Category: Meetings

Schedules, programs, news.

Landscapes in Charcoal by John Fleck on August 3, 2023

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Landscape in charcoal, copyright John Fleck

Charcoal, one of the world’s oldest drawing mediums, has been widely popular since the Renaissance.

John Fleck demonstrates why with his intriguing landscapes that show the depth and detail possible using only lights, darks, and midtones. He is able to create a variety of moods using only one medium and many values.

Landscape in charcoal, copyright John Fleck

John Fleck has shared his talents in a variety of media throughout his career (and will be teaching Art in Plein Air: The Prairie Large and Small beginning this Wednesday at The Morton Arboretum). The Nature Artists’ Guild is honored to sponsor a program by John on Thursday evening, August 3, 2023 from 7 until 9 at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

This program will be open to all, free of charge. There will be no charge for admission to The Morton Arboretum for this event, and visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild presentation to be directed to Thornhill.

Celebrating Summer with the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Tomato, copyright Lisa Kanellos

The Nature Artists’ Guild begins the season with gatherings and events to celebrate the special sights, sounds, and scents (as well as textures and tastes) of summer.

  • The exhibit at the McCord Gallery continues through July 7, 2023. More than 30 unique works of nature art created by Guild members adorn the walls of this historic gallery.
  • A paint-out at the recently opened Grand Garden of The Morton Arboretum has been planned for the morning of Wednesday, July 12, 2023 (rain date July 13). Interested members can register here and be added to the attendee list to receive email details and updates.
  • The August 3, 2023 program (open to all) sponsored by the Guild will feature multi-talented artist John Fleck from 7 until 9 pm. John will be sharing his methods and materials for creating landscapes in charcoal. More details to come soon.
  • Weekly Art and Coffee gatherings continue every Wednesday morning (except on days of paint-outs) at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum from 9 to 11:30. Members and guests are welcome to stop by and chat, sketch, or simply enjoy the quiet morning in a lovely atmosphere.

This and That for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Photo credit Anne and Charles Bouchard.

Now that members of the Nature Artists’ Guild have had time to experience some of the beauty and wonder (as well as yard work and gardening) that are all part of spring in Chicagoland, it is time to get back to creating and sharing some art!

Coming up for the Nature Artists’ Guild –

  • Registrations for participation in the upcoming special exhibit at the McCord Gallery are due by May 24, 2023 (just four days from now!) The prospectus and a link to the registration form were emailed to all members on April 29. The McCord Gallery, just half an hour from The Morton Arboretum, features a wonderful gallery space and is active in promoting their exhibits with a reception, postcards, and community outreach. For the first time, Nature Artists’ Guild members will be eligible to also register artwork not previously shown at the Arboretum (details here).
  • May 30, 2023 is the final day to visit the Guild’s exhibit at the Woodridge Public Library, More than thirty pieces of nature art by members of the Guild were exhibited in their gallery space for all visitors to the library to enjoy and be inspired by throughout the month.
  • On Thursday evening, June 1, 2023, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, guests, and visitors will meet at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum for the annual “Trio of Nature Artists” program featuring three members of the Guild demonstrating and discussing fascinating techniques they use for creating nature art. This event is open to the public, free of charge (details here).
  • Guild members are invited to a paint-out at a stunning private garden in Glen Ellyn on the morning of June 15, 2023. Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee will be offering coffee and scones to attendees to add to the enjoyment of what promises to be an idyllic morning. Members who would like to attend should notify Celia by email or by clicking here. Photos and details (scone flavors!) coming soon.
  • The weekly Art and Coffee gatherings continue to meet each Wednesday morning between 9 and 11 at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. All members of the Nature Artists’ Guild as well as those interested in hearing more about the Guild are welcome to stop by. The meeting place is absolutely surrounded by blooms this spring and when the weather permits, attendees can move outdoors to enjoy the sights, sounds, and scents of the morning.
  • It’s the perfect time of the year for Guild members to visit another location from the Joy’s Vision project to sketch or gather reference material. Joy Path (including the Fragrance Garden) will be particularly fetching.

