Click on image for more about Coffee and Art at The Morton Arboretum
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, guests, and interested artists are welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum to “sip and sketch” any Wednesday morning at 9 am (weather permitting).
These small and friendly gatherings usually last until about 11 am, and there are plenty of spots for participants to sit, either inside or out, with views of beautiful flowers, shrubs, a lake, trees, and wildlife.
Wednesday mornings are a wonderful time to visit the Arboretum, before the crowds and the heat of the day arrive. There is no charge or registration necessary to attend these casual get-togethers, but non-members of The Morton Arboretum will be required to pay an entry fee at the gate.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be welcoming the arrival of late spring and summer in a number of enjoyable ways –
Nature Artists’ Guild members are encouraged to share images of their summer-inspired artwork for the upcoming issue of the Nature Artists’ Quarterly. This members-only publication includes essays, book reviews, images, and news by and about Guild members. Submissions for possible inclusion in the Summer Quarterly can be emailed to Jane Kellenberger at the NatureArtNews gmail address by May 1, 2024 (Guild members only).
There is still time for members to register for the paint-out at Lilacia Parkscheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 9:30 am. Paint-Out Chair Celia Rodee will share details and updates by email with those registered, and share coffee and her delicious homemade muffins at the paint-out.
Artwork drop-off dates for this June and July’s Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the gallery of the Aurora Public Art Commission are approaching quickly. Registered exhibitors can park in the designated lot next to the building on May 24 between 2 and 4 or May 25 between 11 and 1, and take the elevator to the third floor to sign in their artwork. The exhibit opens on June 7, 2024 with a reception at the gallery (and a gathering at the studio of Exhibit Co-Chair Cheryl Holz) and continues through July 13.
Three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be discussing and demonstrating their inspirations, materials, and techniques at the June 6, 2024 program at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum at 7 pm. This program will be open to all, free-of-charge. Details will be coming soon.
Rachel Davis natural dyed fabrics and sketchbook details. Click on image for more of Rachel’s work.
The Nature Artists’ Guildis proud to sponsor a program featuring multi-talented artist Rachel Davis this Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.
Rachel Davis will finish teaching her class, Natural Dyes on Silk at The Morton Arboretum just one day before the Nature Artists’ Guild welcomes her back to the Arboretum to share some of her knowledge, inspirations, and tools and techniques with the Guild and visitors at Thornhill from 7 until 9 pm.
This program will be open to the public, completely free of charge. There is no requirement to be a member of the Arboretum or the Guild to attend, and there will be no fee for entering the Arboretum or for parking. Visitors can let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill.
Dyed and printed silk scarf, Rachel Davis
More for Nature Artists’ Guild members –
Posters and postcards for the 2024 Spring Nature Art Exhibit will be available at the March 7 program for members and visitors to take and share with their friends and local businesses or groups.
Any Guild member who has not already registered can drop off their completed prospectus and fee (cash or check) for the 2024 Spring Art Exhibit in person at the March 7 program. The final day to register (postmarked by, online, or in person) is March 8, 2024.
Members who would like to contribute items for the fund-raising raffle baskets can drop them off at the March 7 program. (A list of suggestions was recently emailed to members.)
Tomorrow at 7 pm, February 1, 2024, Claudia Lane will present ‘The Evolution of Botanical Art’ to members and guests of the Nature Artists’ Guild.
Guild members and guests were emailed a link to this online live presentation on January 25. Please click here to read more.
In other Nature Artists’ Guild news –
The Guild is now accepting reservations for the limited spots available at the upcoming paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann on the morning of February 8, 2024 from 7:30 to 10. This paint-out starts early so that participating artists can enjoy the greenhouse before the display area opens to the public for the day. Interested members can register here or contact Celia Rodee to be added to the email list for updates and details.
Guild members who would like to contribute artwork images for the Spring Quarterlycan do so by February 3. An email sent to members on January 26 has all the details.
The Nature Artists’ Guild continues to welcome new and returning members for 2024. Interested artists can join online or by mail (more details here) and be eligible to receive a prospectus (to be emailed late next month) for the upcoming Spring Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
Maidenhair Tree, Ginkgo biloba, female, copyright Claudia Lane. Used with permission. Click on the image to view more of Claudia’s work.
Botanical Art combines scientific observation and artistic expression. As a member of the Board of the American Society of Botanical Art, which has a membership of approximately 1850 botanical artists from all over the world, I do my best to promote this genre of art. – Claudia Lane
The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum is pleased to sponsor The Evolution of Botanical Art, an online presentation featuring Claudia Lane on February 1, 2024 at 7 pm.
Claudia’s personal artistic experiences, along with her involvement in the world of Botanical Art, have given her unique insights into its history and evolution to share with viewers in what promises to be an interesting and enjoyable evening.
