9 acres of display beds for annuals, perennials, cut flowers and vegetables

Ball Horticultural, ballhort.com/GardensAtBall

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum have the opportunity to spend a lovely morning at the Gardens at Ball on Thursday, August 10, 2023, beginning at 9:30, to paint, draw, sketch, or photograph some of the wonderful flowers (or vegetables) at their peak.

Interested Guild members can register here to reserve a spot and be added to the email list for more details and updates about this paint-out.

(For some stunning photos of the Gardens at Ball, it is well worth visiting the website of the Garden Conservancy.)

Landscapes in Charcoal by John Fleck on August 3, 2023

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Landscape in charcoal, copyright John Fleck

Charcoal, one of the world’s oldest drawing mediums, has been widely popular since the Renaissance.

John Fleck demonstrates why with his intriguing landscapes that show the depth and detail possible using only lights, darks, and midtones. He is able to create a variety of moods using only one medium and many values.

Landscape in charcoal, copyright John Fleck

John Fleck has shared his talents in a variety of media throughout his career (and will be teaching Art in Plein Air: The Prairie Large and Small beginning this Wednesday at The Morton Arboretum). The Nature Artists’ Guild is honored to sponsor a program by John on Thursday evening, August 3, 2023 from 7 until 9 at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

This program will be open to all, free of charge. There will be no charge for admission to The Morton Arboretum for this event, and visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild presentation to be directed to Thornhill.

Chronicling the Growth of the Grand Garden

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Grand Garden photo credit mortonarb.org

The Gerald T. Donnelly Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum was completed last year in celebration of the Arboretum’s 100th anniversary.

Already, the garden is evolving from a space containing mostly physical structures, including pergolas, benches, waterfalls, and a fountain, to a peaceful and lush area with a variety of lovely trees, flowers, and shrubs.

The Grand Garden will continue to develop each year, and the Nature Artists’ Guild has an opportunity to visit on July 12, 2023 from 9:30 until noon (rain date, if necessary, July 13) to capture in photos, pencil, ink, paint, or pastels, some of this year’s beauty.

Members of the Guild who would like to spend a morning with fellow members at this paint-out at the Grand Garden can register by clicking here and receive further details and updates from coordinator Celia Rodee.

Celebrating Summer with the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Tomato, copyright Lisa Kanellos

The Nature Artists’ Guild begins the season with gatherings and events to celebrate the special sights, sounds, and scents (as well as textures and tastes) of summer.

  • The exhibit at the McCord Gallery continues through July 7, 2023. More than 30 unique works of nature art created by Guild members adorn the walls of this historic gallery.
  • A paint-out at the recently opened Grand Garden of The Morton Arboretum has been planned for the morning of Wednesday, July 12, 2023 (rain date July 13). Interested members can register here and be added to the attendee list to receive email details and updates.
  • The August 3, 2023 program (open to all) sponsored by the Guild will feature multi-talented artist John Fleck from 7 until 9 pm. John will be sharing his methods and materials for creating landscapes in charcoal. More details to come soon.
  • Weekly Art and Coffee gatherings continue every Wednesday morning (except on days of paint-outs) at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum from 9 to 11:30. Members and guests are welcome to stop by and chat, sketch, or simply enjoy the quiet morning in a lovely atmosphere.