Author: Denise

Summer Nature Art Classes at The Morton Arboretum

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Peace on the Prairie, copyright Margaret Navolio. Exhibited at last autumn’s Schulenberg Prairie 60th Anniversary Exhibit.

The Morton Arboretum is offering a number of nature art classes to members of the Nature Artists’ Guild (and all interested artists) this summer.

Some highlights –

Art in Plein Air: The Prairie Large and Small with John Fleck will take place on six mornings in July and August at the Arboretum’s historic Schulenberg Prairie, a “sea of color in the summer months, with native grasses and flowers in full bloom.”

For botanical artists (or artists at any skill level) who would like to try a very different approach, the Art Workshop: Andy Warhol’s Flowers on the evening of July 26 could be a fun adventure. Rachel Davis will lead artists in using “a hot summer palette of pinks, yellows, and lime greens to create a Warhol-inspired graphical painting of flowers.”

Many Nature Artists’ Guild members will remember last summer’s wonderful workshop and program on painting landscapes in pastel with Laverne Bohlin. Laverne will be returning this August 4 and 5 to teach a Visiting Artist Workshop: Painting Expressive Flowers in Pastel.

To learn more or register for one of the above classes or workshops, open to all, please click on the highlighted link. Click here to see the full list of summer and early autumn classes at The Morton Arboretum.

Garden Paint-Out This Thursday, June 15, 2023

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Photo credits Anne and Charles Bouchard

Promises of a lovely morning in the garden –

There is still time for Nature Artists’ Guild members to arrange to attend this Thursday morning’s paint-out at the beautiful private garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard in Glen Ellyn, IL from 9:30 am to noon. Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee will be bringing coffee and Rosemary Currant and Maple Pecan scones for all attendees, and the weather forecast looks promising!

The Bouchard’s landscape was originally designed by Tony Tyznik (landscape architect of The Morton Arboretum for forty years) in his signature style, and has been updated and enhanced over the years.

Members can sign up here to be included on Celia’s email list for directions, further details, and updates for what promises to be a lovely morning in the garden.

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit at McCord Gallery Opens June 10, 2023

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Postcard artwork by Alice Wych. Postcard design by McCord Gallery & Cultural Center. Right click to download a copy for sharing.

All are invited to a reception on Sunday, June 11 between 1 and 3 pm for light refreshments and an opportunity to meet and support participating artists while enjoying the exhibit at this lovely historic gallery.

The exhibit will continue through July 7, 2023 and is open to the public during regular gallery hours at the McCord Gallery & Cultural Center.

Postcard design by McCord Gallery & Cultural Center. Right click to download a copy for sharing.

Three Nature Artists on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at The Morton Arboretum

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Artwork copyrighted by (left to right) Joe Rizzo, Cindy Franks, Alice Wych

Everyone is invited to an evening of nature art at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

Three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, Alice Wych, Cindy Franks, and Joe Rizzo will be sharing tips, techniques, and inspiration from 7 until 9 pm on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. Audience members will be free to rotate through all three 20-minute presentations (or attend any one of them two or three times!) There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and get close-up views of the artists’ work and materials.

This presentation, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild, is open to the public, free of charge. There will be no fee to attend and no fee for admission to The Morton Arboretum for the event. Tickets are not required. Visitors can let the Arboretum gate attendant they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill.

This and That for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Photo credit Anne and Charles Bouchard.

Now that members of the Nature Artists’ Guild have had time to experience some of the beauty and wonder (as well as yard work and gardening) that are all part of spring in Chicagoland, it is time to get back to creating and sharing some art!

Coming up for the Nature Artists’ Guild –

  • Registrations for participation in the upcoming special exhibit at the McCord Gallery are due by May 24, 2023 (just four days from now!) The prospectus and a link to the registration form were emailed to all members on April 29. The McCord Gallery, just half an hour from The Morton Arboretum, features a wonderful gallery space and is active in promoting their exhibits with a reception, postcards, and community outreach. For the first time, Nature Artists’ Guild members will be eligible to also register artwork not previously shown at the Arboretum (details here).
  • May 30, 2023 is the final day to visit the Guild’s exhibit at the Woodridge Public Library, More than thirty pieces of nature art by members of the Guild were exhibited in their gallery space for all visitors to the library to enjoy and be inspired by throughout the month.
  • On Thursday evening, June 1, 2023, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, guests, and visitors will meet at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum for the annual “Trio of Nature Artists” program featuring three members of the Guild demonstrating and discussing fascinating techniques they use for creating nature art. This event is open to the public, free of charge (details here).
  • Guild members are invited to a paint-out at a stunning private garden in Glen Ellyn on the morning of June 15, 2023. Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee will be offering coffee and scones to attendees to add to the enjoyment of what promises to be an idyllic morning. Members who would like to attend should notify Celia by email or by clicking here. Photos and details (scone flavors!) coming soon.
  • The weekly Art and Coffee gatherings continue to meet each Wednesday morning between 9 and 11 at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. All members of the Nature Artists’ Guild as well as those interested in hearing more about the Guild are welcome to stop by. The meeting place is absolutely surrounded by blooms this spring and when the weather permits, attendees can move outdoors to enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of the morning.
  • It’s the perfect time of the year for Guild members to visit another location from the Joy’s Vision project to sketch or gather reference material. Joy Path (including the Fragrance Garden) will be particularly fetching.

