Category: Classes and Workshops

October Fundraising Workshop with Lindsay Sandbothe Almost Full

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Wood slice ornaments by Lindsay Sandbothe

Update: All spots for this workshop have been filled. Participants can contact Cheryl Holz with questions or cancellations.

The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to remind members about the upcoming free workshop with talented artist and educator, Lindsay Sandbothe.

Lindsay specializes in painting delightful creatures, large and small, but workshop participants will be welcome to depict their own inspirations from nature. Birds, insects, tiny landscapes, flowers, leaves, and much more can be painted onto the provided small slices of wood. The completed ornaments will be sold as a fundraiser for the Guild at the Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum this November. (Last year’s contributions sold out!)

Fun, food, friends, and it’s all free! The workshop will be held at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 10 to 1. Registration is required and only open to members of the Nature Artists’ Guild. Space is limited, but a few spots are still available.

More ornaments by Lindsay Sandbothe

Spectacular Color Coming Soon!

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Where the Garden Leads, copyright Lora Lee Gelles, was included in last year’s Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. Click on image for more.

Recent cool evenings are beginning to hint at the coming wonders of autumn, especially the spectacular displays of color. Nature Artists’ Guild exhibits, paint-outs, a program, and a workshop (as well as a selection of classes offered by The Morton Arboretum) will help with exploring and celebrating these wonders.

  • In just a few weeks, prospectuses for the 2026 Autumn Exhibit at the Morton Arboretum and Fauna, the display of 8 x 8 works honoring the Arboretum, will be emailed to members. (New members who join the Guild before the prospectus due date will be eligible to participate in these exhibits.)
  • The Nature Artists’ Guild will sponsor a program by oil pastel artist George Shipperly on the evening of Thursday, October 1, at The Morton Arboretum. This presentation will be free and open to the public, and no registration will be required. More details coming soon.
  • A return of the free workshop for Guild members, Wood Slice Ornaments with Lindsay Sandbothe, will be held on October 10. Registration is required, and only a few spots remain for this popular event.
  • And for those who just want to drop by to enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of The Morton Arboretum on a weekday morning without the crowds, the Guild’s Coffee and Art gatherings continue each Wednesday, beginning at about 9:30 in the Visitor Center.

The Bloomingdale Museum will be Hopping this Sunday!

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Tree Frog, copyright Dan Danielson

Award-winning artist (and Nature Artist Guild member), Dan Danielson, will be demonstrating his fun and fluid style of watercolor painting at the reception for the Guild’s exhibit, open to all on August 16, 2026, from 2 to 4, at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum.

The free reception for Rooted in Observation: Art Inspired by the Living World, at the museum on Sunday, August 16, will be open to the public from 2 to 4 pm. Refreshments and music provided by the museum, a demonstration by Dan Danielson, and the opportunity to view more than 75 works of art by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, will all contribute to a wonderful afternoon!

The exhibit will continue until September 12, and visitors can visit the museum’s website for hours and directions.

Also —

  • Guild artists will also be demonstrating inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum during the Arboretum’s 2026 Wine and Art Walk. Everyone is invited to stop by and learn more about the Guild or simply chat with an artist and watch them create between 10 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday, August 15 and 16. (Arboretum membership or a gate fee will be required for entrance to the Arboretum.)

Opportunities to Develop and Enhance Nature Art Skills this July

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Awakened By Sun, copyright Shuli Wang

Members (and not-yet-members) of the Nature Artists’ Guild will have numerous opportunities to learn and practice nature art skills at The Morton Arboretum this July!

Artists who paint or sketch outdoors will enjoy the Arboretum’s Plein Air Community Meet-Ups on alternate Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. The coordinator at each session will greet artists and help them locate a prime location on the grounds for capturing lovely landscapes or captivating close-ups in paint, colored pencil, pastels, ink, or other portable media.

The Nature Artists’ Guild has many fabulous fiber artists in its membership, and the Arboretum is offering space to gather on alternate Thursday evenings. These Bring your own project: Fiber Arts sessions are a fun way to share tips with and enjoy the company of fellow artists.

In addition to these meet-ups, the Arboretum is offering nature art classes and workshops taught by talented and experienced instructors (many of whom are Guild members or former presenters) that begin in July.

Cyanotype Printing – Harness sunlight to create striking blue botanical prints.

Woodblock Printing – Create relief prints from carved blocks of wood.

Natural Dye Workshop: Cochineal – Hand-dye fabric using traditional methods.

