At one of our programs last fall, Patty Koenigsaecker’s date sticks were such a hit that we were asked to post the recipe on the blog! Click here for the recipe, just in time for holiday baking (you may also need to click on the recipe when it opens to increase the size).
Category: Meetings
Schedules, programs, news.
Some Reminders for the Coming Weeks
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!
Good Food and Fun at Holiday Party
It appears that everyone had a good time at the holiday party! It was a special treat to have former president and newest honorary member Mary Ingels surprise us with a visit. President Jill Adzia thanked all who have worked so hard in the last year, new officers were sworn in, raffle prizes were given out, and lots of good food and laughs were shared!
Holiday Party and Elections, December 2, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Sure, everyone is busy at this time of the year, but the Nature Artists’ Guild annual Holiday Party and Elections evening is worth adding to your calendar. After a few votes and some inspiring words by incoming or outgoing NAG officers, the party begins! Bring a dish to pass (there always seems to be an emphasis on desserts, which is certainly not a bad thing), and enjoy the chance to just chat with your fellow artists, catch up with old friends, or help new members feel welcome. You may win something in the raffle (if you would like to contribute a book, print or other item to the raffle, it would definitely be appreciated), or you can just cheer on your fellow members (somehow, there are always a lucky few who go home with a PILE of prizes). Guests are welcome to join us for this relaxing and fun way to kick-off the holiday season! The party will take place in the Founders’ Room at Thornhill, beginning at 7 pm.
Thoroughly Enjoyable Evening!
We got a little muddy, we experienced a little Zen, and we had a great time at the program last night!
Nancy Hart 
led us through the history of clay, inspired us with her beautiful work, and even walked us all through the tactile experience of silently molding clay with our eyes closed. As always, Nancy was so fun, interesting and informative. Thank you Nancy, for a thoroughly enjoyable evening!
The Art of Sculpture in Ceramics – Nancy Hart, October 7
While most of us have had the pleasure of meeting Nancy Hart (Stieber), many of us only know her as an always friendly, fun, and helpful fellow member of the Nature Artists’ Guild. What many of us don’t realize is that Nancy is also the retired Staff Artist of the Morton Arboretum and Curator of Rare Prints and Drawings at the Sterling Morton library, as well as the developer of the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program and the founder of our very own Nature Artists’ Guild! A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nancy has notable accomplishments in an incredible array of learning, teaching, designing, lecturing and exhibiting (including The Smithsonian Institution, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The New York Natural History Museum) activities.
Please join us as at the arboretum’s Thornhill Educational Center on Thursday, October 7 at 7:00 pm, as Nancy shares her enthusiasm as well as the challenges presented by her newest form of creative expression, the art of sculpture in ceramics. Her new third dimensional work is so different from her previous two dimensional work that Nancy reports that “to think of a piece from all sides at the same time makes my head hurt! But I love it!” She also loves the history around the human use of clay, which is “omnipresent” and “all wrapped up in the earliest of human endeavors”, as well as “the feel of clay at all stages”. Nancy’s love of her latest chosen art form is even more apparent in her statement that “It is almost alive as it changes from dust to the final beauty of artists’ creations”. Not only will Nancy bring examples of her work and discuss basic hand-building , but she will be bringing clay for each of us and guiding us through the formation of a tea bowl!
As always, refreshments will be served and guests and visitors are welcome!
Bring a Book, Take a Book – October 7th
How many of us have bought books that looked great at the bookstore, but just didn’t fit our expectations when we got them home? Or loved a book, but read it so many times that it is now committed to memory? Well, just because you will never again open your copy of Beginners’s Guide to Painting Insects in Pastel, doesn’t mean that you should just throw it away or waste your valuable shelf space. One of your fellow NAG members might find in it just the inspiration they’ve been looking for!
Our membership chair, Sylvia Tester has organized a book swap for our October 7th meeting featuring Nancy Hart (see story above). Sylvia notes that “many of us have a host of books about art and natural history”, and “the idea is to bring a book you have read and probably will not read again, and to take home a book that is new to you”. It is requested that the subject matter be limited to art, photography and natural history. We hope the book swap is a success that we can repeat in the future!
Nature Artists’ Guild Important Dates 2010
We’ve created a list of Nature Artists’ Guild important dates for the rest of 2010 (deadlines, exhibits, workshops, paint-outs, meetings). You could print it (on recycled paper, of course) and hang it in a prominent place for help with motivation to get drawing or painting -after all, you have an exhibit coming up!
Click here to open for reading or printing.
Holiday Exhibit Workshop Scheduled
The annual Holiday Exhibit Workshop is scheduled for September 25, 2010 Thornhill Room B from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm. Workshop coordinators Nancy T. and Sharon M. invite all members to “Join us to create one of a kind treasures for our Artisan Shop (fundraising table). We have gourds, wooden items, and a felting project, which is a new, fun thing for us. Our fabulous team of fabric artists will guide us through the felting project and we will have holiday fabric coasters to sew together- just 4 straight lines of stitching! We will show you how to make a transfer from your own artwork, which can be part of the design on a wooden piece. You just need to bring a color laser copy, which can be made at any office supply store. We will have 2” square mini canvases available to paint any way you want. Add a magnet or a pin back for a miniature, portable piece of art! Continue reading “Holiday Exhibit Workshop Scheduled”
Great Turn-out for Prismacolor Seminar!
Approximately 58 members and visitors turned out to enjoy our recent Prismacolor seminar conducted by Diana Garrett, who certainly did not disappoint! Between her friendly style, her demonstrations, tips, prizes, and samples, Diana kept the crowd enthralled. Thank you Diana, and we hope to have you back again soon!