A Trio of Nature Artists on June 1, 2023 at The Morton Arboretum

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It is an annual tradition for the Nature Artists’ Guild to invite three of its members to share some of their skills, methods, materials, and inspirations with fellow members and visitors at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

On Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 7 until 9 pm, Guild members Alice Wych, Cindy Franks, and Joe Rizzo will give short presentations on some of their favorite methods for creating nature art. Attendees will be able to ask questions, get an up-close view of the artists’ materials and artwork, and enjoy the wonderful opportunity to watch the artists’ at work.

This year’s Trio –

Mauvelous Mallow, copyright Alice Wych

Alice Wych will be sharing tips about techniques and materials she uses to create the glow of color pencil on a dark surface.

Sunflower, copyright Cindy Franks

Cindy Franks will be using stains to create subtle value changes resulting in stunning images on wood.

Yellow Canopy, copyright Joe Rizzo

Joe Rizzo will be sharing a fascinating technique in which he hand-crinkles masa paper and uses varied brush strokes to create “the illusion of water movement and textured surfaces.”

The public is invited to this presentation sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild free of charge. There is no fee for attendance, parking, or admission to the Arboretum for this event, and tickets are not necessary. Visitors can simply let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the presentation to be directed to the Thornhill Education Center.

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit at Woodridge Library throughout May 2023

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Poster artwork by Cheryl Holz

All are invited to stop in at the Woodridge Public Library during regular library hours to enjoy a special exhibit of nearly thirty works of art by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum. The exhibit will continue through the end of May 2023.

In other Nature Artists’ Guild news –

  • Guild members who have contributions for the summer issue of the Quarterly should email them to Jane Kellenberger by today, May 1.
  • There will be a gathering for Art and Coffee this Wednesday from 9 until 11 at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Members and their guests, as well as visitors wishing to learn more about the Nature Artists’ Guild, are welcome to stop by.
  • A prospectus for the special exhibit at McCord Gallery & Cultural Center was emailed to all members of the Nature Artists’ Guild on April 29. Completed registrations must be returned by May 24 (by mail or online with the link provided on the prospectus). More details to come.

Preserving and Presenting Artwork Workshop on March 21, 2023

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Photo credit Colbertcustomframing.com

On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 6:30 until 8 pm, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will have the opportunity to learn about preserving their artwork and presenting it in ways that will enhance, and never detract from, the viewer’s experience.

Colbert Custom Framing & Art Printing has more than thirty years of experience in matting, framing, and preserving fine art. Third generation owner Stephanie Colbert Randall has offered to share professional knowledge about preparing and presenting artwork and a tour of their production and warehouse areas at their facility (click here for a short video) in Naperville, Illinois.

Interested members should contact Terrie McComb by email or by clicking here to complete a registration form before March 19 to reserve a seat. Space is limited and recent Nature Artists’ Guild events have been filling quickly!

Reminders –

  • Registrations are being accepted by for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2023 Spring Art Exhibit through March 20, 2023. Links to the prospectus and an online registration form were emailed to members on February 20.
  • The Nature Artists’ Guild will be sponsoring a presentation by watercolorist Thomas Trausch next Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. This event will be open to the public, free of charge.
  • All spots have been filled for the paint-out at Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum on March 9, 2023 but a wait-list is available.
  • Coffee and Art gatherings take place each Wednesday morning between 9 and 12 at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Guild members and guests are welcome to stop by to sketch, chat, or sip!

We Just Can’t Wait!

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Leaning Tulips, copyright Patricia Mroczka

It’s that time of year when we just can’t wait …

– For the 2023 Spring Art Exhibit by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum, so we’ve posted above, and on the header, samples of artwork by the Featured Artist, Patricia Mroczka. Patricia, along with more than 50 other members of the Guild, will be displaying over 200 works of nature art on April 14, 15, and 16, 2023. A link for the prospectus will be emailed to members early next week.

– For the spring flowers to bloom, which is why we will have some purchased ones to share and sketch at the next gathering of Coffee and Art on Wednesday morning, February 22, 2023 beginning at 9 am (weather permitting) in the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Guild members and guests are welcome to stop by and spend a little time chatting, sketching, or enjoying the view.

UPDATE – We will have to wait for the spring flowers after all! The February 22 Art and Coffee gathering has been canceled due to the weather forecast.

– To get moving on the “Joy’s Vision” project, so Celia Rodee has announced a paint-out at Daffodil Glade at The Morton Arboretum in April, 2023, with the exact date and details to be determined (depending on the weather and bloom report.)

