Category: Meetings

Schedules, programs, news.

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.

Artist Trio Presentation, August 1, 2013

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On August 1, 2013, from 7 pm until 9 pm at Thornhill, three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will share their inspirations and techniques with us.

Attendees will divide into three smaller groups, which will rotate through the three presentations. This gives us all a great opportunity to get closer looks, ask more questions, and engage with the artists in a way not possible with a larger group. The three talented artists who will be generously sharing their talents with us are –

Jane Doherty – Western Marbling

Karen Johnson – Polymer Clay Patterns: Botanicals and Insects

Ed Cook – Landscapes

Please join us for what promises to be a fun, inspirational and educational meeting! Guests and visitors are welcome.  Visitors,  please just let the attendant at The Morton Arboretum gate know that you are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild meeting.

You Didn’t Miss It, Did You?

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We had a great time at the meeting last evening!  Our presenter, the wonderful Peggy Macnamara wowed us with her paintings, and her hilarious stories left us both entertained and encouraged.   Thank you, Peggy!  We will be sure to let everyone know when Peggy’s book-signing at The Morton Arboretum is scheduled.

We would also like to thank all of the guests that attended!  We hope you enjoyed the program and will consider returning.  We’d love to have you as a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild, so that you would have the chance to not only attend programs, but to participate in paint-outs, exhibitions, workshops and social events.  Please click the Membership Application tab above for more details.  Artists of all levels of ability are welcome.

Photographs are courtesy of Kathy Wagner, and all artwork is the property of Peggy Macnamara.

Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum has Joined Meetup.com!

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Meetup.com is a website that brings people with common interests together, and we are hoping to attract some nature art enthusiasts in the area to the Nature Artists’ Guild.  Click here to see what it’s all about, and while you are there, click on the Find a Meetup Group tab at the top of the page.   You just may find a few wonderful groups that share your interests!

(More Than) A Few of our Favorite Things! Peggy Macnamara on June 6, 2013 at Thornhill

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Wonderful, talented and fun artist and teacher Peggy Macnamara, will be joining us for a demonstration, a discussion, and a book-signing on June 6, 2013 from 7 until 9 pm.   Peggy’s latest book,  The Art of Migration:  Birds, Insects and the Changing Seasons in Chicagoland  is not scheduled for release until early July,  but if you already have any of her other three books, please bring your copy to the meeting for Peggy’s signature.

The Art of Migration by Peggy Macnamara

Peggy is the Artist in Residence and has eighteen of her works on permanent display at the Field Museum, is a Professor at the Chicago Art Institute, and is the author of four books.  Many members of the Nature Artists’ Guild know Peggy as a favorite instructor in the Botanical Illustration program at The Morton Arboretum, as well as a wonderful  source of inspiration.

This would also be a great opportunity to invite friends and fellow artists who are not currently members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to one of our programs.  We know they’ll enjoy it!

Please visit Peggy’s website at www.peggymacnamara.com to learn more about Peggy, as well as to view photos and videos of Peggy and her artwork.

Goldfinch © Peggy Macnamara 2013. Image used with permission of the artist.
Goldfinch © Peggy Macnamara 2013. Image used with permission of the artist.

Workshop and Framing Demonstration this Saturday, March 23, 2013

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This year’s workshop for the Artisan Shop at the Spring Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be very special.  Not only will we be creating items for our fundraising table at the upcoming exhibit, (please bring acrylics, brushes and a water container, as well as sketches or reference materials in your choice of subjects from nature), we will also have the chance to learn about framing from professional framer (and member), Evelyn Grala! Picture Framing

From 9:30 until noon, we can work on our handmade items for the exhibit, and then from 1 pm until 3 pm, Evelyn will show fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members – how to choose frames that will enhance your artwork, how to creatively re-use frames, how to choose standard frame sizes for ease and economy, the do’s and don’ts in preparing for an exhibit, and finally, a framing demonstration for the “do-it-yourself” artists!

If you can’t stay for the whole workshop, please stop in any time between 9:30 am and 3 pm, work as little or as much as you like, or even take an item home to work on. The workshop takes place on Saturday, March 23, 2013 in Classroom C at Thornhill.

Update – Please enjoy these photos, thanks to Carol Carls, of the Spring Workshop participants hard at work!

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Illumination

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Ranunculus, © Carol Jean Rogalski, Watercolor and 23k gold on Vellum
Ranunculus, © Carol Jean Rogalski, Watercolor and 23k gold on Vellum

 On March 7, 2013 at 7 pm in Thornhill, we will have the pleasure of attending a program by one of our own members, Carol Jean Rogalski, as she shares with us the history and techniques of Illumination. 

Prior to the development of the printing press, original illustrations were used to enhance medieval manuscripts.  These glowing  illustrations included the use of silverpoint, egg tempera and illumination with gold on vellum.  Carol Jean Rogalski has spent years traveling to museums to view these early examples of illustration, while also learning and practicing these early techniques. She recently completed a techniques demonstration for the ASBA at The Chicago Botanic Garden in October, 2012.

Many of you may know Carol Jean as an instructor in The Morton Arboretum’s Botanical Art and Illustration program, and may have seen examples of her stunning illuminations in our Nature Artists’ Guild exhibits.  You may also remember Carol Jean as one of the three short–program demonstrators at our “Artist Trio” event last summer.

There has been so much interest in and fascination with Carol Jean’s artwork and techniques that we have asked Carol Jean to return for a full-length program that you won’t want to miss!