A Trio of Nature Artists on June 1, 2023 at The Morton Arboretum

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It is an annual tradition for the Nature Artists’ Guild to invite three of its members to share some of their skills, methods, materials, and inspirations with fellow members and visitors at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

On Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 7 until 9 pm, Guild members Alice Wych, Cindy Franks, and Joe Rizzo will give short presentations on some of their favorite methods for creating nature art. Attendees will be able to ask questions, get an up-close view of the artists’ materials and artwork, and enjoy the wonderful opportunity to watch the artists’ at work.

This year’s Trio –

Mauvelous Mallow, copyright Alice Wych

Alice Wych will be sharing tips about techniques and materials she uses to create the glow of color pencil on a dark surface.

Sunflower, copyright Cindy Franks

Cindy Franks will be using stains to create subtle value changes resulting in stunning images on wood.

Yellow Canopy, copyright Joe Rizzo

Joe Rizzo will be sharing a fascinating technique in which he hand-crinkles masa paper and uses varied brush strokes to create “the illusion of water movement and textured surfaces.”

The public is invited to this presentation sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild free of charge. There is no fee for attendance, parking, or admission to the Arboretum for this event, and tickets are not necessary. Visitors can simply let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the presentation to be directed to the Thornhill Education Center.

Exhibit at McCord Gallery by the Nature Artists’ Guild in June 2023

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I’m Hiding in the Tall Grass, charcoal, copyright Deana Bada Maloney will be included in the Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the McCord Gallery in June 2023

The McCord Gallery & Cultural Center began in a historic building in Palos Park, IL, has since expanded with an annex that includes an “expanded gallery, classroom, stage, and full kitchen facilities,” and now functions as a treasured “learning center for the arts and cultural history.”

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild have been invited to participate in a special exhibit at the gallery from June 10 through July 7, 2023. A reception will be held on the afternoon of June 11.

For the first time, new work (not previously shown at a Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at The Morton Arboretum) will also be eligible for the special exhibit. Members who wish to include not-previously-exhibited work can do so by completing the registration form (online or by mail) and separately emailing a photo of the work (including mat and frame if applicable) to Maggie Mardis for approval of compliance to Guild guidelines for subject matter and presentation. Previously shown (at a Guild exhibit) artwork does not require further review and can be registered without emailing a photo.

Links to the prospectus and registration form were emailed to members of the Nature Artists’ Guild on April 29, and completed forms must be returned by May 24. Contact information for Maggie Mardis can be found in the Guild’s Yearbook.

McCord House, photo credit McCordGallery.org

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit at Woodridge Library throughout May 2023

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Poster artwork by Cheryl Holz

All are invited to stop in at the Woodridge Public Library during regular library hours to enjoy a special exhibit of nearly thirty works of art by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum. The exhibit will continue through the end of May 2023.

In other Nature Artists’ Guild news –

  • Guild members who have contributions for the summer issue of the Quarterly should email them to Jane Kellenberger by today, May 1.
  • There will be a gathering for Art and Coffee this Wednesday from 9 until 11 at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Members and their guests, as well as visitors wishing to learn more about the Nature Artists’ Guild, are welcome to stop by.
  • A prospectus for the special exhibit at McCord Gallery & Cultural Center was emailed to all members of the Nature Artists’ Guild on April 29. Completed registrations must be returned by May 24 (by mail or online with the link provided on the prospectus). More details to come.

It’s Nearly Lilacia Time for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Photo credit LombardLilacTime.com

Next week’s Nature Artists’ Guild’s paint-out at Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL will be held just days before the official opening of the city’s annual Lilac Time celebration, so many of the more than 700 lilacs and 35,000 tulips should be blooming!

On Thursday morning, May 4, 2023 (rain date of Friday, May 5), members of the Guild will gather between 9:30 am and noon at the historic 8.5-acre park to sketch, paint, photograph, and enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents.

