Color pencil on slate tile, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
This Wednesday, November 9, 2022, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild can go to the Administration Building of The Morton Arboretum between 6 and 7:30 pm to do any or all of following-
On Friday evening, November 11, from 7 until 9, Nancy Halliday will be demonstrating her techniques for depicting realistic flora and fauna in watercolor.
Mirror, copyright Dale Olsen
Dale Olsen is known for his stunning large landscapes created in oil or acrylic. On Saturday morning, November 12, from 10:30 until 12:30, Dale will be working in acrylic.
White pine, copyright Linda Hilderbrant
On Saturday afternoon, November 12, from 1 until 3, Linda Hilderbrant will complete her beautifully detailed color pencil piece, White pine, by adding branching to the pinecone.
Rabbits, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
Arlene Widrevitz will be sharing techniques for using silverpoint to create subtly beautiful drawings on Sunday morning, November 13, from 10:30 until 12:30.
Posy and Bee, copyright Linn Eldred
On Sunday afternoon, November 13, from 1 until 3, Linn Eldred will share tips for using soft brushes with the dust obtained from soft pastels to create vibrant paintings.
The artists are looking forward to speaking with visitors, answering questions, and sharing ideas, inspirations, and tips! The demonstrations will take place in the lobby of the Administration Building (adjacent to the Cudahy Room and the Sterling Morton Library) throughout the Autumn Art Exhibit.
Poster artwork by Featured Artist Alice Wych. Poster design by Jane Kellenberger. Exhibit posters and postcards are available to pick up between 9 and 4 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at the Thornhill Education Center. Members are encouraged to share with local businesses, family and friends.
The 2022 Autumn Art Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum will showcase more than 150 pieces by approximately 50 members, including numerous works by Featured Artist Alice Wych.
In addition to viewing the exhibit artwork, visitors will be able to purchase original artwork on slate, buy tickets for raffle items, and interact with artists who will be demonstrating their techniques. More details to come about the 2022 Autumn Art exhibit.
Prairie artwork, copyright Marlene Vitek (first two) and Maggie Mardis.
Even though the October 19th Coffee and Art will be cancelled so that members can attend the Lake Marmo paint-out, the gatherings will return the following Wednesday. Recent weeks have focused on fantastic feathers, but the next few will feature, of course, lovely leaves.
Colors of Fall, copyright Mary Ann Jimenez
The Morton Arboretum Photographic Society is also celebrating the Schulenberg Prairie’s anniversary with Seasons of the Schulenberg. The exhibit at the Sterling Morton Library ends on October 16, but the stunning images will soon be available for viewing on their website.
The last day for members to submit photos or articles for the Winter Quarterly is November 1, 2022. Images of winter-related artwork can be sent to Jane Kellenberger.
The Nature Artists’ Guild’s Holiday Party with raffles, food, and fun will be on the evening of Thursday, December 1, 2022 at the Thornhill Education Center. Members will receive an invitation by email with all the details.
Next January’s special exhibit at the Downers Grove Library will have an earlier drop-off date of December 17, 2022 this year. A prospectus and all the details will be emailed to members.
The weather is already a bit brisker, there is just a hint of brilliant color in the leaves, and members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are looking forward to celebrating the wonderful displays of the season through their art.
Coming soon –
Tomorrow,September 24, 2022, the guild has a workshop scheduled for members interested in creating subtle pieces of art using color pencil on slate tiles.
Color pencil on slate, copyright Mary Ann Jimenez
On Thursday, October 6, 2022, artist and illustrator Kelley Cappell will be sharing some of her thoughts about creating artwork for a variety of viewers using pen and ink and acrylic, as well as digitally. This program, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild is open to the public, free of charge.
Snow Leopard, pen and ink, copyright Kelley Cappell
October 10, 2022 is the last day for members to mail completed prospectuses for participating in the 2022 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum in November. More to come soon about the exhibit and Featured Artist Alice Wych.
Poster artwork by Alice Wych. Poster design by Jane Kellenberger.
Every Wednesday morning, a group of guild members meet at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum to chat, sketch, or enjoy the morning quiet at the Coffee and Art gathering. All guild members are invited to stop by.
Previous October pages in nature journal, copyright Linn Eldred
Members who would like to participate in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Schulenberg Prairie will be able to pick up an 8 x 8 canvas, board, or paper for the project at the Thornhill Education Center on September 24 during the Color Pencil on Slate Tile workshop or on the evening of October 6 at the Kelley Cappell presentation. Some types of supplies may be limited, so interested members may wish to contact Carol Balabanow for more information.
