Please enjoy these photographs from Carol Jean Rogalski’s wonderful presentation for the Nature Artists’ Guild, Illumination. Thank you to our photographer, Kathy Wagner, for the photos. Please click on any photo to get a closer look!
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
You have our featured artist for the April 2013 Spring Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, Linn Eldred to thank for our beautiful new spring header, which features a detail of her painting Tulip Time. You can see the entire painting, as well as read about Linn and see more of her artwork, by clicking on the Current Featured Artist tab above. Congratulations, Linn! We look forward to seeing your artwork at the upcoming exhibit, and appreciate the hint of spring you’ve brought to us through your paintings!
One of the biggest perks of being a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild is the support of your fellow members. Whether you are exhibiting for the first time, or the hundredth, it’s always great to see a few familiar smiling faces of fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members at your reception!
Who could be more deserving of our support than 22-year member, and Holiday Party “Master of Ceremonies”, Don Castro? Don not only shows up every December to swear in our officers, make us laugh, and hand out prizes, but has also contributed so much of his time and talents to the Nature Artists’ Guild over the years.
The Artists’ Reception for Don’s upcoming Retrospective at the Burning Bush Art Gallery in Wheaton, IL is coming up on January 20th from 1 until 4 pm (details below). What a great chance to admire some of Don’s best work all in one place, and show your appreciation for all of his contributions to the Nature Artists’ Guild!
Artists Reception: Sunday, January 20, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Gallery Hours: Sundays: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm,
Wednesdays: 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, or by appointment (708) 705-8669.
216 North Main Street, Wheaton IL
Congratulations to Nature Artists’ Guild members Connie Devendorf, Linn Eldred, and Evelyn Grala for the inclusion of their photography and artwork in the Fall and Winter 2012 issue of the periodical Seeding The Snow. The issue features Evelyn’s pen and ink drawing, Owl, on the cover, and Connie’s photo, Setting Seeds, her watercolor, Wrens, and Linn’s pen and ink drawings, Scrub Pine and Goatsbeard are featured within.
To read more about Seeding the Snow, or to order your copy, please click here. Copies are also usually available for purchase at the Arboretum gift shop, The Arboretum Store (hours and information available by clicking here).
Patty Konigsaecker has done it again! The Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2012 Scarecrow that Patty has designed is really too sweet, though, to scare away any birds! In fact, with some of the changes we’ll be adding this Saturday (such as adding a bird’s nest to her bun), she’ll probably attract them! After we substitute some of her flowers for leaves (hence the name change from Flower Fairy to Leaf Fairy), and change her quote to another more “leafy” one, our Leaf Fairy, with her skirt fluttering in the wind, will grace the shore of Meadow Lake at The Morton Arboretum all through October.
Please join us this Saturday at Thornhill at the workshop to help construct her! If you have suggestions or supplies that may be useful, please contact Patty Konigsaecker (you can find her contact information in your Yearbook).
We don’t know whether she kept any birds away from any crops, but last year’s Nature Artists’ Guild’s debut scarecrow, Patty Painter, was certainly the most stylish one at The Morton Arboretum’s annual Scarecrow Trail, displayed near Meadow Lake all through October!
This year, the Nature Artists’ Guild is doing it again, and the theme, contributed by member Connie Devendorf, will be “Flower Fairy”. We’ve asked costume designer and member Patty Koenigsaecker to once again come up with a sketch, but we’ll need lots of help to pull it all together.
Assembly of the scarecrow will take place at our Holiday Exhibit Fundraising Workshop (more details coming soon), on Saturday, September 15, (drop in downstairs at Thornhill any time between 10 am and 3 pm), along with all of our other workshop activities.
Workshops are always a lot of laughs and a wonderful way to spend some time getting to know your fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members! Please join us!
It is so hard to believe that this will be the fifth edition of the Nature Artists’ Guild desk calendar! These calendars, initiated and designed by our lifetime member Mary Ingels, are some of our most successful fundraising projects ever. Sold at our Holiday Exhibition and various other venues, the calendars are an annual favorite, and a great way for you to have your artwork published!
You should have already received your e-mail with instructions for preparing and submitting your artwork (due by September 14, 2012), and Mary makes participating easier than ever by giving you some great hints for obtaining quality photographs or scans.
So dig out your favorite paintings or drawings, carefully follow the instructions for submission, and be part of this wonderful project. We’re looking forward to seeing your work!
This cooler weather (finally) reminds us that autumn is right around the corner, and it will be a busy season for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!
In the next few weeks and months, there will be an exciting new paint-out opportunity (The Beard Garden), instructions will be sent out for participating in the 2013 Nature Artists’ Guild calendar project, a workshop has been scheduled for our Holiday Exhibit fundraising, and not too far off, is our popular Holiday Exhibit itself! Featured at this exhibit will be the wonderful artist and one of our hardest working guild members, Nancy Thyfault.
Check back soon for more about all of these upcoming events, and to read about Nancy and see some of her beautiful artwork!
The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud to present one of our most popular meeting formats next Thursday, August 2, 2012, from 7 to 9 pm at Thornhill. This year, our “Artist Trio” will include Fran Kelly, Carol Jean Rogalski, and Laverne Bohlin. All three presenters are instructors in the Morton Arboretum’s Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program, as well as Nature Artists’ Guild members.
You will have a chance to learn the technique of painting dew drops and rain drops in watercolor when you stop by Fran Kelly’s demonstration. Carol Jean Rogalski will offer insights into the history, techniques and materials, both historical and modern, of Illumination. Laverne Bohlin will be presenting us with some techniques in developing gorgeous pastel landscapes.
This promises to be a fun, informative and somewhat informal meeting, where you will have the chance to try different materials, learn about different techniques, and interact with your fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members. Please join us!
Nature Artists' Guild 