Make Your Own Gourd Birdhouse – Learn gourd art techniques and create your own beautifully decorated birdhouse.

Summer Blooms in Watercolor – Capture the shapes, colors, and intricate details of flowers in watercolor.

These meet-ups, classes, and workshops are offered by The Morton Arboretum and are open to the public. Registration is required.

Three Talented Artists, a Paint-Out, Meet-Ups, and Gatherings Greet the Summer!

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Pondside Dancer, copyright Terrie McComb, White Petunia, copyright Marge Hall, Oriental Bittersweet, copyright Kumie Kim

It’s a great time to set aside a few hours from the gardening, summer parties, and vacation plans to enjoy some nature and art with the Guild.

  • Coming up this Thursday evening, June 4, 2026, at 7, is the Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual “Talented Trio” program, featuring three members demonstrating their methods and materials at The Morton Arboretum. This program is free and open to the public, and there will be no charge for the event, for entrance to the Arboretum, or for parking. No registration is required. Details here.
Garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Photo credit Anne and Charles Bouchard.
  • Each Wednesday morning, at about 9:30, Guild members and their guests meet at the Arboretum’s Visitor Center for coffee, friendship, and the opportunity to sketch or photograph the surrounding beauty. “Coffee and Art” is a casual weekly gathering, and all are invited to drop by.
  • Registration is now open to all for The Morton Arboretum’s summer classes and workshops, including a new offering of a “Plein Air Community Meet-Up.” The meet-ups are not classes, but gatherings of artists interested in painting nature, and will take place every other Wednesday evening throughout the summer, from 5 to 7:30, beginning on June 10. Member Maggie Mardis will be attending the first event and sharing information about the Guild. Guild membership is not required to attend, but registration is required, and there is a nominal fee.
Untitled, oil on canvas, copyright Maggie Mardis

Miniature Masterpieces in Acrylic on Wood

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Wood slice ornaments by Lindsay Sandbothe

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to join a free workshop with Arboretum instructor (and fellow member) Lindsay Sandbothe, on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 10 am to 1 pm at the Thornhill Education Center.

Attendees will be provided with expert instruction and all the materials and tools needed to create a unique miniature masterpiece using acrylic on a prepared slice of wood. The completed ornaments will be sold to raise funds for the Nature Artists’ Guild at its upcoming Autumn Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. (Participants will also be able to purchase one or two extra prepared wood slices for $3 each, to bring home for their personal use.)

There is no charge to attend this fun workshop for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, but registration is required, and space is limited!

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!

Nature Journaling Workshop July 13, 2024

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Detail of nature journal pages, copyright Sandra Wilcoxon

In conjunction with the Nature Artists’ Guild’s special exhibit, Art Inspired by Earth, the Aurora Public Art Commission will be sponsoring a free workshop on Nature Journaling on July 13, 2024.

The 90-minute workshop, led by Guild member Sandra Wilcoxon, will be open to all, but attendance will be limited to fifteen participants (more details and registration form here). All supplies will be provided. The workshop will be held at the Aurora Public Art gallery on July 13, 2024 (the final day of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s exhibit) from 2 to 3:30 pm.

Reminder to exhibitors – Artwork pick-up will be on July 13 from 4 to 5:30 pm at the Aurora Public Art Commission gallery.

Gouache Class with Suzanne Wegener in June 2024 at The Morton Arboretum

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Milkweed painting in gouache, copyright Suzanne Wegener. Click on image to learn more or register.

Scientific Illustrator and educator Suzanne Wegener will be teaching a 4-part intermediate to advanced level class on painting in gouache at The Morton Arboretum this June.

Each Thursday evening in June 2024, from 6:30 to 9:30, class attendees will join Suzanne at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum to learn and practice using the tools and techniques for creating detailed paintings in the versatile medium of gouache.

This class is open to all artists with “fundamental knowledge and skills” and “previous art experience.” (There is no requirement to be a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild or The Morton Arboretum to register.) Paints and paper will be supplied for the class, but participants will need to bring along a few other basics.

Suzanne Wegener is one of the original members and former president of the Nature Artists’ Guild, the former coordinator of the art and photography education programs for The Morton Arboretum, and recent president of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. With her knowledgeable, friendly, and patient teaching style, Suzanne continues to be a popular instructor at The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The class is titled Flowers and Feathers in Gouache, but students will find that working in gouache will result in wonderfully detailed representations of not only flowers and feathers, but a wide variety of subjects in the natural world.

8-Week Charcoal Class with John Fleck Begins January 24, 2024

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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.