Category: Events

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.

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.