Category: Member Artwork

Don’t be Shy!

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Even if you’ve never even considered publishing your artwork before, you can still experience the thrill of seeing your artwork in print!   The Nature Artists’ Guild’s publication for members, “The Quarterly” is a great place for getting your feet wet, and there’s still time to have your artwork included in the Summer edition.

We all love to see what our fellow members have been working on, and your piece doesn’t even have to be a completed painting or drawing – sketchbook pages are just as welcome for inclusion, and frequently even more fascinating than finished pieces!

All you need to do is to send a JPEG file to Evelyn Grala (her contact information can be found in your Yearbook).   If you don’t have a professional scan or a home printer/scanner, that’s not a problem.  Any office supply chain should be able to scan your artwork (usually up to 11 x 17 inches) for just a few dollars (just make sure the artwork is not under glass).  They’ll even e-mail the file to Evelyn for you for another small fee!  She’ll be able to crop off or clean up the edges of the scan if needed, and the next thing you know, you’re published!  (If there are too many to include, Evelyn will save your file for a later edition.)

The Nature Artists’ Guild is Joining The Circus!

Published on by Denise

But thankfully, we won’t be on the high wire!  The Morton Arboretum’s Nature Arts Education Manager and our Nature Artists’ Guild liason, Suzanne Wegener, has asked us to help with a fun new adventure –

Have you heard of Cirque Du Soleil? They have a new performance scheduled in Chicago called OVO (egg). In conjunction with this event The Morton Arboretum will host an egg hunt for families and we have been asked to help out by painting eggs for the event. If you can help out we would greatly appreciate it! Paper eggs can be picked up in the Thornhill offices. Paint them, decoupage them, splatter them, but sign them with your name, they are artist created! I will have examples in the registrar’s office for you to see.  We will need them back by June 1st. Check out their website here to see a preview of the performance.

 I thank you for your help with this event. By participating we increase publicity for our events by raising awareness of our group and the education program at the Morton Arboretum.

 If you have any questions please contact me at swegener@mortonarb.org or 630 719-5642.

Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Exhibit at Sterling Morton Library

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On your next visit to The Morton Arboretum, consider taking a break from your hiking, biking, walking, running, drawing, painting, photographing or just appreciating the scenery, to stop in for a visit at the Sterling Morton Library.

Featured in the library through June 4, 2011 is an exhibit of artwork by The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI),  Art in the Service of Science.  GNSI was founded in 1968 at the Smithsonian Institution, and a number of Nature Artists’ Guild members, as well as instructors in the Morton Arboretum’s Botanical Art & Illustration Certificate program are also members of GNSI. 

Please click here for more information about the exhibit from the Arboretum, or here for the Sterling Morton Library blog.  You can visit the GNSI website at www.gnsi.org.

The library is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

Are You Ready for the Spring Exhibit?

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Just for fun, let’s see what really goes on with members of the Nature Artists’ Guild a week before an exhibit.   Please check one of the three choices below and click on the vote button (don’t worry, we don’t know who you are)!  No matter where you fit on the spectrum, don’t forget that the drop-off evening is less than a week away (next Wednesday,  April 6, 2011)!

 

Join Us At Our March Fundraising Fun Workshop

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Our Nature Artists’ Guild Fundraising Chair, Nancy Thyfault, asks,

Are you tired of hearing that your note cards are so lovely that people won’t use them? Are people telling you that they frame them instead? Are people buying your note cards but not your artwork? If you answered yes, head out to our Workshop on Saturday, March 26, 9:30 to 2:00 at Thornhill. 

 One of the available projects will be painting/reviving stand up picture frames that will display your art- in note card size! We will also learn to create felt flowers with Sharon Malec, paint and decorate papier mache eggs and other fun things.

Bring along your printed note card, acrylic paints, brushes, water container and lunch. We will have frames prepped to paint, but if you have one at home that you feel is ready to recycle, bring it along! Frames must be acrylic paint receptive, so no metal, please. See you there!

The Nature Artists’ Guild Spring Exhibit Featured Artist, Kathleen Tomasek

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You’ve probably noticed by now our lovely new header, contributed by our Spring Featured Artist, Kathleen Tomasek. 

© Kathleen Tomasek

Please click on the Featured Artist tab above to read more about Kathleen and to see more of her artwork. 

Don’t’ miss the Spring Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum on April 9th and 10th, where you will see much more of Kathleen’s artwork as well as that of about fifty other members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!

Spring has Arrived at the Canterbury Shoppe!

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The Canterbury Shoppe’s spring exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild is up and looking great!   Everything spring-related, from bulbs to birds are beautifully represented by our group of talented artists.   Please take a few minutes one afternoon to stop by and enjoy the exhibit, at 43 E. Jefferson, Naperville, IL  60540.  The phone number is 630-717-5005, and the shop is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 6, Thursday from 10 to 8, and Sunday from 11 to 3.    

In addition to the original artwork and fine-art prints, there are cards, jewelry and decorative items for sale, all created by Nature Artists’ Guild members!   Be prepared to possibly make a day of it, though.  When you leave the Canterbury Shoppe, the scents of the area restaurants and the sight of all the other unique shops in downtown Naperville are hard to resist!

The Fiber Art of Sharon Malec, March 3, 2011

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Although we’ve all seen and admired her beautiful creations, soon we’ll also have the opportunity to see just how she does it!  We’re talking about, of course, Sharon Malec, one of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s own talented fiber artists.  At our formal meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2011, from 7 to 9 pm, Sharon will give us some background on various types of fiber art, including quilting and wool needle felting, bring some of her work, and even conduct a demonstration of some of her techniques! 

Sharon’s interest in nature helped to develop her distinctive style of art, and she is now most recognized for her unique and realistic depictions of nature and wildlife in fiber.   Her talents have led Sharon to serve on the faculty at national quilt shows, be published in Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, and have quilts in the permanent collections of the Museum of the American Quilt’s Society in KY, the Lincoln Memorial library in CA, and the Norris Gallery in IL. 

An excellent instructor, Sharon also shares her knowledge and experience in three books, 64 patterns, and an instructional video.   Sharon’s website is www.malec-designs.com.

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We’re Glad You’re Here

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The month isn’t even over yet and we’ve already received the most monthly “hits” (looks) ever on the Nature Artists’ Guild blog (the  service provider records the number of times the blog is accessed, but not by whom).  We’re so glad you’re visiting!  

Of course, we all love our publication, The Nature Artists’ Quarterly – you really can’t beat it for relaxing along with a nice hot cup of tea.   The stories and artwork contributed by your fellow Nature Artist Guild members are so nice to peruse when you have the time to really get comfortable, sit back and enjoy them (and don’t forget that you are always encouraged to send in your own news and artwork!)  You will just love the heartwarming article and artwork contributed by Nancy Hart in the upcoming edition (which you should be receiving in your mail next week).   

But when you’re running late, can’t find your Quarterly, and just need to look up a paint-out date, or want to follow a link to see more of one of a program artist’s work, the blog (or website) is the place to go! Come back any time!