The first online meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild is just a few days away, on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 7 pm. Members of the Guild were e-mailed instructions on July 26 for joining the meeting. The initial set-up can be done any time ahead of the meeting, and while simple to do, may take a few minutes. Then, at meeting time, participants can just click on the link and enter the password specified in their e-mail. A phone number and password is also given for those who would prefer to just listen in.
The seven artists who have agreed to share some of their recent creative experiences are Dan Danielson, Linn Eldred, Vicki Liszewski, Kathi Kuchler, Beata Nowak, Marilyn Peretti and Evalyn Holy. While we don’t have specifics for each artist’s upcoming presentation, we can tell from artwork that they’ve shared in the past that we can expect a wonderful variety of media, styles and subject matter!
A few examples of previously shared works by some of these artists (please click on any image for the full version and artist’s name) –
Owl, copyright Evalyn Holy
Pink Orchids and Stick, copyright Kathi Kuchler
Colorful Iris, copyright Linn Eldred.
Ant, copyright Dan Danielson
Soft Moons of the Forest, watercolor, copyright Marilyn Peretti
Red Bud, copyright Linn Eldred
Coneflowers, copyright Vicki Liszewski
My Red Pears, watercolor, copyright Marilyn Peretti
The Nature Artists’ Guild has a tradition of inviting three of its talented members to present their inspirations, materials, and methods to fellow members during the annual August meetings. This year, that “Artist Trio” will be expanded to an “Artist Octet” (or more) as the meeting moves to an online format.
So far, seven members of the Nature Artists’ Guild have agreed to share some of their artistic experiences. We can look forward to hearing from Dan Danielson, Linn Eldred, Vicki Liszewski, Kathi Kuchler, Beata Nowak, Marilyn Peretti and Evalyn Holy on the evening of Thursday, August 6, 2020beginning at 7 pm.
Fly, copyright Dan Danielson.
Guild Members will be receiving an e-mail soon with details and instructions for “attending” the online meeting. Any additional members interested in sharing their recent art experiences should contact Linda Fairbanks.
The Morton Arboretum will be re-opening soon (with certain limitations), but unfortunately, the springtime display of redbuds, daffodils, and trilliums is nearly over. Some members of the Nature Artists’ Guild have generously shared their artwork from previous springs at the Arboretum, reminding us of the beauty we can look forward to enjoying again in future years.
Springtime is wonderful at The Morton Arboretum. The wildflowers and daffodils in bloom, turtles climbing onto logs to soak up some sun, and the reflections of the redbuds over Lake Marmo are some of the most memorable sights of the year.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum are invited to contribute images of their artwork depicting Springtime at The Morton Arboretum to share on this website. The artwork can be in any medium, and does not have to be new, but should be directly inspired by the sights, sounds, scents, textures, or tastes of spring at The Morton Arboretum.
All images should be e-mailed to Denise Fisk (whose contact information can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Yearbook) by next Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Up to three images may be sent (with titles), but depending on the total number of submissions, not all may be used.
The final submissions for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s There’s No Place Like Home page have been added. Please click on this link to see the latest contributions. Thank you to all of the artists that have shared their wonderful artwork. More images from this project will be featured in the upcoming Summer issue of the Nature Artists’ Quarterly (a members-only publication).
That’s a wrap! The Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2020 Spring Encounter, There’s No Place Like Home, finished up on April 30, and Guild members did not disappoint. The variety of styles, media, and subject matter reflect the wide range of possibilities for appreciating nature through art. Please check the gallery of images submitted by participating Nature Artists’ Guild members by clicking here. Additional images will be accepted from participants throughout the first week of May.
House-shaped collage from her Shelter In Place series. Copyright Cheryl Holz.
It’s nearly the last week of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2020 Spring Encounter, There’s No Place Like Home. Some of the participating artists have shared images of their wonderful sketches, drawings, and paintings, which can be seen by clicking here. Any other Guild members who would like to share are encouraged to e-mail their images by the first week of May. Images of sketches, finished works, and works in progress are all welcome.
It’s been more than two weeks since the beginning of the 2020 Spring Nature Artists’ Guild “Encounter”, There’s No Place Like Home. So now it’s time to share! Participants in the project are invited to submit up to three images of some of their artwork created over the last two weeks. Depending on the total number received, one, two, or all three of each artist’s images will be shared on this website in an upcoming post.
Nancy Wu’s sketch of an orchid in watercolor at the recent Orchids by Hausermann paint-out.
Some quick tips for photographing sketches –
Lighting – While entire photos can be lightened fairly easily, glare, shadows, or uneven lighting make the process much more difficult.
Color Casts – White or cream paper frequently acquires a blue or yellow tinge when photographed. The temperature or “white balance” setting on most smartphone cameras is fairly easy to use for corrections.
Cropping – Cropping is one of the simplest photo-editing processes and the background behind the artwork in the photo can easily be removed. Making sure the artwork is not skewed is more important than trying to control the background.
Pixels are free (mostly) –The saying, borrowed from photographers, means that there is an advantage in taking multiple shots of the same subject. One of the shots is likely to be better than the others, and unlike in the old film days, it doesn’t cost extra to take more, keep the best, and delete the rest.
Learning to take good photos is becoming increasingly important for today’s artists, and smartphones make the process better and easier then ever. Learning a phone’s settings for photographing and editing is well worth the time spent and photographing sketches is good practice.
The Nature Artists’ Guild is not necessarily looking for perfect photos or even finished artwork in There’s No Place Like Home. It’s about sharing successes and works in progress, quick sketches and finished pieces, and interesting attempts at something new.
Images should be e-mailed to Denise Fisk, whose contact information can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Yearbook. A one-sentence description of the medium, inspiration, or subject matter may be included with each image, but is not required (and may be edited for brevity). There will also be opportunities for participating members to share their work in the Nature Artists’ Quarterly (a member’s only publication) or at a future meeting of the Guild.
Nature Artists' Guild 