Category: Paint-Outs

Beautiful Weather and Beautiful Blooms Predicted for Tomorrow’s Nature Artists’ Guild Paint-Out

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Nature Artists’ Guild member Laverne Bohlin, who has offered the use of her personal garden for tomorrow’s (August 1, 2015) paint-out, has updated us with the latest bloom report.

Daisies, ballon flower, phlox, liatris and purple coneflower are all in bloom, and the vegetable garden is thriving and beautiful!Laverne Bohlin Garden

Laverne will also be having a studio show and sale that day, and has lots of free issues of Pastel Journal magazine and some free art books to give away. There will be a drawing for some black and white prints of trees by Tony Tysnik for The Morton Arboretum, as well.

The garden will be open until 4 pm for Nature Artists’ Guild members, and there is no need to RSVP.  Laverne’s address can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook.

Members are welcome to bring their lunch, and lemonade and light refreshments will be provided.

 

Even the Vegetable Garden is Lovely!

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Laverne Bohlin has been teaching both art and landscape design classes at The Morton Arboretum for years, so it’s no surprise that her own garden is so lovely (Laverne’s garden has been featured in Chicagoland Gardening).  How kind of Laverne to invite her fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members to join her in her garden in Aurora, IL for a paint-out on Saturday, August 1, 2015 from 9 am until noon!

Laverne has also spent some time organizing her studio recently, and is having a studio show and sale on the same day from 10 am until 4 pm. There will be art supplies, books, mats, frames, and even some original artwork and prints available.  You can learn more at Laverne’s website by clicking here.

Please contact Mary Ann Jimenez if you’d like to attend.  Nature Artists Guild members can find her contact information, as well as Laverne’s address, in their Yearbook.

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Joy Path and Fragrance Garden Paint-Out July 15, 2015

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On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, beginning at 9 am, Nature Artists’ Guild members will be enjoying the scents, sounds and sights of the Fragrance Garden and Joy Path at The Morton Arboretum.

Participating artists at this paint-out may consider bringing a folding chair (although limited seating is available), some insect repellant, and a snack or beverage, as well as their favorite art supplies and camera.  There is no need to reserve a spot – plenty of room for all.

Summer is passing so quickly that it would be a shame to miss an opportunity to spend a morning enjoying the unique beauty of this beloved garden and path. 

Thanks to Suzanne Wegener for this pretty photo, just taken yesterday!

Fragrance Garden at The Morton Arboretum
Fragrance Garden at The Morton Arboretum

Coming Soon!

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We may not be able to count on the weather this time of the year (how about all of this rain?), but we can always count on the Nature Artists’ Guild to come up with some great events, indoors and out.

Coming up in the next few months –

  • On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, from 9 am until noon, members will be meeting on the Joy Path and in the Fragrance Garden of The Morton Arboretum for a paint-out filled with wonderful scents, sounds and sights.
  • The Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit, Viewing Nature, at Benedictine College in Lisle, IL, continues until July 16, 2015.  This gorgeous collection of nature art is located in the Komechak Gallery on the fifth floor of the Kindlon Hall of Learning.  After entering at the main entrance, visitors should proceed to the back of the building, where the elevator to the fifth floor is located in a short hallway to their right.  For more details, please click on the gallery name above.
  • On Thursday evening, August 6, 2015, from 7 until 9 pm, at Thornhill Education Center at The Morton Arboretum, Nature Artists Guild members and their guests will be given the opportunity to see three of our most talented artists at work.  Gail Diedrichsen, Bob Sunyog and Lindsay Sandbothe will be sharing some of their techniques, tips and inspirations at this popular yearly program.  Open to visitors, it is a great chance to interact with these artists, as well as to meet other members of the Nature Artists Guild (and possibly even consider becoming a member in the future). Everyone is welcome to attend this fun and fascinating program!
  • Member Margo Heald has very generously donated over 60 books to the Nature Artists’ Guild!  At our August 6, 2015 meeting, these books (instructional art books to fabulous coffee table books, as well as everything in between) will be available for purchase at a generous discount to our members (cash or check only, please).
  • A new fundraising project will be announced at our August 6, 2015 meeting. Committee members will have twenty 6-inch square canvases to give to members who wish to participate.  These canvases will then be taken home by the artists, to be painted or collaged as they wish, and returned at “referee night” of the Holiday Exhibit.  A display of all the canvases will be part of our 2015 Holiday Exhibit, and the canvases will be for sale, with proceeds going to the Nature Artists’ Guild.

Please be sure to check back for more details about these events as the dates approach.  

Two More Opportunities to Paint This June!

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Well, why not?  Why not paint while the weather is willing and the gardens are at their finest?

Nature Artists’ Guild member Linn Eldred (click here to see some examples of her work as a previous featured artist) has kindly offered to share her daughter’s garden in Bolingbrook, IL with fellow members for a morning of painting, sketching, drawing and photographing from 9 am until noon on Thursday, June 18, 2015.  Those who would like to attend should RSVP to Mary Ann Jimenez, and check their e-mails from earlier this month for the address.

