On Friday, March 19, at 9:30 a.m., Nature Artists’ Guild Members will meet at the botany lab, located in the Administration & Research center, to sketch or paint from herbarium sheets. At noon, members will have the exceptional opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the Morton Arboretum herbarium on a tour given by herbarium volunteer and guild member Liz Lizzio.
“The Arboretum herbarium houses more than 165,000 dried plant specimens and 19,000 lichens, many from Illinois and Missouri. The herbarium’s strongest collections are its (1) active and nearly comprehensive contemporary collection of the flora of the 24-county Chicago region and (2) broad collection of woody plants of the northern Temperate zone, both cultivated and spontaneous.” redwood.mortonarb.org/lab_pages/hipp/herbarium.html
Please RSVP to Suzanne Wegener at swegener@mortonarb.org or 630-719-5642.
Category: Events
Renowned Artist Victoria Fuller, March 4, 2010 at 7:00
On Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:00 pm, please join us at our formal meeting as renowned sculptor and painter Victoria Fuller shares her art experiences.
Victoria’s works range from delicate watercolor paintings of flora and fauna to large scale public sculptures. Her 35 foot bronze sculpture Global Garden Shovel, recently installed in the city of Seattle, “is constructed from castings and manual replications of indigenous plants and trees from the tropics and northern climates. The sculpture is also a reminder of the crucial role that plants play in sustaining life on our planet, such as producing food, medicine, oxygen, moisture, as well as providing beauty and enjoyment in our everyday lives”.
“In search for knowledge and adventure” Victoria has “traveled to China, witnessing the Tiananmen Square uprising, to Africa on photo Safari, and the Amazon on a house boat, creating botanical illustrations. She has lived in Paris to study French, New York to immerse herself in the NY art scene, and in San Francisco to study at the San Francisco Art Institute.” Victoria moved to Chicago in 1992 to obtain an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her award-winning work has been featured in exhibitions from Chicago to New York, as well as in numerous publications.
Please join us for what will surely be a fascinating evening as Victoria shares her experiences. You can read more about Victoria online at http://www.ObjectArtist.com.
Like a Trip to the Tropics! (Paint-Out)
In late winter, the next best thing to going on a tropical vacation is? A paint-out at Hausermann’s Orchids, of course. Another perennial favorite paint-out spot, Hausermann’s is magical. When you go inside, out of the snow
y 10 degree Chicagoland weather, you are instantly transported to the tropics. No sand, no pina coladas, but there are thousands of orchids, and they are in bloom!
Hausermann’s has a nice area set aside in their huge greenhouse as a “showroom” with specimens of dozens of different types of orchids, which is where we set up to sketch or paint. It’s worth coming even if you only have time to take some photographs, or as some do, walk around oohing and aahing at the amazing orchids (and ultimately buying one or two)! One lucky participant will even receive a free orchid to take home with them.
It gets a little crowded if there are too many, so we’ll try to limit the group to about 15. Please contact Denise if you think you’d like to come. We’ll be meeting on Friday, 02/05/10 from 9:30 to 12:30, and Suzanne will meet you there. Hausermann’s is located at 2N134 Addison Road, Villa Park, IL (see www.orchidsbyhausermann.com for directions). Bring a chair, your art supplies, and maybe an MP3 with some Don Ho (who?) or Ziggy Marley (who???) music, and enjoy!
Karen Wahlers Presents: The Ancient Art of Porcelain Painting
Local accomplished porcelain artist, Karen Wahlers, will be our featured presenter at the February 4, 2010 meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild. Karen’s program will guide us through the preparation and application of this stunning ancient art form.
A member of the International Porcelain Art Teacher’s Association and the World Organization of China Painters (www.illinoiswocp.com), Karen has taught classes and workshops at art leagues and galleries, as well as at state and national conventions. Karen is also the founder of the DuPage Wild Roses guild.
Please join us February 4, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. for a fascinating journey through this ancient art form with this talented teacher.
Paint-Out January 14th, 2010 at Jurica Nature Museum
It’s Not Too Late to Join a Fun Paint-Out Tomorrow!
Our first paint-out of the year is tomorrow, and it’s at a place that many of us know and love! We will be meeting at the Jurica Nature Museum at Benedictine University tomorrow, January 14, from 9:30 to 12:30 (or later if you wish). If you haven’t been there before, you’re in for a treat!
