We have been receiving images of some of the holiday cards created by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild for 2021 and can hardly wait to share. The actual cards have also been mailed to their “secret” recipients, so we will wait for them all to be received and opened before posting any of the images – no spoilers here!
(There is still time for participating members to email an image of the card they created if they haven’t already done so.)
In the 35 years since the Nature Artists’ Guild was established, many of its traditions are still going strong, a few have fallen away, and some have just begun.
For most years in more than a decade, the Nature Artists’ Guild has secured the first exhibit of the year at the Downers Grove Public Library’s wonderful gallery. The tradition continues in 2022 and members can participate by returning their completed registration forms by Friday, December 10, 2021. Artwork must be dropped off by December 18, 2021.
Last year a new tradition began within the Nature Artists’ Guild when each of the participants created a hand-made holiday card to share with another member. This popular project continues in 2021, and those who would like to join in can contact Terrie McComb by Friday, December 3, 2021. Completed cards must be mailed by December 14, 2021.
Details for these events were emailed to 2021 Nature Artists’ Guild members on November 15, 2021. Members can check those emails for forms, names, dates, addresses, and more information.
Congratulations and thank you to the artists, volunteers, and arboretum staff who helped make the 2021 Nature Artists’ Guild Autumn Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum a success!
These images were shared by some of the participating artists. Individual images and information about contacting the artists can be found on the 2021 Autumn Art Exhibit page in the Member Artwork section of this website.
The trees and the members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are putting on their wonderful displays at the same time this year and timed-entry passes and tickets to The Morton Arboretum are disappearing quickly. Guest tickets are already sold-out for today (although some member tickets are still available.) Scheduled volunteers and reception guests will not require passes or tickets, and members will find all the details in a recent email.
This year’s Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit will be open to visitors for a full week to better accommodate the artists and volunteers as well as the guests. Even weekday passes and tickets may sell-out, so early ordering is recommended. The exhibit is free-of-charge with admission to The Morton Arboretum.
There will be leaves and landscapes, birds and bugs, maples and mushrooms, and much more in the 2021 Autumn Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be displaying nearly 150 works of art beginning Saturday, November 6, 2021 in the Cudahy Room of the Administration and Research/Sterling Morton Library building at The Morton Arboretum.
A small sample of the artwork to be exhibited next week in a variety of media, sizes, shapes, styles, and subject matter –
If the slideshow does not display correctly on your device, please click here to visit the website.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild who are participating in the 2021 Autumn Art Exhibit may want to finish up those details and get their piece to the framer. The exhibit is only two weeks away!
Artists should also remember to photograph their work. These photos will be useful for numerous reasons – for entering future competitions or exhibits, for sharing with friends and family, and for sharing on this website or in the Nature Artists’ Quarterly (a members-only publication of the Nature Artists’ Guild.)
Most phones take excellent photographs, but it would be worth it to take a peek at the instructions online if unfamiliar with the settings. Some phones have a default setting that will make colors more vivid, blur the background, or incorrectly adjust the lighting. Learning to avoid some of these issues by choosing appropriate settings before taking the photos can save a lot of time trying to correct them later. Professional photographers will often remind beginners to take many photos (changing settings or lighting in between.) This increases the odds that at least one of the photos will accurately represent the artwork (or require less editing.)
We will post a few photos of the exhibit artwork as a preview on this website in the coming weeks and the rest after the exhibit closes. Guild members will receive an email soon with instructions for submitting images.
Please share the exhibit postcard with friends and family! Exhibit postcards and posters will also be available for guild members to pick up at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum at the October 7, 2021 meeting. The exhibit is open to all visitors to the arboretum.
Learn more about Jill Adzia, Featured Artist of the 2021 Autumn Art Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum
Thistle, copyright Jill Adzia
Summer may be coming to an end soon, but nature artists still have time to enjoy the beautiful weather while beginning to prepare for the colder months. (As always, please click on the highlighted links for more information and important details.)
Links to the prospectus for the Autumn 2021 Exhibit have been emailed to all members. This long-awaited in-person exhibit at The Morton Arboretum in November 2021 will have extended hours to better accommodate artists and visitors. Much more about this exhibit and Featured Artist Jill Adzia will be coming soon.
A paint-out at the Peck Farm Park is scheduled for Friday, September 10, 2021. The park’s Butterfly House closes soon, so it may be one of the last chances to capture an image of these beauties this year!
Tuesday Morning Coffee Club gatherings continue at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum every week beginning at 9 am. All members are welcome to stop by but will need a timed-entry ticket to enter the arboretum.
Online workshops by Visiting Artist Betsy Rogers-Knox and one of the guild’s own talented members, Carrie Carlson, are open for registration at The Morton Arboretum. Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will receive an additional discount for the Visiting Artist class if they register by phone and mention their guild membership.
The presentation of Seeds of Inspiration at the previous Nature Artists’ Guild program was a hit and we’re sharing it here for all those who missed it (or want to see it again.) We aren’t able to share the fun and fascinating narrative and discussion from the program, but the slideshow put together by Terrie McComb using members’ artwork does an excellent job of illustrating the Seeds of Inspiration experience.
There was humor, fascination, frustration, and joy in the sketches, works-in-progress, and finished pieces, but mostly there was a sense of each artist’s appreciation for the wonders and inspirations of nature.
Each piece of art in the presentation is copyrighted by the artist. All rights reserved.
Nature Artists' Guild 