Garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Photo credit Anne and Charles Bouchard.
This summer’s private garden paint-outs for the Nature Artists’ Guild begin at the home of the Bouchards in Glen Ellyn, IL.
Anne and Charles Bouchard have a large and lovely garden, and have graciously offered to share its sights, scents, and sounds with members of the Guild from 9:30 until noon on June 11, 2026 (with a rain-date, if needed, on June 12).
Paint-out coordinator, Celia Rodee, will greet attendees with hot coffee and delectable baked goods to help begin the morning on the perfect note. The artists can then choose their subjects and compositions before settling in to enjoy the morning, free from the distractions of public passers-by.
Participants can sign up and learn all the paint-out details by emailing Celia, or by using this registration form.
The next few months will be filled with opportunities for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to share, sketch, and learn, all while enjoying the company of fellow artists.
The Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum will be the location for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s trio of artist demonstrations on the evening of June 4, 2026, beginning at 7. Three talented Guild members will share their inspirations, methods, and materials at this popular annual event. The program will be open to all, free of charge, and registration is not required.
On June 11, 2026 (rain date June 12), Anne and Charles Bouchard will share their professionally designed and beautifully updated private garden in Glen Ellyn, IL, with members of the Guild from 9:30 until noon.Guild members can register here for this event, the first of four different private garden paint-outs scheduled for this summer.
Initial preparations for this summer’s Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum have begun, and prospectuses will be emailed to all members next month. The exhibit will run from August 8 until September 12, 2026, and will include member demonstrations and an opening reception. Guild members will have the opportunity to enter work previously exhibited at The Morton Arboretum or juried by email photos.
Guild members can use this busy time of wildlife activity to begin their contributions to this autumn’s special display of 8 x 8 works honoring the Arboretum, “Fauna.” Each member will be eligible to include up to three unframed works, which must be 8 x 8 inches, less than 1/2 inch deep, and inspired by the fauna of the Arboretum. (Examples of last year’s small works display, “Flora,” can be seen here.)
As always, Guild members (and guests) are invited to attend a casual Wednesday morning gathering at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum, Coffee and Art. This friendly and welcoming group of artists spends a few hours each week chatting, sketching, or just enjoying the morning sights and sounds of the Arboretum. No registration is required.
More details about these and more events coming soon!
The Nature Artists’ Guild will enjoy the sights, scents, and sounds of spring at a paint-out at Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL, beginning at 9:30 on the morning of Thursday, May 7, 2026.
According to the Lilac Time “Bloom-O’Meter,” the 7-acre park’s 700 lilacs and many of the 25,000 tulips will be in full bloom!
Attendees will be greeted by Celia Rodee, the Guild’s paint-out coordinator, with hot coffee and delicious treats. The rest of the morning will be spent among the beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers throughout the park, painting, sketching, and photographing.
(Historical tours and perennial and lilac sales are also planned by various clubs and organizations during or after paint-out hours, for those interested. Click on this link for more information and a Lilac Time schedule of events. Registration or pre-ordering may be required.)
April has arrived with plenty of showers for the May flowers (as well as a whole lot morefor all those interested in nature and art) –
On April 8, 2026, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and guests will be gathering at the Daffodil Glade of The Morton Arboretum for a paint-out from 9:30 until about noon. Coordinator Celia Rodee will provide hot coffee and delicious treats to begin the morning of painting and sketching among the trees and flowers. All are invited to drop by (participants will meet by the entrance to the Fragrance Garden near the Thornhill Education Center), but registration is strongly encouraged to be added to an email list for updates, including weather-related.
The opening of the Guild’s 2026 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum is just two weeks away! The exhibit opens on Friday, April 17, and runs through Sunday, April 19 in the Cudahy Room, adjacent to the Sterling Morton Library, located in the Administration Building of the Arboretum. Over 200 works of art in a variety of media, created by more than 60 Guild members, will be showcased. A reception will be held on Friday evening and is open to all. Registration is not required, and there will be no charge for admission, parking, or entry to the Arboretum for the reception.
Nature is right on schedule with its flora and fauna – ephemerals are springing up to share their beauty, and frogs and birds are singing their songs! Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild can make the most of this fleeting season with sketches, plein-air paintings, and photographs for future works, such as this year’s small-works (8 x 8 inches) project honoring The Morton Arboretum, “Fauna,” to be shown this November alongside the annual Autumn exhibit.
Nature Artists’ Guild members and guests are invited to enjoy what The Morton Arboretum describes as “a sunlit glade beneath grand old oak trees . . . paved with daffodils,” for a paint-out on April 8.
Coordinator Celia Rodee will greet attendees with coffee and delectable treats at 9:30 on the morning of Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the entrance to the Arboretum’s Fragrance Garden, near the Thornhill Education Center.From there, artists can walk or drive to nearby Daffodil Glade, and find their spot for painting, sketching, or strolling through the glade taking photographs for future inspiration.
