Author: Denise

Staying Busy (While Staying Warm)

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HEY… The Birdfeeder is Empty!, copyright Dan Danielson

The DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center reports that January, which might seem quiet in Chicagoland’s natural world, is actually quite busy! For instance –

  • Bald eagle migration peaks
  • Squirrels begin their mating season
  • Skunk cabbage begins to bloom
  • Great horned owls are on their nests
  • White-tailed deer bucks are shedding antlers
  • Tufted titmice and cardinals begin to sing

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild also have a busy winter planned, but unlike those of the titmice, most of their activities can be enjoyed indoors while staying warm.

Tomorrow, January 18, a free reception for the Guild’s special exhibit at the Downers Grove Public Library will be held from 2 to 4. Everyone is invited to stop by the exhibit and support the artists while enjoying some light refreshments.

On Wednesday, January 21, Guild members are invited to stop by an informal gathering at the Wheaton Public Library at 11:30 to enjoy even more nature art by their fellow artists. Those interested in having lunch at nearby Bien Trucha afterward at 12:30 can RSVP here or by contacting Celia Rodee.

Nature Artists’ Guild members are encouraged to spend a quiet hour at home this month, looking through and photographing their spring-inspired artwork for possible inclusion in the upcoming issue of the Quarterly. Images, articles, and announcements can be emailed to Jane Kellenberger by February 1.

The annual paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann is scheduled for Thursday, February 5, from 7:30 until 10 am. This tropical destination is a favorite of Guild artists, who are invited to spend the morning, before the showroom opens, surrounded by gorgeous orchids in bloom. Space is limited, and registration is required.

Later in the evening of February 5, members (and guests who request a link) will be able to log in to join a Guild-sponsored online presentation by textile artist Kristin Field. Links to the program will be emailed the preceding week. (Much more about Kristin and her fascinating work coming soon.)

As always, members and visitors are welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum any Wednesday morning about 9:30 to spend time chatting, sipping, and sketching with fellow artists at Coffee and Art.

Staying busy and staying warm!

A Nature Artists’ Guild “Field Trip” this Saturday

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Downy Woodpecker at Field Museum. Photo credit FieldMuseum.org

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be taking a short trip into the city to study and sketch at Chicago’s world-renowned Field Museum this Saturday, January 17, 2026.

Participants will meet by the birds exhibit at 9:30 before scouting out their favorite spot to sketch or draw (no acrylics or oils) specimens of natural history from throughout the centuries and around the globe.

Photo credits the Field Museum

Coordinator Celia Rodee will share all the details about parking, admission, and carpooling with Guild members by email, and interested members should register online or by emailing Celia by Friday, January 16.

Two Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibits Open this Week

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Meandering Stream, copyright Cynthia Boudreau. This work wil be displayed at the Downers Grove Public Library throughout January.

Sure, the cold is crisp and the snow can be stunning, but one thing mostly missing in nature during Chicagoland’s winter months is color! Happily, the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be supplying lots of color from all four seasons in two special exhibits opening this week.

Nearly 75 works of nature art in a wide variety of media and styles, by approximately 50 talented members of the Guild, will be on display at the Downers Grove Public Library and the Wheaton Public Library throughout January, for all to enjoy.

Both of these vibrant libraries have a strong commitment to the visual arts and lovely dedicated gallery spaces in which Guild members can proudly share their work with the public.

Exhibits are open during regular library hours (click on highlighted links above for hours and directions.) A free open reception will be held at the Downers Grove Library on January 18 from 2 to 4 pm. Everyone is invited to stop by to support the artists and enjoy the exhibit!

A Look Back at 2025 with the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Winter Woods Edge, copyright Ann Lamoureux. Click on image for a look back at 2025 with the Nature Artists’ Guild.

2025 was a year of gatherings filled with laughter, learning, and sharing for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.

The Guild’s artists enjoyed presentations (online and in person) by talented and renowned artists, attended paint-outs and field trips (accompanied by delicious treats) at stunning gardens and museums, and shared their artwork through exhibits at The Morton Arboretum (with record attendance!) and other locations. Weekly gatherings to sketch and chat, a fun fundraising workshop, and a holiday party also provided members with plenty of opportunities to meet, learn from, and enjoy the company of fellow artists.

