Calling All Nature Artists!

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and the Friends of Danada present the 38th annual Nature Art Show on October 12 and 13 during the annual Danada Fall Festival, at the Danada House, 3S501 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL.  The art show is open to all artists, but all work submitted most show some aspect of our natural environment with no indication of human influence.  The categories are Animals, Plants and Scenery, and drop off dates are October 9 and October 10, 2012.    Please contact Friends of Danada at info@danadahouse.com for more information and to obtain an entry form.  

Art in the Garden at The Growing Place this Saturday, June 23, 2012

Please join members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum this Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the Gardener’s Art Festival  at The Growing Place in Naperville, 25 W 471 Plank Road, Naperville, IL  60563, between 9 am and 5 pm.

This popular annual festival features garden craft and art sales, including pieces in glass and mosaic, a gourmet gardening demonstration, a garden photography demonstration, a “Garden Guru Panel” for your gardening questions, refreshments, and music throughout the gardens.  Of course, our favorite part will be Art in the Garden from 10 am until 4 pm, featuring members of the Nature Artists’ Guild creating artwork in the garden! You can view the full schedule for the day as well as some videos and photos of The Growing Place by clicking here, and read about their numerous gardens by clicking here.

If you are a Nature Artists’ Guild member and haven’t yet reserved your spot, please contact Suzanne Wegener (you can find her contact information in your Quarterly, or can contact her through The Morton Arboretum).  Even if you won’t be participating, please consider joining your fellow artists for an enjoyable day at this wonderful festival!


Upcoming Nature Artists’ Guild “Wildlife” Exhibition at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

The Landscape exhibit at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles, IL looks great, as you can see in the photos below (featuring Guild member Bobbie Brown)!  It’s hard to believe that June will be here in just a few weeks, and it will be time to hang the Nature Artists’ Guild’s  new exhibit, Wildlife.   

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In our Wildlife exhibit, we will include artwork featuring mammals (non-human), insects, reptiles, birds, and fish, and yes Fran, that does include ants!  Man-made objects may be included if they are not the focus of the artwork.  You may enter up to three pieces of artwork to be hung, and up to four pieces of bin art (please see your prospectus for all the details).

Nature Artists’ Guild members should have received their prospectus via mail or e-mail in mid-March, but please contact Paulette McDermott if you are unable to locate yours or have any questions.  The completed prospectus should be returned to Paulette by May 25, 2012 (by mail or e-mail) and the drop-off date for artwork will be June 2, 2012, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (which is also the pick-up time for the Landscapes exhibit artwork).  We are hoping to schedule a “Meet the Artists” reception, and will keep you posted on the date and time!

Field Trip this Friday evening to the Elmhurst Art Museum for Peggy Macnamara’s Artist’s Talk

Please join fellow members of the Nature Artists’ Guild at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 Cottage Hill Avenue, Elmhurst, Illinois, this Friday evening, May 4, 2012, at 6:30 pm for an Artist’s Talk by renowned nature artist Peggy Macnamara.  Click here to see Peggy on the television show Chicago Tonight a few days ago!

Peggy is the Artist-in-Residence at the Field Museum, an author of numerous books, and a frequent instructor for The Morton Arboretum’s Botanical Art and Illustration program.  Peggy’s former workshop students will attest to her warm and fun personality, as well as her fascinating and funny stories!

Peggy’s exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum (named the “Best Suburban Art Museum in Chicago” by Chicago Magazine), is titled “Peggy Macnamara: Field Work“, and will be featured from April 6, 2012 until June 1, 2012.  Even if you can’t join us on Friday evening, you’ll still have time to visit the museum to enjoy Peggy’s stunning watercolors.

The program is free and open to the public,  so please feel free to bring some friends!  We are hoping to find a good restaurant nearby to meet at for snacks or dessert after the program.

“Meet the Artists” at Hickory Knolls this Saturday, April 28, 2012

Our Special Exhibitions Coordinator, Paulette McDermott would like to remind us all that –

The Nature Artists Guild has a lovely new landscape show that will open on Saturday, April 28th.

