Category: Paint-Outs

It’s All Up To You at the Nature Artists’ Guild Paint-Out This Tuesday

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

Drop in for an hour, or stay all morning.  Sketch, paint, draw, sculpt, or snap a few photos. Sit with other artists, or find a quiet corner.  Choose a giant mammal or a tiny bird.

Nature Artists' Guild at Jurica-Suchy 2015
Nature Artists’ Guild at Jurica-Suchy 2015

It’s all up to you at the Nature Artists’ Guild paint-out this Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 9 until around noon at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, located in the Birck Hall of Science at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL.

For photos and a link to the campus map, please click here or on the highlighted link above. RSVP’s are not necessary for this paint-out. Participants may wish to bring a portable chair along with their art supplies.

Natural History from Around the World

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

Grab your gear and go – no plane tickets or passports needed! On Tuesday, March 22, 2016, between 9 am and noon, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will once again have the chance to sketch, draw, paint, and photograph specimens from every corner of the earth by visiting the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum in the Birck Hall of Science at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, in Lisle, IL. Please click on this link for a map of the campus.

For the first time, the museum has offered to bring specific specimens out of storage by request.  Paint-out participants can request specimens by contacting Jane Kellenberger (whose contact information can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook) before Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Jane will forward the requests to the museum staff.  A searchable online specimen catalog of the museum’s collection is available by clicking here.

Members can RSVP to Jane, but there is plenty of room for everyone, so last minute drop-ins are absolutely welcome!

Some seating is available, but participants are encouraged to bring a folding chair along with their art supplies and camera.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

February’s Best

Published on by Denise1 Comment

There are so many reasons to celebrate in February!  Some of our greatest presidents had birthdays in February, and St. Valentines day is celebrated in February. Outdoors  in February, high up in the trees, cute little balls of feathers that will grow up to be Great Horned Owls are hatching, and down on the ground, the first flowers of spring, skunk cabbage, (whose flowers give off enough heat to be able to melt the snow immediately around themselves) will be blooming.

One more reason to celebrate February is that it is the month of the annual Nature Artists’ Guild paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann in Villa Park, IL.  This year, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet from 8 am until 11 am on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 to sketch, draw, paint and photograph some of the thousands of orchids that will be blooming in February in the vast greenhouse of Orchids by Hausermann, the oldest and largest orchid grower in the Midwest.  Apart from booking a trip to some exotic location, it may be the best opportunity in the Chicagoland area this February to spend a relaxing morning in a warm, tropical environment, surrounded by gorgeous orchids.

Photo credit Orchids by Hausermann
Photo credit Orchids by Hausermann

Nature Artists’ Guild members should contact Jane Kellenberger (whose contact information can be found in their Yearbook) to reserve a spot at this popular event, since space is very limited.  Please click on this link to Orchids by Hausermann’s website for directions, and to view an online catalog of stunning orchids.

Who knew February had so much to offer?

New Year, New Wonderful Experiences!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

The Nature Artists’ Guild Executive Board members and Committee Chairs will be meeting this Thursday to discuss upcoming programs, paint-outs, presentations, exhibits, workshops, field trips and social gatherings, and we look forward to the schedule for 2016.  Nature Artists’ Guild members are always welcome to forward their ideas to any board or committee members, as events are added throughout the year.

Our busy new Program Coordinator (and Vice President), Sharon Malec, has already scheduled February and March, 2016 programs featuring artists JoAnne Laudolff and Rhonda Nass, and our new Outside Exhibits Chair, Gary Chipman,will be coordinating a Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit for February, 2016 at Gallery 200 in West Chicago, IL (members should have received a prospectus in December 2015).

Check back soon for more details!

Kind of Like Musical Chairs, but Everyone Wins!

Published on by Denise2 Comments

It’s on the first Thursday of the month from 7 until 9 at Thornhill, but it’s not a program. Nature Artists’ Guild members will be painting together, but it’s not a paint-out.  Members will be creating finished paintings, but it’s not a fundraiser.

It’s Painting-in-the Round!  This new event, on Thursday, September 3, 2015, led by Connie Devendorf and Susan Bartlett, is a gathering of  Nature Artists Guild members for no other purpose than to have fun, enjoy the company of fellow artists, and create a one-of-a kind acrylic painting to bring home.  

Each round table will seat several artists, and there will be a still-life of natural objects and plants in the center.  Each artist will be given a prepared (with black gesso) 12 x 12 canvas to begin painting on.  After a certain length of time, Connie or Susan will give the signal and each artist will pass their canvas to their neighbor to continue painting on it.  This continues until each canvas has gone all around the table and comes back to the original artist, who gets to take it home!  Maybe it is a small “masterpiece”, or maybe not. Either way, it is sure to be an evening filled with laughs and creativity.

All supplies will be provided at no cost for members, so please contact Susan Bartlett or Gail Diedrichsen to let them know if you’d like to participate as soon as possible, so they know approximately how many canvases to bring.  Nature Artists’ Guild members will find Susan and Gail’s contact information in their Yearbook.

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

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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!