Sample of images from 2025 –

  • Audubon exhibit at Field Museum
  • Field Museum paint-out
  • January Downers Grove Library exhibit
  • February paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann, copyright Kathi Kuchler
  • Paint-in at Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum
  • Rhonda Nass online presentation
  • Yum, A 5-lobed Chocolate Vine, copyright Rhonda Nass
  • Late winter, early spring preview
  • Joel Sheesley presentation at The Morton Arboretum
  • Kline Creek Sunrise Moonset, copyright Joel Sheesley
  • Spring 2025 Exhibit poster
  • Natures Bounty, copyright Deb Giampoli
  • Creek, copyright Patricia Joyce
  • Blackburnian Warbler, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Sweet Treat, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Peonies, watercolor, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Pretty in pink, copyright Lisa Kanellos
  • Resting Deer, copyright Jill Adzia
  • Paphiopedium Matchmaker Orchid, copyright Celia Rodee
  • Summer Shadows, copyright Maryann Wattelle
  • Spring exhibit demonstration
  • Spring exhibit demonstration
  • Spring exhibit demonstration
  • Spring exhibit demonstration
  • Spring exhibit demonstration
  • Spring exhibit demonstration
  • Daffodil Glade paint-out, Daffodils, copyright Alice Wych
  • Quarterly covers and pages
  • Lilacia Park paint-out
  • Driehaus museum, Rory McEwan exhibit
  • Copyright Rory McEwen
  • Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art field trip
  • At UIMA exhibit, Powdered ruffle lichen, copyright Sandra Wilcoxon
  • June paint-out
  • Summer exhibit at Hidden Oaks Nature Center
  • Summer Shades, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker
  • Pileated Woodpecker and Pokeweed, copyright Louise Daley
  • White Petunia II, copyright Marge Hall
  • Adriatic, copyright Cynthia Boudreau
  • Lamoureux garden paint-out, Woods Garden and Peter’s Pond, copyright Ann Lamoureux
  • Quarterly covers and pages
  • Ball Horticultural paint-out
  • Ball Horticultural paint-out
  • Sarah Johnson program at Thornhill
  • Artists’ Garden encore paint-out
  • Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum paint-out
  • Autumn workshop
  • Cantigny Gardens paint-out
  • Autumn preview
  • Phil Schorn program
  • Luminous Succelent, copyright Phil Schorn
  • Autumn 2025 Exhibit poster
  • Autumn exhibit reception, Home, copyright Amy Malysa.
  • Looking Out, copyright Kathy Steere
  • Tigger Melon (Cucumis Melo), copyright Kumie Kim
  • Night Flyer, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
  • Skåne, copyright Carrie Carlson
  • The Scent of Spring, copyright Shuli Wang
  • First Snowfall, copyright Joanne May
  • Say Cheese, copyright Dan Danielson
  • Micromovement of Wings, Mandala I, copyright Cynthia Heinz
  • Autumn 2025 demonstration
  • Autumn 2025 demonstration
  • Autumn 2025 demonstration
  • Autumn 2025 demonstration
  • Autumn 2025 demonstration
  • Autumn 2025 demonstration
  • Flora 2025 special exhibit
  • A Riot of Bee Balm and Rudbeckia, copyright Maggie Capettini
  • Hydrangea Blossom, copyright Margie Navolio
  • Holiday party, Suzanne Wegener artwork
  • 2025 holiday cards preview
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Nicolette Metz
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Sandra Zeboski
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Vicki Liszewski

The Nature Artists’ Guild is looking forward to welcoming back all our current members in 2026 and, hopefully, some new ones as well (an evolving schedule of events will be coming soon)! More about renewals and memberships is available here.

Warm Holiday Wishes from the Nature Artists’ Guild

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2025 Holiday Card, copyright Vicki Liszewski. Click on the card to enjoy many more images.

The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum would like to wish all a wonderful holiday season!

Please click here for images of many of the handmade cards created and exchanged by Guild members in 2025. Many thanks to Margie Navolio for coordinating this year’s Holiday Card Exchange and to all the participating members for sharing their time and talents.

  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Patricia Joyce
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Yvonne Buckley
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Nancy Staszak
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Joanne May
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Nicolette Metz
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Sandra Zeboski
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Cynthia Hellyer Heinz
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Carol Cooley
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Joanne McKibben
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Celia Rodee
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Bernadette Hanacek
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Lora Lee Gelles
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Margie Navolio
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Maureen Swiertz
  • 2025 Holiday Card, copyright Terrie McComb

The Cards are in the Mail!

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A glimpse at some of the Nature Artists’ Guild members’ 2025 holiday cards.

The cards have been created, and the stamps have been stuck. This week, handmade cards to and by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will complete their journeys through the mail to spread some warmth and cheer for the holiday season.