Ty Warner Park, Westmont Park District, Photo Credit Westmont Park District
Ty Warner Park, Westmont Park District, Photo Credit, Westmont Park District

On Thursday, June 25, 2015 between 9 am and noon, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be meeting at Ty Warner Park,  at the corner of Plaza Drive and Blackhawk Drive, Westmont, IL for another morning in nature.  According to the park’s website page (click here to visit), “Restored woodlands and enhanced wetlands are connected through a prairie system surrounding the perimeter of the park”.  Members should meet at the main gazebo, and may want to consider bringing a picnic lunch.  There is no need to RSVP for this event – the more the merrier!

Ku-mie Kim’s Garden Paint-Out Added on June 23, 2015

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Ku-mie Kim’s talent for composition and color is not only evident in her artwork (click here for examples), but in her garden as well!

Ku-mie Kim has generously offered the opportunity to paint or draw in her garden to fellow members of the Nature Artists’ Guild on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 between 9 am and 1 pm.  Members who have attended previous paint-outs at Ku-mie’s garden have nothing but praise for the beauty of the garden and the graciousness of the host!  She has offered coffee, tea, water and a snack, and if attendees would like to bring their own lunch, Ku-mie will contribute a salad to that as well.

Please let our Programs and Paint-Outs Chair, Mary Ann Jimenez, know if you would like to attend by Friday, June 20, 2015.  Both Mary Ann’s contact information and Ku-mie Kim’s address can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook.

Gardener’s Art Festival, June 20, 2015

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The Growing Place, 25w471 Plank Road, Naperville, IL, has again asked members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to return for their annual Gardener’s Art Festival, a fun celebration of plants and art, taking place on Saturday, June 20, 2015!

Space is limited to ten artists, so members of the Nature Artists’ Guild who wish to participate in this event should contact Mary Ann Jimenez (whose e-mail address can be found in their Yearbook) as soon as possible. Our artists will be featured from 11 until 3 pm, and can stay the entire time or just 2 hours, and will be working right amongst the flowers, shrubs, trees, and garden art of The Growing Place or at the Nature Artist’s Guild information table.

Most types of media are welcome, and styles can range from detailed botanical sketches to impressionistic views of the many garden tableaus featured at The Growing Place. Participating artists should bring a chair, some water, art supplies, and if desired, small examples of some of their finished artwork.

Suzanne Wegener and Karen Johnson at the Nature Artists’ Guild Information Table, Gardener’s Art Festival at The Growing Place

This is a wonderful opportunity to participate in a lively and festive event, where visitors from throughout the area who are interested in both gardening and art can view our talented Nature Artists’ Guild members at work!  For more information about The Growing Place, please visit their website by clicking here.

Nature Artists’ Guild Open Studio, Paint-In, Saturday May 2, 2015

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On Saturday, May 2, 2015, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to meet at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum anytime between noon and 3 pm for an open studio and “paint-in”.

From our Program and Paint-Out Chair, Mary Ann Jimenez –

Having the opportunity to associate and work alongside other artists, from time to time, can enlighten us and open our eyes to the diversity that pours out of creative minds. Come and enjoy this opportunity to share in an environment of creativity and motivation. Everyone can learn a great deal working alongside other artists.

Bring whatever piece you are currently working one (or start a new one), as well as your own supplies. Hope to see you there.

Of course, if you come down with a touch of spring fever during this event, remember that the sights, sounds and scents of Joy Path are right outside of the doors of Thornhill for all to enjoy!

Spring Color, photo credit www.mortonarb.org
Spring Color, photo credit http://www.mortonarb.org. Please click on the photo to be directed to The Morton Arboretum’s Bloom Report.

Nature Artists’ Guild Annual Expedition to Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum

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There’s no need to pack anything but a few art supplies and a folding stool or chair for this short expedition to the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum!

Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University. Photo credit www.ben.edu.
Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University. Photo credit http://www.ben.edu.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2015, Nature Artists’ Guild members will once again have the opportunity to sketch, paint, or draw from the enormous collection at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL, any time between 9 am and noon. There is no need to RSVP, and some participants may choose to meet for lunch afterwards at a local restaurant.

The museum is located on the second floor of the Birck Hall of Science, Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL.  To read about the history of the museum, view more photos, or even search for a particular specimen, please click on this link to the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum section of the Benedictine University’s website.

Below are some photos from previous expeditions by the Nature Artists’ Guild, contributed by various members.

More Than a Few Frogs

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Please follow this link to Nature Artists’ Guild member (and art instructor for The Morton Arboretum) Karen Johnson’s blog, Karen’s Nature Art, to read about and see photos of her experience at our recent “paint-in” at the Meyer Science Center at Wheaton College.  You’ll be glad you did!

Stone Frogs sketchbook page, copyright 2015, Karen A. Johnson. Used with permission.
Stone Frogs sketchbook page, copyright 2015 Karen A. Johnson. Used with permission.