There is still time to renew membership or join the Nature Artists’ Guild for 2023 and receive a link to the prospectus for the Spring Art Exhibit.

Click here to read more about membership

Thomas Trausch’s Light and Color on March 2, 2023

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Selection of watercolors by Thomas Trausch. Copyright Thomas Trausch.

Award-winning watercolorist, illustrator, and instructor Thomas Trausch will be sharing some of his inspirations and techniques with members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and visitors on Thursday, March 2, 2023 from 7 until 9 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

Thomas’s work is included in numerous private, corporate, and public collections, and he has been exhibiting his work for more than 3o years. Often completed en plein air during his travels, Thomas’s watercolors are “driven by the use of both light and color … driving forces that add energy to the work.”

Guests and visitors are welcome to attend this presentation. Visitors can let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild program to be admitted to The Morton Arboretum and directed to Thornhill. There will be no charge for admission to the Arboretum, admission to the program, or parking for this event. No registration is required.

Coming Soon for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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The Nature Artists’ Guild is determined to add a little warmth and color to the cold and dreary days of late winter and early spring in Chicagoland.

  • This Thursday, February 2, 2023, members and guests of the Nature Artists’ Guild will have the opportunity to attend an online presentation by artist and author Amy Lindenberger beginning at 7 pm.
  • Next Thursday, February 9, 2023, a paint-out at the renowned Orchids by Hausermann will begin at 7 am. The promise of incredible color and warmth might be enough to convince artists to set their alarm. Registration is required and a few spots are still available.
  • From the tropics to the jungle! A paint-out is scheduled for Thursday, March 9, 2023 at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University. More details to come soon.
  • Nature Artists’ Guild members (and guests) can sketch nature while sipping a warm beverage inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum each Wednesday between 9 and 11:30 am at the Art and Coffee gatherings.

Also coming up soon for the Nature Artists’ Guild –

The “Joy’s Vision” project of creating 8 x 8 pieces of artwork for display at the guild’s autumn exhibit has begun. Participants who would like to include a snowy scene in any of their works still have time to visit The Morton Arboretum for inspiration and reference material! 8 x 8 surfaces (watercolor paper, pastel paper, and others) will be available at no charge at the March paint-out and future events. (Artists’ may also use their own surfaces, but the finished size must be 8 x 8 inches.)

Members who would be willing to share images of their spring artwork in the upcoming issue of the Quarterly (a members-only publication) should email them to Jane Kellenberger by February 3.

The workshop co-sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild featuring Heeyoung Kim is full, but artists who would like to see Heeyoung’s work along with the work of numerous other accomplished botanical artists, are invited to attend an “Artist Walkthrough” at the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods on February 5, 2023 from 1 to 3 pm.

An in-person presentation by watercolor artist Thomas Trausch will be held at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on Thursday, March 2, 2023 from 7 until 9 pm. Guests and visitors are welcome and more details will be coming soon.

There is still time to join the Nature Artists’ Guild and receive a prospectus for the upcoming 2023 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. The prospectus will be emailed to members on February 20, 2023.

Amy Lindenberger To Bring Color on February 2, 2023

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Anyone living in the Chicago region could certainly use some color about now, and the Nature Artists’ Guild’s guest speaker for February, Amy Lindenberger, who literally wrote the books (and magazines) on it, will bring it!

Many of Amy’s popular books give instruction on using colored pencils on different surfaces – black paper, clayboard, pastelmat, and watercolor paper. Her latest, Colors: A Workbook and Even More Colors: Workbook 2, provide guidance on using color in almost any medium (focusing on colored pencil) and cover “a range of skills for handling color, beginning with color perception – the ability see color accurately – and color analysis – the ability to classify a color according to its hue, value and intensity.”

The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud to present a live online meeting with Amy Lindenberger on Thursday, February 2, 2023 beginning at 7 pm. After her presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask Amy questions about color (and colored pencils) from the comfort of their own home. Guild members will receive a link for attending and instructions by email. Guests and visitors are also welcome to attend this online presentation and may request a link by using the contact form on our About page.

Note – The previously scheduled presenter, Lynne Railsback, asked to be rescheduled and the Guild looks forward to seeing Lynne and her wonderful work soon.