This museum is filled with mounts and skeletons of creatures ranging from hedgehogs to lions . They are displayed in a few large rooms, and there are few or no spectators, so you’ll have room to spread out and get comfortable. Unfortunately for them, the animals stay extremely still, but that makes it much easier for us to get some good sketches, drawings or paintings! I stayed a while after everyone left last year, and though it was a tiny bit spooky in a “Night at the Museum” sort of way, I was able to do a sketch of a skunk that would have otherwise never been possible!
Please let LaVerne Bohlin know if you plan on coming, as she will be meeting members there. Don’t stress about getting there right at 9:30 – it’s a casual gathering and we’d love to have you any time you can make it . If you have the time, maybe you could also go with some other NAG members to lunch afterwards, or stay later at the museum for some extra time with the animals (if you dare)!
Denise Fisk, Program Chair
2010 Calendar of Meetings & Exhibitions
2010 Nature Artists’ Guild Schedule
(Edited May 14, 2010 to reflect new dates for the 2010 Holiday Exhibition)
Following are meeting and exhibition dates for 2010. Please note that, once again, the Spring Exhibition will be in April. Board of Directors meetings are open to all Guild members.
January 7, 2010: Board Meeting, 7– 9 pm
February 4, 2010: Board Meeting, 6 – 7 pm
February 4, 2010: Formal Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
March 4, 2010: Board Meeting, 6 – 7 pm
March 4, 2010: Formal Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
Spring Show
April 14, 2010 Referee Night
April 16, 2010 Artists’ Reception
April 17-18, 2010 Exhibit
May 6, 2010: Board Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
June 3, 2010: Board Meeting, 6 – 7 pm
June 3, 2010: Formal Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
NO BOARD MEETING IN JULY
August 5, 2010: Board Meeting, 6 – 7 pm
August 5, 2010: Formal Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
September 2, 2010: Board Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
October 7, 2010: Board Meeting, 6 – 7 pm
October 7, 2010: Formal Meeting, 7 – 9 pm
Holiday Show
November 10, 2010: Referee Night
November 12, 2010: Artists’ Reception
November 13 – 14, 2010: Exhibit
December 2, 2010: Elections & Holiday Party
Exhibition Opportunties
Guild members are invited to show their work at two special exhibitions early next year. To be eligible for these shows, artwork must have been previously shown at one of our annual exhibits at The Arboretum. Prospectuses with details will be sent out closer to the exhibition dates.
Downers Grove Public Library Art Gallery. January 2010. This is a wonderful space. Drop off will be January 2nd from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Pick up will be January 30th from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Fine Line Creative Arts Center, Kavanagh Gallery in St. Charles. Drop off will be February 16th. This is a new venue for the Guild and a wonderful opportunity. Information about the gallery is here: http://www.finelineca.org/kavanagh/index.html
Paint Out October 8th at The Morton Arboretum
Meet Suzanne Wegener in the Thornhill Center Parking Lot at 9:30 am. Artists will pick their own locations to paint/draw/photograph and will meet back at Thornhill for lunch at 12:30pm.
Please RSVP to Laverne Bohlin.
Artists in Action at Cosley Zoo
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to sketch or paint the animals at Cosely Zoo in Wheaton
Sunday, Sept. 13 from 11am-3pm
Set up at 10:30am
8ft tables will be provided. Business cards and brochures are ok, but any selling of artwork would require a vendor’s fee of $50.
Please rsvp to:
Molly Holman
Guest Services Supervisor
Cosley Zoo
1356 Gary Ave, Wheaton IL 60187\
630.665.5534 x5036 (Sunday-Thursday)
mholman@wheatonparks.org
General zoo information here: http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com/pgs/parks/cosley/default.html
Holiday Fund-Raising Workshop: September 19, 2009
Transform you artwork into items for sale at our 2010 Holiday Exhibition!
Have fun, meet other Guild members and contribute to a worthy cause!
When: Saturday, September 19th, 2009, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: Thornhill Education Center
What to Bring:
Nancy Thyfault will again be showing us how to make her beautiful boxes. For the boxes please bring color laser copies (not inkjet) of your original artwork in various sizes, acrylic paint, fabric or decorative paper scraps and creative embellishments. Boxes, transfer paper, gel medium and some supplies will be provided. If you have your own boxes, trays, or items to decorate, bring them along.
Please note: some materials and projects will be provided. If you need more information or wish to share a project idea, please contact Laverne Bohlin or Nancy Thyfault.
Bring your lunch or dine at the Arboretum.
Please note: you do not have to stay the entire time – you can arrive late, leave early, etc.
Nature Artists' Guild 