Category: Meetings

Schedules, programs, news.

Busy, Busy, Busy, But Don’t Forget Your Art!

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We understand how busy our members are, especially with the beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying, but don’t forget to set aside a little time for your art!   We have a number of exciting events coming up for our Nature Artists’ Guild members, so you may want to mark your calendars. More details about these events will be posted and e-mailed to members as the dates approach.

  • On Sunday, July 20, 2014, please join Nature Artists’ Guild members and Morton Arboretum Photographic Society members at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S. Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, Il, for an artists’ reception from 2 until 4 pm. Don’t forget, your fellow artists are some of your most loyal supporters, and they need your support, too!  Plus, we hear that those MAPS photographers are a lively bunch, and it promises to be a fun gathering.  The public is invited to attend, so please feel free to bring some friends or family members.
  • On Thursday, August 7, 2014, from 7 until 9 pm at Thornhill, three Nature Artists’ Guild artists, Peggy McGahan, Charlotte Doyle Leavitt and Mary Ann Jiminez, will share some of their techniques and tips.  This is a great chance to see fellow artists at work and pick up some new techniques.  As always, guests and visitors are welcome!
  • On Tuesday, August 12, 2014, Nature Artists’ Guild members will meet about 9 am at the gorgeous garden of Catherine Donovan in LaGrange, Il.  Please let Carol Jean Rogalski know if you’d like to attend.
  • On Tuesday, September 9, 2014, at 9 am, Tanner Musso of Hinsdale, IL, will host Nature Artists’ Guild members in her garden for the first time.  Please contact Carol Jean Rogalski if you’d like to attend this wonderful new paint-out.

Botanical Artist Heeyoung Kim Interviewed by Chicago Tonight

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Nature Artists’ Guild members may remember Heeyoung Kim from the wonderful presentation she gave to our group last year.   A few days ago, Heeyoung was interviewed by WTTW’s Chicago Tonight.

You can view the interview with Heeyoung, as well as read about her personal crusade to paint and preserve 200 native plants, and be treated to a slide show of her work, by clicking on this link to the WTTW website.

Presenting Sterling Morton Library Treasures on June 5, 2014

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Nature Artists’ Guild members will have a wonderful and rare opportunity to view some of the treasures of the Sterling Morton Library’s Botanical Art Collection at our meeting on Thursday, June 5, 2014 from 7 until 9 pm.  The presentation, by Library Collections Manager Rita Hassert and Art Collection Assistant and Nature Artists’ Guild member Arlene Widrevitz, will take place in the Sterling Morton Library.

According to Arlene, we can look forward to a glimpse of contemporary as well as seventeenth century artwork.  “The new acquisition by the French artist Pancrace Bessa will be featured, as well as work by artists Barbara Regina Dietzsch, Pierre Joseph Redoute, Nancy S. Hart, Julie Sutter-Blair and many others.”

Please follow the links below for more information about each artist and to preview examples of their work (not necessarily those in the Sterling Morton Library collection).

As always, guests and visitors are welcome to join us at this program.  Please enter The Morton Arboretum at the main entrance and let the gatehouse attendant know you are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild presentation.  There is no fee for attendance or parking.

Busy June for Nature Artists’ Guild Members

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We realize that June is already a very busy month for many Nature Artists’ Guild members, but the wonderful activities the Guild has planned may entice you to consider setting aside a few hours for the following –

  • Your completed prospectus for the upcoming Bloomingdale Park District Museum exhibit is due on Thursday, June 5, 2014.
  • We will be treated to a rare glimpse of some of the Sterling Morton Library’s treasures at our program on Thursday, June 5, 2014 from 7 pm until 9 pm (in the library).
  • Our next paint-out is being held at the gorgeous Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook, Illinois on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 from 9 am until noon.

Check your e-mail, your Quarterly, or here for more details in the upcoming weeks!

Special Members-Only Presentation by Bird Artist Linda Feltner Next Thursday, April 3, 2014

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Nature Artists’ Guild members are invited to to attend a presentation by award-winning wildlife artist Linda Feltner on Thursday, April 3, 2014 from 7 to 9 pm at Thornhill.   Linda will be focusing on birds during this special presentation for members only.

To read more about Linda and to view some of her wonderful artwork, please visit her website, lindafeltner.com.

 

Linda’s experiences span more than 32 years painting and drawing, 25 years as a natural history guide, 23 years working one-on-one with clients to design interpretive graphics and 16 years as sole-proprietor of her business. She has been an instructor for the Scientific Illustration Program with the University of Washington, North Cascades Institute, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute.

Prairie Trails and Country Garden Watercolors by Beverly Behrens, March 6, 2014

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Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be welcoming Spring a bit early this year, with Botanical Artist Beverly Behrens on Thursday, March 6, 2014, from 7 until 9 pm, at Thornhill.

Beverly uses graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor to create lovely works of art from the garden and from the wild.   Beverly’s presentation for the Nature Artists’ Guild, Prairie Trails and Country Garden Watercolors will  take us on a tour of her life from “early years on the western prairie of South Dakota to today and the Middlefork Savanna of Illinois”. We will also be treated to a glimpse of Beverly’s layered watercolor technique.