Artists can enjoy the use of the park’s council rings, design elements frequently used by renowned Prairie School landscape architect Jens Jensen (whose vision was instrumental in the design or re-design of Columbus Park, Humboldt Park, and Garfield Park in Chicago and in nearly 600 other public and private projects).

According to the Lombard Historical Society, “A council ring becomes a destination for the wanderer, a spot where a visitor can enjoy solitude or a couple of visitors can have a quiet conversation without being on view to other wanderers. Lilacia Park is one of Jensen’s smallest designs and contains, to this day, many of Jensen’s signature elements.”

All members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are welcome to stop by, and can register here to be added to Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee’s email list to receive details and updates.

Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2023 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum

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  • Jewels of Spring, copyright Beth Berry
  • Morning Meeting, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Let Nature Sing, copyright Yvonne Buckley
  • House Wren, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Reddish Egret, copyright Nancy Thyfault
  • Magenta Lined Orchids, copyright Kathi Kuchler
  • Out of the Wind, copyright Linda Fairbanks
  • Howard’s Dream, copyright Terrie McComb
  • Autumn Floor, copyright Jeff Walter
  • Zinnia Dance, copyright Maggie Mardis
  • Microcosmos, copyright Laurie Peters
  • Before the Sun Goes Down, copyright Beth Berry
  • Mother Bear, copyright Darcy Berg
  • Optimist, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
  • Spring Pussy Willows, copyright Marlene Vitek
  • Three Trees on the Trail, copyright Beth Berry
  • Eyelash Begonia (Begonia bowerae), copyright Kumie Kim
  • Rosa, copyright Jeff Walter
  • Snowdrops, copyright Marlene Vitek
  • Cantigny Ruby Garden, copyright Janice Czerwinski
  • Sunflower, copyright Cindy Franks
  • Summer Splendor, copyright Maggie Mardis
  • Clematis roguchi, copyright Kumie Kim
  • Pastel Prairie Grass, copyright Cheryl Holz
  • Monarch on Swamp Milkweed, copyright Karen Remkus
  • Helianthus, copyright Laurie Peters
  • Cinnamon, copyright Dan Danielson
  • Daffodil Glade, copyright Marlene Vitek
  • Lady Slipper Orchids, copyright Kathi Kuchler
  • Cantigny Yellow Water Lily, copyright Janice Czerwinski
  • Myna in Maui, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe
  • Zion II – Virgin River, copyright Joe Rizzo
  • Golden Eagle, copyright Dan Danielson
  • Spring Renewed, copyright Cheryl Rausch
  • Prairie Sedge, copyright Terrie McComb
  • Common Redpoll, copyright Mary Voegeli
  • Summer Daydream, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker
  • Two Young Bucks, copyright Carol Cooley
  • Old Guard, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
  • Spring on the Joy Path, copyright Maggie Mardis
  • Negentropy, copyright Laurie Peters
  • Agave, copyright Yvonne Buckley
  • New Beginnings, copyright Kathi Kuchler
  • Birds in Flight, copyright Darcy Berg
  • Lilac breasted Roller, copyright Dan Danielson
  • Water Lily, copyright Ann Lamoureux
  • Harbingers of Spring – Daffodils, copyright Cheryl Holz
  • Banyon Walking, copyright Nancy Thyfault
  • Magenta Madonna, copyright Jeff Walter
  • Fragrant Isle Lavender, copyright Janice Czerwinski
  • Myna in Maui, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe
  • The Courage to Bloom, copyright Laura S. Lucas
  • Robin in her Nest, copyright Celia Rodee
  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), copyright Kumie Kim
  • Last Flowers of Winter, copyright Linda Fairbanks
  • Bee on Milkweed, copyright Cindy Franks
  • Snow Glories Peek, copyright Patricia Mroczka
  • Impression, copyright Patricia Mroczka
  • Twisted Poppies, copyright Patricia Mroczka

Please enjoy the more than 50 examples of some of the wonderful artwork recently exhibited at the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2023 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. Larger versions can be seen by clicking on this link to the exhibit page.

Well over 1000 visitors enjoyed approximately 200 works of art created by more than 50 members of the Guild.

The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to thank all the volunteers, artists, Arboretum staff, and visitors for their contributions to the success of the Spring 2023 Art Exhibit.

All artwork exhibited on this website is the sole property of the artists and should not be used or reproduced without their written consent.  If you would like to contact one of the artists, please use the contact form on the About page and you will receive an email reply, normally within 48 hours. Your contact information will not be shared or used for any other purpose.