White Petunia II, copyright Marge Hall, is included in the Into the Wild exhibit at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, IL until August 30.
Despite what we see and hear on the screens and in the stores, we know that summer is far from over and there is plenty of the season left to enjoy. The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum looks forward to making the most of it!
Works by more than 30 artists are showcased in the lovely cool and quiet gallery room overlooking the edge of a forest in Into the Wild, the summer exhibit by members of the Guild at the Hidden Oaks Nature Centerin Bolingbrook, IL, until August 30, 2025. (Artwork images coming soon.)
Spots at the popular annual paint-out at the Gardens of Ball are filling quickly! Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at Ball Horticultural’s spectacular display gardens on the morning of August 8, 2025. Registration is required.
Coffee and Art continues each Wednesday morning inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Artists can also head outdoors to gather reference material for their contribution to this autumn’s special exhibit, Flora! No registration is required for these friendly and informal gatherings.
Gardens at Ball photo credit Hoerr Schaudt. Click on image for more about the design of the gardens.
Pinks and purples, reds and yellows, greens and blues – all the colors of summer will be on display for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild at the August paint-out at the Gardens of Ball.Artists will want to bring their full palettes!
Each year, Ball Horticultural Company, one of the world’s leaders in “all facets of horticulture,” welcomes the Nature Artists’ Guild to its display gardens, the Gardens at Ball, to draw, paint, and photograph some of the thousands of plants showcased across its nine acres.
Participants will meet on August 8, 2025, at 9:30 am before spreading out to explore the beautifully landscaped gardens in their attempt to “capture the colors.”
Members of the Guild can register here or email Celia Rodee to receive more information about this event and be added to the list for email updates.
Woods Garden and Peter’s Pond, copyright Ann Lamoureux
The Nature Artists’ Guild has been invited to share the garden that has been the inspiration for many of the joyous works of artist Ann Lamoureux.
On the morning of Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 9:30, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will gather at the home of fellow artist Ann Lamoureux in Wheaton, IL, to paint, sketch, and photograph her garden.
Ann’s exuberant garden has just about everything a nature artist could ask for! There are shady nooks with cool colors, sunny spots featuring bright perennials, water features, towering trees, and a porch that provides a comfortable spot to enjoy it all.
Hosta, copyright Ann Lamoureux
Paint-Outs Coordinator Celia Rodee will join Ann in welcoming participants with her homemade baked goods and hot or iced coffee. Advance registration for this paint-out is required, and Celia will contact attendees with details and updates by email.
View of garden of Cynthia Hellyer Heinz and Earl Heinz
Update – An encore paint-out has been planned for August 22, 2025 at 10 am. Members can register here!
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will visit the garden of Cynthia Hellyer Heinz and Earl Heinz in Warrenville, IL, next Friday, June 13, 2025, for a paint-out and studio tour.
Paint-Outs Coordinator (and accomplished baker) Celia Rodee will meet participants at 9:30 am with coffee (hot or iced) and homemade scones at the private garden of artists Cynthia Hellyer Heinz and Earl Heinz.
Cynthia is an artist and associate professor at the School of Art and Design at NIU, and Earl creates wonderful works in ceramics. Their colorful and whimsical garden near the DuPage River is a reflection of their creativity and artistic talents. To add to the experience, paint-out participants are invited to join Cynthia on an informal tour of her home studio!
May and June bring all kinds of good things to Chicagoland! The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum has plans to celebrate with a field trip, preparations for an exhibit, a program featuring three members sharing their talents, a garden paint-out, and weekly Coffee and Art gatherings.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and guests will receive information this week about an outing to the great city of Chicago to visit two museums currently exhibiting nature art. Participants will visit the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art for Lichen and Coral, a two-person exhibit featuring work by Guild member Sandra Wilcoxon, and Driehaus Museum for an exhibit of work by Rory McEwen, a “20th century botanical master.” Plans for lunch at a nearby cafe will also be shared. Members are welcome to bring guests, and can register here.