Beverly is a member of numerous art organizations, the recipient of many awards, and is represented by galleries in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.  Please visit her website, countrygardenwatercolors.com to view some of her wonderful work.

We look forward to sharing the evening with Beverly and her artwork!  As always, guests and visitors are welcome to attend.  There is no charge for admission.

Please click on any image below to enlarge.  All artwork is copyrighted by Beverly Behrens and is used with permission.

Sunflower, ©Beverly Behrens, Used With Permission
Red Bud, ©Beverly Behrens, Used With Permission
Muscadet Lily, ©Beverly Behrens, Used With Permission
Milkweed, ©Beverly Behrens, Used With Permission
Middlefork Savanna – Summer, ©Beverly Behrens, Used With Permission

Our First Program of the Year Features Wonderful Nature Artist Robert Pennor

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The Nature Artists’ Guild of the Morton Arboretum welcomes Landscape and Nature Artist Robert Pennor as our first presenter of the year on Thursday, February 6, 2014 from 7 pm until 9 pm.

Robert will be sharing some of his techniques for creating beautiful landscape, animal and nature scenes in acrylic.  A graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, Robert spent many years working as a graphic designer and illustrator in New York and Connecticut.  He now lives in the Chicago area and devotes his creative energy to painting the landscape and nature.  Robert is a member of the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society, and is represented by the Brigantine Gallery in Downers Grove, IL.

Please visit Robert Pennor’s website, robertpennorgallery.com to view some his wonderful work.

As always, guests and visitors are welcome to join us.  The program is free of charge and the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum will direct you to the correct location.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Join Us Before January 20, 2014 for a Wonderful Exhibit Opportunity

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Here is a little extra incentive for those who have been considering joining us, but haven’t quite gotten around to doing so.   If you send in your membership dues to the Nature Artists’ Guild by January 20, 2014, you will be eligible to receive a prospectus for participation in our Spring Exhibit.

Our Spring Exhibit will take place from April 4 to April 6, 2014, coinciding with the arrival of many of The Morton Arboretum’s spring blooms!  Just think of all those winter-weary visitors that will be eager to get a glimpse of green, both outdoors on the Arboretum grounds, and indoors at our wonderful exhibit of Nature Art.  Our Nature Artists’ Guild three-day exhibits at The Morton Arboretum normally attract nearly 1000 art and nature-loving visitors.

Of course, your Nature Artists’ Guild membership will also be your ticket to our programs, paint-outs, participation in exhibits (including a new group exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum this summer) and holiday party.  You will also receive our publication, The Nature Artists’ Quarterly, which features member artwork as well as announcements and articles about Nature Art.  Please click on the following link to view the Nature Artists’ Guild membership application.

The Nature Artists’ Guild board has been busy planning, scheduling and preparing for a busy (and fun) year – check back here soon for more details.

We look forward to meeting you!

The Holidays Are On Their Way

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Paulette McDermott’s lovely holly branch reminds us that the holidays are right around the corner!

Our Social Chairperson, Gail Diedrichsen has been doing a wonderful job coordinating the upcoming Nature Artists’ Guild Holiday Celebration, which will take place on Thursday evening, December 5th, 2013 at Thornhill.  Please plan on arriving between 6 and 6:30 pm so you will have some time to help set up food and chat with your fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members before the festivities begin.

All Nature Artists’ Guild members and their guests are welcome, but please RSVP to Gail if you haven’t already confirmed, so she can get an estimate of the number of attendees.   Gail’s phone number and e-mail address can be found in your Yearbook.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Holly © Paulette McDermott
Holly © Paulette McDermott

Upcoming Nature Artists’ Guild Program at the Sterling Morton Library

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The October 3, 2013 meeting  of The Nature Artists’ Guild will take place at the Sterling Morton Library from 7 until 9 pm, where Library Collections Manager, Rita Hassert and Art Collections Assistant (and Nature Artists’ Guild member), Arlene Widrevitz will be donning their white cotton gloves to present us with a selection of artwork from the Sterling Morton Library’s rare print collection.

Tony Tyznik, Artist and Landscape Architect for The Morton Arboretum for over forty years, will also be joining us to speak about his experiences in creating his amazing pen and ink illustrations on the grounds of the arboretum.

Please click on the following links to find out more about the Sterling Morton Library’s rare print collection, to see a sample of Mr. Tyznik’s artwork, and to read more about Mr. Tyznik.

As always, guests and visitors are welcome, and the program and parking are free.  Please tell the gate attendant that you are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild Program, and they can direct you to the library.

Mr. Tony Tyznik at Nature Artists' Guild of The Morton Arboretum Program, October, 2013
Mr. Tony Tyznik at Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum Program, October, 2013. Photo credit Kathy Wagner

Update – The program was a resounding success.  We had a full house at Sterling Morton Library, and although Arlene and Rita did wonderful presentations, the “star of the show” was definitely Mr. Tony Tyznik.  He kept us captivated with his charming stories and generously allowed his drawing tools and artwork to be shared for close-up views.  A recurring theme in Mr. Tyznik’s narrative was his gratitude towards those mentors throughout his life, from his early teachers to Suzette Morton, who encouraged him in his artistic path.