8 x 8 pieces from the Schulenberg Prairie, copyright Marlene Vitek (first two) and Maggie Mardis.
As always, click on the highlighted links for more information.
Garden at Cantigny Park. Photo credit Jane Kellenberger.
This Wednesday, September 7, 2022, the Nature Artists’ Guild’s paint-out at the gardens of Cantigny Park will take place from 9 am until noon. While members are encouraged to let Linn Eldred know they are attending, drop-ins are also welcome. The gardens and grounds at Cantigny Park are always wonderful and this year there is the added bonus of an exhibit of colorful large-scale sculptures by artists from Mexico City. Parking and admission will be free.
(Boards, canvases, or papers for the Schulenberg Praire anniversary project will be available at this paint-out if a request is made in advance to Carol Balabanow.)
Note – The weekly Art and Coffee gathering will not take place on this date.
Also coming soon –
On September 24, 2022 from 10 to 2, members can attend a volunteer workshop at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum to learn how to create artwork using color pencils on slate tiles. The tiles will be sold at the upcoming Autumn Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum with proceeds benefitting the guild. Tiles will be provided, but participants are asked to bring a few other supplies (details are in the August 3rd email sent to members.)
On October 6, 2022at 7 pm, Artist and Illustrator Kelley Cappell will share some of her experiences, inspirations, and techniques with the audience at the Thornhill Education Center. This program will be open to the public, free of charge. More about Kelley and her art coming soon.
October 10, 2022 will be the final date for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to mail their completed prospectuses for participating in the Autumn Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum in November. The link to the prospectus was emailed to all members on August 31. Much more about the exhibit and the Featured Artist, Alice Wych, to come.
Nature Artists’ Guild members who would like to participate in the Schulenberg Prairie anniversary project can still pick up an 8 x 8 canvas, board, or paper at any of the in-person guild events (including by request at the Cantigny paint-out and excluding the Wednesday Coffee and Art gatherings.) Members can also use their own surface, but the final artwork must be exactly 8 x 8 inches (and less than approximately a half inch deep) to fit into the display. Questions about the project can be emailed to Carol Balabanow.
A sample of some of the stunning artwork by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild at Gallery 200 in West Chicago throughout August 2022 –
Waldport, Oregon, copyright Ann LamoureuxFall Crocus, copyright Irena GintilasNova Scotia Coastline, copyright Patty KoenigsaeckerThree Tulips, copyright Linn Eldred22 Dwarfs – Snowdrops, copyright Patricia MroczkaPink Magnolia, copyright Marlene VitekIris, copyright Jill AdziaAllspice, copyright Irena GintilasQueen of the Night, copyright Linn EldredStar Gazer Lily, copyright Jill AdziaBirds Eye You, copyright Linda FairbanksWhite Magnolias, copyright Marlene VitekPlease click on any image for the full version. If the images do not display correctly on your device, click on the post title to visit the website.
Also coming soon –
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will demonstrating and talking with visitors about the guild at a table inside the Visitor Center during theWine and Art Walk at The Morton Arboretum this weekend, August 20 and 21, 2022.
The Wednesday morning Art and Coffee gatherings continue each week at 9 am. All Nature Artists’ Guild members are invited to drop by to share ideas, inspirations, or supplies, or simply relax and enjoy the morning.
More to come soon about a paint-out at the gardens of Cantigny Park on September 7, 2022 and a Color Pencil on Slate workshop for members on September 24, 2022.
Participants in this week’s Wednesday Morning Coffee and Art gathering can learn all about butterflies at a staffed interpretive station located just steps away in the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. The August hands-on exhibit focuses exclusively on butterflies and their habitats. All Nature Artists’ Guild members are invited to stop by to chat, sketch, simply enjoy the quiet of the morning, or even begin gathering reference material for the Schulenberg Prairie Anniversary Project.
Also ongoing or coming up –
The Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at Gallery 200 continues throughout the month of August. More examples of the wonderful artwork included in this exhibit will be coming soon.
Dining on Goldenrod, pastel, copyright Gary Chipman
This weekend, August 20 and 21, 2022, five members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be demonstrating various methods of creating nature art and answering questions about the guild at a table inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum during the annual Wine and Art Walk.