“Beneath widely spaced old oaks, spring rolls out a grassy carpet filled with waves of cheerful, varied daffodils.” The first daffodils were planted at the Arboretum in 1946 as part of some of Joy Morton’s earliest plans for the location.
All are invited to stop by and enjoy the morning, but registration is recommended to be added to an email list with details and updates (including weather-related).
On the morning of Thursday, March 12, 2026, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will journey into the wilds of the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University to sketch and paint some of the thousands of specimens on view from around the world.
Beginning at 9:30 am, artists will arrive at Jurica-Suchy to begin scouting the museum for sources of inspiration. Coffee and delicious treats supplied by coordinator Celia Rodee will sustain the artists as they search the aisles for a subject or scene to explore in paint, pencil, or pixels.
Although members and guests are welcome to just drop in any time between 9:30 and about noon, registration is recommended to receive emailed updates and details.
Harbingers of Spring – Daffodils, copyright Cheryl Holz. Cheryl will be the Featured Artist of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2026 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
Even though there are weeks to go before spring, nature and the Nature Artists’ Guild are eagerly preparing for the longer and warmer days ahead.
In just a few weeks, the March program sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild will be held at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. This event on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 7 until 9 will be free and open to all and will feature award-winning pastel artist Nancie King Mertz as the presenter. Much more about the program to come soon.
Guild members will be visiting the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum for a “paint-in” on Thursday, March 12, from 9:30 until noon. (Drop-ins are welcome, but registration is recommended in order to receive email updates and details.) More coming soon.
Guild members can begin thinking about their contributions to the Guild’s annual special exhibit showcasing 8 x 8-inch pieces. This year’s display, “Fauna,” will be inspired by the native mammals, fish, insects, birds, amphibians, and spiders that can be found at The Morton Arboretum. (Detailed instructions for members will be shared later in the year, and “Fauna” will be exhibited in November alongside the Guild’s annual autumn exhibit at the Arboretum.)
The Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual “paint-in” at world-renowned grower of orchids, Orchids by Hausermann, will provide members a warm and tropical break from the winter weather!
The gathering will take place at Hausermann’s vast greenhouse in Villa Park, IL, on the morning of Thursday, February 5, 2026, from 8 am until 10 (before the showroom is open to the public). Surrounded by the sight and scent of thousands of orchids, Guild members will be able to sketch, paint, or photograph for future reference many of the varieties on display.
One lucky participant will win a $25 gift certificate to use towards the purchase of an orchid of their choice, and all participants will be able to enjoy free delicious refreshments, coffee and pastries from Paris Baguette.
HEY… The Birdfeeder is Empty!, copyright Dan Danielson
The DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center reports that January, which might seem quiet in Chicagoland’s natural world, is actually quite busy! For instance –
Tomorrow, January 18, a free reception for the Guild’s special exhibit at the Downers Grove Public Library will be held from 2 to 4. Everyone is invited to stop by the exhibit and support the artists while enjoying some light refreshments.
On Wednesday, January 21, Guild members are invited to stop by an informal gathering at the Wheaton Public Library at 11:30 to enjoy even more nature art by their fellow artists. Those interested in having lunch at nearby Bien Trucha afterward at 12:30 can RSVP here or by contacting Celia Rodee.
Nature Artists’ Guild members are encouraged to spend a quiet hour at home this month, looking through and photographing their spring-inspired artwork for possible inclusion in the upcoming issue of the Quarterly. Images, articles, and announcements can be emailed to Jane Kellenberger by February 1.
The annual paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann is scheduled for Thursday, February 5, from 7:30 until 10 am. This tropical destination is a favorite of Guild artists, who are invited to spend the morning, before the showroom opens, surrounded by gorgeous orchids in bloom. Space is limited, and registration is required.
Later in the evening of February 5, members (and guests who request a link) will be able to log in to join a Guild-sponsored online presentation by textile artist Kristin Field. Links to the program will be emailed the preceding week. (Much more about Kristin and her fascinating work coming soon.)
As always, members and visitors are welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum any Wednesday morning about 9:30 to spend time chatting, sipping, and sketching with fellow artists at Coffee and Art.
Downy Woodpecker at Field Museum. Photo credit FieldMuseum.org
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be taking a short trip into the city to study and sketch at Chicago’s world-renowned Field Museum this Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Participants will meet by the birds exhibit at 9:30 before scouting out their favorite spot to sketch or draw (no acrylics or oils) specimens of natural history from throughout the centuries and around the globe.
Photo credits the Field Museum
Coordinator Celia Rodee will share all the details about parking, admission, and carpooling with Guild members by email, and interested members should register online or by emailing Celia by Friday, January 16.
Nature Artists' Guild 
