Category: Paint-Outs

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.

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.

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!

Registration is required for this paint-out, and no rain date will be scheduled. Celia will email registered attendees with the paint-out address and other details.

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.

Originally designed by renowned landscape architect, Jens Jensen, the park features 700 lilacs, 35,000 tulips, water features, flowering trees, and towering oaks, all connected by winding paths. Lilacia Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

Paint-out participants can register here to be sure to receive details and updates about the paint-out, but drop-ins are also welcome.

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 Guild’s paint-out is scheduled to end at noon, when other festival events, such as local garden club and park district lilac and perennial plant sales, begin.

Interested artists are encouraged to register here to be added to an email list for details and possible weather cancellations or other updates.

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.