Category: Exhibitions

The Nature Artists’ Guild Starts Planning for the New Year!

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Great news!  The board and committee members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are already busily planning some of next year’s events, and we have a sneak peek of some that are coming up within the next few months!

Our first program of the new year will feature artist Scott Harding, on February 7, 2013.  Of course, we’ll have our special exhibit at Downers Grove Library in January, we’ll be visiting Hausermann’s Orchids for a paint-out in February,  and we can look forward to a fascinating presentation by one of our own members, Carol Jean Rogalski, at our March meeting.

There is also talk of a “open studio” event at Thornhill, where natural objects will be provided as subject matter, and an instructor will be on-hand for questions or assistance.

Please check your next issue of the Quarterly or check back here in the upcoming months for all the details.

Calling All Nature Artists!

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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.  

A Few Very Important Reminders!

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You may have noticed our lovely new header, which is a detail of a painting by our Nature Artists’ Guild Holiday Exhibit Featured Artist, Nancy Pienta Thyfault. Please click on the “Current Featured Artist” tab above to enjoy more of Nancy’s wonderful work and to learn more about her!

Speaking of our Holiday Exhibit, tomorrow (Saturday, September 29, 2012) is the last day to send in your completed prospectus if you plan to participate. If you are a current member, you should have received your prospectus by mail or e-mail in late August.  Please contact one of the Exhibit Co-Chairs, Barb Denny or Karen Johnson (you can find their contact information in your Yearbook) if you have any questions.

Next Thursday, October 4, 2012, the Nature Artists’ Guild is very honored to welcome award-winning watercolor artist Heeyoung Kim, presenting “Science of Watercolor Brushstrokes”.  It promises to be a very exciting and informative program, and we hope to see everyone there (guests and visitors are welcome)! Please scroll down to read more about Heeyoung and her artwork.

Nature Artists’ Guild Prepares for a Busy Autumn!

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This cooler weather (finally) reminds us that autumn is right around the corner, and it will be a busy season for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!

In the next few weeks and months, there will be an exciting new paint-out opportunity (The Beard Garden),  instructions will be sent out for participating in the 2013 Nature Artists’ Guild calendar project, a workshop has been scheduled for our Holiday Exhibit fundraising, and not too far off, is our popular Holiday Exhibit itself!  Featured at this exhibit will be the wonderful artist and one of our hardest working guild members, Nancy Thyfault.

Check back soon for more about all of these upcoming events, and to read about Nancy and see some of her beautiful artwork!

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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).