Detail of Moth pyrography, copyright Gail Diedrichsen
A project celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Schulenberg Prairie has begun. A paint-out has been scheduled for August 25, 2022, but members who wish to participate in the special exhibit can also choose to begin work on their own at any time. Each piece must be created at or inspired by the Schulenberg Prairie and have a finished size of 8 x 8 inches.
Prairie Mosaic (Ecology is Doxology AP2), Block Print, Copyright Carrie S. Carlson
As always, please click on the highlighted links for more information.
Initially, it may be difficult to understand the lure of the prairie, as it is not known for showy flowers, majestic trees, or rushing streams. Instead, the prairie reveals its peaceful beauty to its visitors slowly and quietly, until eventually, they understand. As traveler and author Eliza Steele wrote in 1840 –
I started with surprise and delight. I was in the midst of a prairie! A world of grass and flowers stretched around me, . . . We passed whole acres of blossoms, a carpet of every color intermixed, or narrow bands, as if a rainbow had fallen upon the verdant slopes. . .”
October sketchbook pages, copyright Karen Johnson. Karen completed these watercolor sketches at the Schulenberg Prairie in October, 2020.
This year, The Morton Arboretum celebrates the 6oth anniversary of the Schulenberg Prairie. From their website –
Begun in 1962, it now takes in more than 100 acres of restored tallgrass prairie, savanna, and wetland habitats, and has become an inspiration and model for similar restorations.
The first planting took place in 1963, and over the next few years, staff and volunteers planted not only seeds but more than 80,000 seedlings that Schulenberg and his staff had grown. With few other restorations to guide them, they devised techniques as they went along and used different ones in different areas.
Schulenberg attempted to replicate the former prairie—one of the first times such a restoration had ever been tried. He based his plans on what he could learn from the few scraps of tallgrass prairie that remained among the Chicago area’s highways and subdivisions.
Today, the prairie is regarded as a benchmark in the development of ecological restoration in Illinois.
When you wander the prairie paths in summer, you’re surrounded by swaying grasses and tall flowers alive with butterflies, bees, and birds.
The Nature Artists’ Guild is honored to participate in the anniversary celebration by creating artwork inspired by the Schulenberg Prairie for a special display at the Sterling Morton Library this November.
The project will begin with a paint-out at the Schulenberg Prairie on August 25 from 9 am until noon. Participants will be supplied with 8 x 8 artboards or paper to be used at the prairie or taken home to be used in the studio with their sketches, photos, or other sources of inspiration found at the prairie. Interested members can contact Carol Balabanow to be added to the list of participants to be notified with any paint-out updates. (Carol’s email address is in the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Yearbook.)
For members unable to attend the paint-out, the 8 x 8 boards and paper will also be available to be picked up at upcoming workshops and meetings. Members are welcome to use their own surfaces, but the final size must be 8 x 8 inches to fit into the display. No framing will be required by participants. The final works must be created at or inspired by the Schulenberg Prairie.
Shady Lakes, pastel, copyright Laverne Bohlin. Used with permission.
This week the members of the Nature Artists’ Guild –
Can still contribute to the upcoming Quarterly by sending images of their autumn-focused artwork to Jane Kellenberger. Images must be sent by today, August 1, 2022.
Can try out pastels at this week’s Coffee and Art Club on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 beginning at 9 am. A few basic supplies will be shared by fellow artists so that interested members can give the medium a try. There is hope that our program presenter for Thursday (and fellow member) Laverne Bohlin will join us for coffee and a chat. Timed-entry passes will be required (usually available the same morning.)
Can attend a program by renowned pastel artist Laverne Bohlin on Thursday, August 4, 2022. Laverne will share some of her techniques and inspirations beginning at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. Visitors and guests are welcome to attend this program free of charge and can let the gate attendant at the Arboretum know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill. Timed-entry passes are not required for this event.
Will open a new exhibit at Gallery 200 in West Chicago. A reception, complete with refreshments and open to all, will be held at the gallery on Friday, August 5, 2022 from 6 to 8 pm.
Will learn more about a project to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Schulenberg Prairie at The Morton Arboretum. Details are still being worked out and will be shared with members as soon as they are finalized. The Schulenberg Prairie is “one of the nation’s oldest and most successful prairie and savanna restorations.” – mortonarb.org
As always, please click on the highlighted links for more information.
Nature Artists' Guild 