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)!
Category: Member Artwork
The Spring Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum
Join Us At Our March Fundraising Fun Workshop
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
You’ve probably noticed by now our lovely new header, contributed by our Spring Featured Artist, 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!
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
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.
We’re Glad You’re Here
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!
Stencils from your own Artwork – Think of the Possibilities!
Tomorrow, from 10 am to 2 pm, the Nature Artists’ Guild will be hosting one of our two scheduled spring workshops. Tomorrow’s workshop will focus on creating stencils from your own artwork, which can then be used on almost anything – fabrics, furniture, walls, you name it! You should have received an e-mail earlier this week with the supply list. At first glance, it may look like quite a few items, but if you read it carefully, you probably already have most or all of the supplies. If you are just interested in making the stencils, and want to do your painting at a different time, you don’t even need to bring the last few items.
The workshop will be held in Room A at Thornhill, so please stop in!
Nature Artists’ Guild’s First Paint-Out of 2011
The first paint-out location of 2011 is an annual favorite, the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University in Lisle. We will meet on January 15, at 9:30 am, and can stay until about 12:30 pm. There’s a good reason we keep coming back – this museum is a treasure!
The museum is filled with mounts and skeletons of creatures ranging from birds to elk. Closer than the Field museum for most, and warmer than the zoo in January, this is a great opportunity to get good sketches of almost any animal imaginable! The more than 10,000 specimens are displayed in a few large rooms, and there are usually no other visitors during our paint-outs, so we have plenty of room. There are a few benches available, but you may want to bring a folding chair so you can move to wherever you find an interesting subject. 
Please let Ku-mie Kim know if you are planning to come, as she will be meeting members there. It’s fine if you need to be a little late – it’s a casual gathering. Often some of the participants go out for lunch afterwards, or stay a little later at the museum for some extra time with the animals.
The address is 5700 College Road, Lisle, Birck Hall, 2nd Floor. For some photos and more information about the museum, please click here.
Artwork © Robert Sunyog
Nature Artists' Guild 
