Just for fun, let’s see what really goes on with members of the Nature Artists’ Guild a week before an exhibit. Please check one of the three choices below and click on the vote button (don’t worry, we don’t know who you are)! No matter where you fit on the spectrum, don’t forget that the drop-off evening is less than a week away (next Wednesday, April 6, 2011)!
Please click on the Featured Artist tab above to read more about Kathleen and to see more of her artwork.
Don’t’ miss the Spring Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum on April 9th and 10th, where you will see much more of Kathleen’s artwork as well as that of about fifty other members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!
The Canterbury Shoppe’s spring exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild is upand looking great! Everything spring-related, from bulbs to birds are beautifully represented by our group of talented artists. Please take a few minutes one afternoon to stop by and enjoy the exhibit, at 43 E. Jefferson, Naperville, IL 60540. The phone number is 630-717-5005, and the shop is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 6, Thursday from 10 to 8, and Sunday from 11 to 3.
In addition to the original artwork and fine-art prints, there are cards, jewelry and decorative items for sale, all created by Nature Artists’ Guild members! Be prepared to possibly make a day of it, though. When you leave the Canterbury Shoppe, the scents of the area restaurants and the sight of all the other unique shops in downtown Naperville are hard to resist!
This is just a reminder of a few deadlines coming up –what a busy month for Nature Artists’ Guild members!
This Friday, February 18, the prospectus for the Canterbury Shoppe Spring Exhibit is due, and Saturday, March 5, the prospectus for The Morton Arboretum Spring Exhibit is due. Saturday, February 26 is the day to drop off and pick up your artwork at the Canterbury Shoppe. (You should have received instructions for both exhibits either through e-mail or mail. If you haven’t received them, please leave a comment below, and we’ll make sure to get them to you.)
These are both great exhibit opportunities for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild – the arboretum exhibit alone attracts up to 1000 visitors over the weekend. Do you have a few drawings or paintings newly completed or almost completed? Maybe some that have been sitting around for a while waiting for a new wave of inspiration or just waiting to be framed? Now is a great time to finish them up and get them hung! We look forward to seeing your latest work!
If you’ve attended Botanical Art classes at the The Morton Arboretum, you’ve probably had the chance to see some of the rare prints and original artwork from the impressive collection held by The Sterling Morton Library.
The Nature Artists’ Guild recently made a donation to the arboretum to show our gratitude and to help contribute to their mission. Our donation late last year was used by the library to purchase some contemporary artwork to add to their collection. As Arlene Widrevitz, of the Rare Print Collection writes,
“The newest acquisitions in the Print Collection of The Sterling Morton Library were purchased with funds donated by The Nature Artists’ Guild.
Winter Portrait: Asclepias syriaca by Karen Johnson is an example of scratchboard art. The scratchboard technique is normally associated with the use of ink, but here, Karen has created a black and white image with graphite. This original piece features dried milkweed pods with the seeds escaping against a prairie background.
Sacred Union by Kimberly Mullarkey is an example of her delicate colored pencil work on a black background. The image is an imaginative combination of an insect with one wing outspread superimposed over the human skeleton.
Amanita muscaria and Russula Bouquet II by Alexander “Sasha” Viazmensky represent his work in watercolor. Sasha specializes in portraying the mushrooms that he finds in the woods near his home in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sasha recently taught a class in mushroom painting here at the Arboretum, which was very popular with his students and everyone who was able to see his work and that of his class. Amanita muscaria is an original in watercolor and Russula Bouquet II is a print of his watercolor work.
These works will be available for viewing in classes that feature these techniques. Also, anyone can make an appointment to view these artworks or any others here in the library. We do enjoy showing off our collections!”
The Nature Artists’ Guild calendar is already full of exciting exhibits, programs, workshops and paint-outs for next year. Please click on the “Important Dates” tab above to see the updated list. As there are a number of dates “to be announced” and details to be added, remember to check back often for updates!
As busy as you may be at this time of the year, there are just a few more Nature Artists’ Guild events you may still want to work into your schedule –
Share a cup of good cheer, and support your fellow artists at the Canterbury Shoppe Nature Artists’ Guild gallery for a “Meet the Artist” open house between 1 and 4 on Saturday, December 11, or at one of the artist demonstrations in December (see schedule here).
Don’t forget about the deadline for mailing your prospectus for the Downer’s Grove Library exhibit on December 17! It’s a nice venue for displaying your artwork. Please contact Paulette if you have misplaced the prospectus that was e-mailed last month.
Save the date of January 15th for our popular annual Jurica paint-out. More details to come!
Jill, Paulette, and Fran, after much deliberation and re-arranging, have put together a lovely display of the work of the artists participating in the Canterbury Shoppe Winter Exhibit. Over 40 pieces of outstanding artwork were hung, and numerous plates, boxes, tiles, pendants, cards and ornaments were carefully arranged in our gift section. Canterbury Shoppe owner Pamela Patton and her staff were helpful and gracious as always, even in the face of our barrage of requests for scissors, ladders, tacks, and picture hangers!
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The Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit area at the Canterbury Shoppe seems ideal for our artwork. The open area with bamboo floors, high ceilings, cream-colored walls, track-lighting, and even some exposed brick walls all contribute to the “gallery” effect and the location is excellent!
If you happen to be in the Naperville area doing some holiday shopping, be sure to stop in, or even better, stop by our “Meet the Artist” open-house on Saturday, December 11 any time between 1 and 4, or stop by one of our artist demonstrations in December (schedule below). You may find some unique holiday gifts or be inspired to participate in the upcoming Spring Exhibit! The Canterbury Shoppe is located at 43 East Jefferson Avenue in Naperville, IL.
Schedule
Denise Fisk – Saturday, December 4, 12 to 2 pm, Acrylic
Artists’ Reception Open House, Saturday, December 11, 1 to 4 pm
Karen Wahlers, Sunday, December 12, 12 to 2 pm, China Painting
Don Castro, Wednesday, December 15, 1 to 3 pm, Pen and Ink
Denise Fisk – Saturday, December 18, 12 to 2 pm, Acrylic and Oil
Bob Sunyog, Sunday, December 19, 12 to 2 pm, Wood Burning Art
Congratulations to all of the Nature Artists’ Guild members who planned, worked at, demonstrated in, contributed to and participated in the 2010 Holiday Exhibit! The show was a resounding success, with excellent attendance (in spite of the weather and the Bears game on Sunday!) Over two hundred visitors attended Friday evening’s Artists’ Reception and the show brought in about seven hundred visitors over the course of the weekend, including the press (click here for story)!
The record number of show participants really contributed to creating an outstanding show, and numerous compliments were received from visitors on the beautiful artwork and the quality of the show presentation. Our Artisan Shop had a great selection of quality hand-made merchandise, and sales were brisk!
Special thanks are extended to the exhibit Co-Chairs, Laverne Bohlin and Sharon Malec, our featured artist Susan Vogel, demonstrators Maggie Mardis, Bob Sunyog, Mary Ann Jimenez, Charlotte Doyle Leavitt and Linn Eldred, Publications Chair Evelyn Grala, Artisan Shop Chair Nancy Thyfault, and Evalyn Holy for presenting us with all the delicious food on Friday evening.
Nature Artists' Guild 