After the cards have been received and opened by their recipients (no spoilers here!), we will share the artwork by posting images on this website for all to enjoy. Participating artists are encouraged to email an image of the card they sent and the card they received to Denise Fisk by December 20.

(More about the card exchange and links to previous years’ images here).

A New Opportunity to Share and Delight

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Piping Plovers, watercolor, copyright Vicki Liszewski will be one of more than twenty works exhibited this winter at the Wheaton Public Library by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild. (Read about Chicago’s beloved piping plovers here.)

A few spots are still available to members of the Nature Artists’ Guild for the January 2026 Wheaton Public Library exhibit, and registration closes this Friday, December 12.

The Guild’s popular annual exhibit at the Downers Grove Public Library is at capacity, and registration is now closed, but members still have the opportunity to share their art this winter by registering for the Wheaton Public Library exhibit. This exciting new opportunity fills the need for additional space for Guild members to delight even more of Chicago’s suburbs with their nature art!

The Wheaton Public Library has a long and fascinating history, and its current 124,000 square foot facility includes a lovely dedicated space (in a quiet corner near the main entrance) for art exhibits and special presentations, the Arts & Culture Center.

Any Nature Artists’ Guild member can register one piece in this exhibit, which must be dropped off during regular library hours between December 29 and January 2. A prospectus with all the details was emailed to members on November 15.

This Week for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Artwork from 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Suzanne Wegener

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to spend a fun and festive evening with their fellow artists at this year’s holiday celebration, “Jingle & Mingle,” on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 6 to 8:30.

The Morton Arboretum will provide the beautiful setting, both indoors and out, with a crackling fire in the Founders Room (the historic former library of the Morton family) to greet guests after their short walk through a snowy wonderland (somehow even more stunning after dark) to the Thornhill Education Center.

Fellow members of the Nature Artists Guild will provide the warmth of friendship. After enjoying appetizers and punch in the Founders Room, Guild members will gather in the adjacent Arbor Room for desserts, a raffle of art and nature-related items, and a few fun surprises.

No ticket or RSVP is required, and Guild members can check their emailed invitations for details. This event is reserved for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and their guests.

Also this week –

December 3, 2025, is the final day for Guild members to register for January’s special exhibit at the Downers Grove Public Library.

December 5, 2025, is the final day for Guild members to register for the annual Holiday Card Exchange.

Before the Busyness Begins

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Lake Marmo Larches, copyright Cheryl Holz. Acrylic, old arboretum papers and rusted silk on wood panel.

This relatively quiet time before the busy season of cooking, cleaning, and celebrating officially begins, would be a great time to take a minute to join or renew membership in the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.

In her collage inspired by The Morton Arboretum, Lake Marmo Larches, artist Cheryl Holz features “a silhouette from the European Larch tree overlooking Lake Marmo, set on a background of an old illustration of the arboretum, its sides wrapped with old arboretum annual guides.”

For many years, The Morton Arboretum has provided inspiration and encouragement, as well as a stunning location for programs, paint-outs, workshops, gatherings, and exhibits, for nature artists throughout the Chicagoland area. Once again, all artists with an interest in the beauty of the natural world are invited to join the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, as it enters its 40th year in 2026.

Potential new members are invited to scroll through previous posts or visit the Important Dates page of this website to learn more about the Guild’s activities and events, and current members can do the same, as a reminder of all that the Guild offers.

January Nature Art Exhibits to Celebrate All Seasons

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Where the Forest Opens, oil, copyright Shannon Yeh, will be one of the many works included in the Guild’s exhibit at the Downers Grove Library in January 2026.

The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will begin the new year with exhibits at both the Downers Grove Public Library and the Wheaton Public Library throughout January, embracing the beauty of winter, and eagerly anticipating the coming of spring, summer, and fall!

Guild members are encouraged to participate in either or both exhibits, and prospectuses for both were emailed to all members on November 15. Registration ends (mailed or online) on December 3 for the Downers Grove exhibit and December 12 for the Wheaton exhibit. (Specific drop-off and pick-up instructions and dates are listed on the prospectuses.)

Artwork must have either been included in a previous Guild exhibit or be approved for exhibit by emailing a photo of the artwork (including any matting or framing) to Suzanne Wegener. Exhibitors must also have joined or renewed their Nature Artists’ Guild membership for 2026 before the applicable drop-off date.

Samples of artwork, details about a reception at the Downers Grove Library in January, and more about the exhibits coming soon!

Online registration for the 2026 Downers Grove Public Library Exhibit

Online registration for the 2026 Wheaton Library Exhibit