This event will available live online to all (no recordings will be made). Allmembers of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be emailed a link shortly before February 1, and non-members can request a link by clicking here.
Update – Links for the presentation were emailed to members and guests on January 25. Requests for a link will be accepted through January 30.
Deer Morning, copyright Marybeth Devine. Click on the image above for a quick look at 2023 or scroll through this website for all the posts and images.
The Nature Artists’ Guild bids farewell to 2023 with fond memories of programs, paint-outs, parties, exhibits, and the friendship and support of fellow artists.
The Guild would like to welcome first-time and returning members to new opportunities to explore and share the appreciation of nature through art in 2024!
The Nature Artists’ Guild has a busy December ahead, with a party, handmade cards, and the beginning of an exhibit.Here is a quick look –
Guild members are invited to attend the annual Holiday Party at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on the evening of December 7, 2023. Members were recently emailed an invitation with all the details. (Reminder – tickets for the raffle will be available by cash or check only.) Volunteers are already hard at work making preparations for a lovely and enjoyable event!
December 7, 2023 will also be the last day for Nature Artists’ Guild members to register to participate in the fun and creative annual tradition of exchanging a handmade holiday card with a fellow artist. Details were emailed earlier this week, and members can complete this form to sign up. For those participants who would like to use them, blank white cards will be available, free of charge, at the Holiday Party. Here is a sample of the cards created for last year’s exchange.
The Nature Artists’ Guild is currently accepting new and renewing memberships for 2024. To be sure to receive all the benefits of membership for the entire year, artists can join or renew by December 31, 2023.
Did you know? If you received this post by email, you can always click on Nature Artists’ Guild at the upper right corner of the email to visit the website, where you can scroll through former posts, use the menu to view member artwork, check the Important Dates page, or use the Search bar to look up a name or keyword.
For the Nature Artists’ Guild, the unofficial beginning of autumn will be this week, when the prospectus for November’s Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum is emailed to all members.
The Guild is pleased to announce that the Featured Artist for the 2023 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit will be Joe Rizzo (much more about Joe and his work to come soon). The exhibit will include more than 200 works of nature art by approximately 50 members of the Nature Artists’ Guild. The exhibit postcard and posters, as well as many more details, will be coming soon.
Also coming this autumn –
A paint-out at the gardens at Cantigny is scheduled for Wednesday, September 6, beginning at 9:30 am. The gardens will still be blooming and beautiful for this event. All members are welcome to stop by any time that morning, but by registering here, they can be added to an email list for details and updates. There will be no charge for admission or parking for the paint-out.
A paint-out at Lake Marmo at The Morton Arboretum has been tentatively planned for October 4 at 9:30 am. Lake Marmo and its surroundings will be displaying the colors of fall and attendees might find inspiration to participate in the Joy’s Vision special display. A registration form for the paint-out and more details to come soon.
The Visiting Artist Workshop: Conceptual Landscapes in Watercolor with Bryce Lafferty on October 6, 7, and 8, 2023 at The Morton Arboretum is being co-sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild. (Guild members can receive an additional discount by registering by phone and confirming their membership.) Bryce will also be doing a presentation, free and open to all, on October 5, 2023 from 7 to 9 pm at the Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center. More details to come soon.
Wednesday morning gatherings,Art and Coffee, will continue each week throughout autumn (except for the days with paint-outs scheduled). Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and their guests are welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum between 9 and 11 am to chat, sketch, or enjoy a quiet morning in beautiful surroundings.
All are invited to visit the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 7 pm for a presentation by artist John Fleck.
At this program, John Fleck, a talented artist in a variety of media, will be sharing some of his techniques and inspirations for depicting landscapes in charcoal. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and view the artist’s work up close.
The presentation, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild, will be open to all, free of charge, from 7 until 9 pm. Visitors can let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the presentation to be admitted to the Arboretum and directed to Thornhill. There will be no charge for visitors to enter The Morton Arboretum, for parking, or for admission to the program. Plenty of seating will be available and light refreshments will be served.
On the following Thursday, August 10, 2023, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at the Gardens at Ball at 9:30 am for a few hours of drawing, painting, and photographing some of the colorful offerings of the display gardens of Ball Horticultural, one of the world’s largest seed and plant distributors. Guild members can register here and receive details and updates.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild (and those who would like to learn more about the Guild) are invited to drop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum for Art and Coffee on Wednesday mornings beginning at 9 to sketch or chat. The light is incredible and the views are lovely.
Jane Kellenberger will begin work in the coming weeks for the autumn issue of the the Guild’s members-only publication, the Quarterly. Members will receive an email soon with instructions for submitting photos and articles, due by August 1, 2023.
Nature Artists' Guild 