That afternoon from 2 – 4 pm,  on the 28th,  we are planning a “Meet the Artists.”

We hope that you have the opportunity to stop by, see their work and say hello.

Please click here for more information on the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles.

THE ILLUSTRATOR’S EYE: An Exhibit Of Works by Nancy Halliday

You may know Nancy Halliday as a talented Nature Artists’ Guild Charter Member, or you may know her as a favorite Morton Arboretum Botanical Art instructor.   Now you can learn even more about Nancy and enjoy seeing her artwork at a special exhibit!

Almost thirty of Nancy’s works are currently being featured in one-woman exhibit at the Glenview Public Library,  1930 Glenview Road, Glenview, IL 60025.    Library hours are Monday-Friday, 9 am-9 pm,  Saturday 9-5, and  Sunday 1-5.  The exhibit will be up through April 29, 2012, and Nancy will be giving a gallery talk on Tuesday, April 24th, at 6:30 p.m.  

The library introduces Nancy’s exhibit with the following –  “With university degrees in biological sciences and environmental studies, a natural ability to draw, and a keen eye for detail, Glenview resident Nancy Halliday carved a successful career in scientific illustration. This fascinating exhibit will draw you into nature—creatures large and small, botanical studies, and a few examples of Nancy’s artwork painted simply for pleasure.”

You can read more about Nancy and see a beautiful example of her talents at the website of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI).

Hickory Knolls “Landscapes” Exhibit and Artists’ Reception, April 28, 2012

We know that Spring is one of the busiest times of year for nature artists –  there is so much beginning to grow, bud and bloom that it’s a challenge to keep up with the sketching, drawing and painting!  Add to that the planting, pruning and tending of the garden, and who has time to spare?

It is probably time to take a little break from your busy schedule!   On April 28, the drop-off of artwork for the “Landscapes” exhibit at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles will begin at 10 am (please remember to return your prospectus by April 20, 2012).  Later, there will be a “Meet the Artist” reception at the same location from 2 pm until 4 pm (please bring a few snacks if you can).

You probably already have some artwork completed and framed from the last few Nature Artists’ Guild exhibits, so there will be no extra work for you.  You’ll be able to just relax and enjoy an afternoon with fellow artists and guests while gaining an opportunity to exhibit your artwork at a wonderful new location.  It sure beats weeding, mowing and mulching!

New Exhibit Opportunity for 2012, Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum have been invited to exhibit their work at the St. Charles Hickory Knolls Discovery Center for the months of April, May and June, 2012!  Three separate exhibits are planned, with the following themes –

April – Botanical Art

May – Landscapes

June – Wildlife

The first exhibit opened on April 1 and runs through April 28, 2012.  

If you did not receive an e-mail or letter with the registration forms, or if you have any questions, please contact our Outside Exhibitions Chair, Paulette McDermott (you can find her contact information in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook).

Gardener’s Art Festival Volunteers Needed on June 25th

The Nature Artists’ Guild has been invited to participate in the annual Gardener’s Art Festival being held on Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 10 am until 4 pm at The Growing Place in Naperville.  Please click here to find out all the details about this popular festival! 

Photo credit The Growing Place

We are looking for artists to volunteer to participate for a 2-hour shift of painting, drawing or sketching during the event.  What a great opportunity to show off your work while enjoying the beautiful surroundings!

   The  Growing Place would love to have four artists for each shift, so please don’t hesitate to sign up if you can – we need your contribution to help make this a success!  Contact Jill Adzia to sign up (you can find her contact information in your Yearbook).

Canterbury Shoppe Drop-Off and Pick-Up This Saturday

The pick- up date for the Spring exhibit and the drop-off date for the Summer exhibit at the Canterbury Shoppe in Naperville has been changed to Saturday, June 11, 2011 (from 11 am until 2 pm).

The prospectus deadline has also been extended until Wednesday, June 8.  Your prospectus was either e-mailed or mailed to you on March 24th, but if you can’t find it, please contact Paulette McDermott, or leave a comment on this post, and we’ll make sure to get one to you!