In late May, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will receive an email with all the details about, and a link to register for, an exhibit at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, IL. The newly renovated center includes a well-lit area on the second floor of the award-winning building, ideal for exhibiting artwork. Guild members’ artwork will be displayed from July 5 to August 30, 2025.
On Thursday, June 5, 2025, beginning at 7 pm, three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will share their inspirations, insights, tools, and techniques at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. The program will be open to all, free of charge, and admission fees to the Arboretum will be waived for the event. More details soon. Note – The Guild urgently needs a volunteer to supply snacks for this meeting (costs reimbursed by the Guild). Any member who can help should email Terrie McComb or use this contact form.
June’s paint-out will be at a private garden blooming with glorious color. Details for the paint-out are being worked out, and Guild members will be the first to know when they are available.
Coffee and Art gatherings continue to meet each Wednesday morning (weather permitting) after 9. Guild members, their guests, or any other interested artists are invited to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. No registration is required (regular gate fees will apply). The Arboretum will be filled with inspiration from which Guild members may choose to begin their “Flora” artwork!
The forecast is for a cool morning with plenty of warm sunshine for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s paint-out at Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL, this Thursday.
Artists will meet at Lilacia Park on May 8, 2025 at 9:30 am to grab a coffee and one (or two?) of Celia’s homemade muffins before finding their inspiration throughout the park’s more than 7 acres.
700 lilacs, 35,000 tulips, coffee, and Celia’s homemade muffins will welcome artists arriving at the Nature Artists’ Guild’s paint-out at Lilacia Park on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 9:30 am.
In addition to the scents and scenery, Lombard’s annual Lilac Time festival honors and celebrates the park’s long and fascinating history featuring Col. William Plum and his wife, Helen Maria Williams Plum, Joy Morton, and renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen.
The Nature Artists’ Guild’s Daffodil Glade paint-out at The Morton Arboretum is just a few days away! Who knows what the weather will bring, but two things are for certain—the daffodils will be in full bloom, and Celia’s homemade muffins will be delicious.
The paint-out will begin at 9:30 am on April 17 as participants meet at the Fragrance Garden entrance,near the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum, to grab a cup of hot coffee and a homemade muffin before heading out to find a scenic spot among the daffodils. Registration is recommended to receive more details and possible updates about rescheduling due to inclement weather. Non-members are also invited to stop by (Arboretum gate fees will apply).
The Daffodil Glade paint-out will also be a great opportunity for members to begin working on the Guild’s annual project honoring The Morton Arboretum. This year’s theme will be “Flora.” Each artist can create up to three 8 x 8 inch works, completed at or inspired by the Arboretum, to be included in a special display at the annual Autumn Exhibit. More details to come soon!
A little cold and snow won’t stop the daffodils! The green shoots now appearing throughout the area will become flowers in full bloom by next month, and members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be gathering at The Morton Arboretum to enjoy the show.
On Thursday, April 17, 2025, beginning at 9:30 am, Guild artists will meet near the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum for a paint-out at one of the Arboretum’s treasures, Daffodil Glade.
Coffee and Celia’s homemade muffins will be on hand to welcome participants, who can then wander off with their portable chairs and art supplies to find picturesque spots for enjoying the morning.
While everyone is invited to drop by the paint-out, registration is recommended (even for non-members) in order to receive email updates and details. A rain date may be announced later if necessary.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, watercolor, copyright Vicki Liszewski, Spring 2025 Featured Artist
And here it is! Chicagoland residents don’t need a calendar to know when spring has arrived. Almost overnight, the woods are filled with movement and sound, and green shoots begin to appear everywhere. Later this month, tiny, flitting Golden–crowned Kinglets will be spotted along wooded trails, seeming to cheerfully accompany humans on their walks.
The Guild will also be celebrating spring with a paint-out at the Arboretum’s beloved Daffodil Glade in April and the beginning of this year’s small-works project honoring the Arboretum, Flora. (More to come soon about these events.)
Nature Artists' Guild 
