One thing is for certain – Patty loves to spend time outdoors! She’s kind of quiet, but you can tell by her smile that she’s thrilled to be the newest member of the Nature Artists’ Guild. Be sure to stop by to see Patty before our next meeting on October 6. She spends most, if not all, of her time at The Morton Arboretum, hanging out by the lake with some friends.
Also pictured are Jill Adzia, Patty Koenigsaecker and Suzanne Wegener (they’re the ones not wearing hats).
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.)
We may still be waiting for Spring (any day now), but at The Morton Arboretum there is much confidence that it will arrive and then shortly thereafter, lead to summer! Summer class schedules for the Arboretum are now posted on their website, www.mortonarb.org or you can click here to go directly to the schedules.
Whether you are concentrating on your Botanical Art & Illustration Certificate, or branching out into Photography, Natural History, Ornithology, or Gardening & Horticulture you’ll find many favorites in this summer’s schedule, as well as some new and exciting offerings. The twilight classes always seem intriguing – there’s something very special about a summer evening at the Arboretum.
“Each moment of the year has its own beauty . . . a picture
which was never before and shall never be seen again.”
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!
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.
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!
If you’ve attended Botanical Art classes at the The Morton Arboretum, you’ve probably had the chance to see some of the rare prints and original artwork from the impressive collection held by The Sterling Morton Library.
The Nature Artists’ Guild recently made a donation to the arboretum to show our gratitude and to help contribute to their mission. Our donation late last year was used by the library to purchase some contemporary artwork to add to their collection. As Arlene Widrevitz, of the Rare Print Collection writes,
“The newest acquisitions in the Print Collection of The Sterling Morton Library were purchased with funds donated by The Nature Artists’ Guild.
Winter Portrait: Asclepias syriaca by Karen Johnson is an example of scratchboard art. The scratchboard technique is normally associated with the use of ink, but here, Karen has created a black and white image with graphite. This original piece features dried milkweed pods with the seeds escaping against a prairie background.
Sacred Union by Kimberly Mullarkey is an example of her delicate colored pencil work on a black background. The image is an imaginative combination of an insect with one wing outspread superimposed over the human skeleton.
Amanita muscaria and Russula Bouquet II by Alexander “Sasha” Viazmensky represent his work in watercolor. Sasha specializes in portraying the mushrooms that he finds in the woods near his home in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sasha recently taught a class in mushroom painting here at the Arboretum, which was very popular with his students and everyone who was able to see his work and that of his class. Amanita muscaria is an original in watercolor and Russula Bouquet II is a print of his watercolor work.
These works will be available for viewing in classes that feature these techniques. Also, anyone can make an appointment to view these artworks or any others here in the library. We do enjoy showing off our collections!”
It used to be the seed and bulb catalogs that got you through those long winter months, but now you also have the option of the online catalog of classes offered at The Morton Arboretum! Believe it or not, our earliest sign of spring, the arboretum’s education schedule, has arrived. Whether it’s Botanical Art, Photography, Natural History, Gardening and Horticulture, or Ornithology, there is a class or workshop for everyone. Click here to begin. Enjoy!
This is for the friends, family and significant others of our artist members. If you are still struggling with choosing a gift for the artist in your life, we’ve come up with a few last-minute suggestions. While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend buying an artist their main tools (paints, brushes, easels, pencils, pastels, and so on), since most artists have their own very strong preferences, there are some things that we believe almost any artist would be glad to receive! Continue reading “Artists – No Peeking!”→
Nature Artists' Guild 