Category: Paint-Outs

‘Tossing their heads in sprightly dance’

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Daffodil Glade, copyright Yvonne Buckley

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

……………………………………

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

……………………………………

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Wordsworth, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (3-4, 11-12, 23-24)

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to join their fellow artists at the Daffodil Glade of The Morton Arboretum for a paint-out on the morning of Friday, April 19, 2024 from 9:30 to noon. (Note – paint-out was postponed from April 17 due to weather concerns. Participants do not need to re-register.)

The Arboretum’s latest Bloom Report shows the daffodils thriving, accompanied by their little blue dance partners, Siberian squill. Add some sunshine (hopefully), and coffee and homemade scones provided by Paint-Out Chair and accomplished baker Celia Rodee, and members might just be tempted to ‘dance with the daffodils’.

Nature Artists’ Guild members and their guests are invited to stop by the glade any time between 9:30 and noon, but registration (by clicking here) or emailing Celia is strongly recommended in order to receive details and updates by email.

Rachel Davis with “Paintings, Prints, and Textiles” on March 7, 2024

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Rachel Davis natural dyed fabrics and sketchbook details. Click on image for more of Rachel’s work.

The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud to sponsor a program featuring multi-talented artist Rachel Davis this Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

Rachel Davis will finish teaching her class, Natural Dyes on Silk at The Morton Arboretum just one day before the Nature Artists’ Guild welcomes her back to the Arboretum to share some of her knowledge, inspirations, and tools and techniques with the Guild and visitors at Thornhill from 7 until 9 pm.

This program will be open to the public, completely free of charge. There is no requirement to be a member of the Arboretum or the Guild to attend, and there will be no fee for entering the Arboretum or for parking. Visitors can let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill.

Dyed and printed silk scarf, Rachel Davis

More for Nature Artists’ Guild members –

  • Posters and postcards for the 2024 Spring Nature Art Exhibit will be available at the March 7 program for members and visitors to take and share with their friends and local businesses or groups.
  • Any Guild member who has not already registered can drop off their completed prospectus and fee (cash or check) for the 2024 Spring Art Exhibit in person at the March 7 program. The final day to register (postmarked by, online, or in person) is March 8, 2024.
  • Members who would like to contribute items for the fund-raising raffle baskets can drop them off at the March 7 program. (A list of suggestions was recently emailed to members.)

More than Mammals at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum

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Photos from Virtual Tour of the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum

There’s little doubt that the large mammals initially grab visitors’ attention at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, but smaller specimens, with their intricate textures, colors, and designs, can be every bit as fascinating for nature artists.

On Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 9 am, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University to draw, paint, sketch, study, and photograph some of the more than 10,000 specimens in their collection.

Interested members can register here or by contacting Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee to be added to her email list for further details and updates.

Coming Soon for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Hail to the Kingbird, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe. Lindsay will be the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Featured Artist of the 2024 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.

As spring begins to peek around the corner, the Nature Artists’ Guild looks forward to all the wonders that it brings.

For the Nature Artists’ Guild, spring brings not only the return of all the wonderful flora and fauna of the season, but also an exhibit at The Morton Arboretum, paint-outs, and a presentation by a talented artist.

  • A spring tradition for the Nature Artists’ Guild is the annual paint-out at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine College in Lisle, IL. The Guild will have exclusive access for sketching, painting, and photographing some of the bird, mammal, insect, and reptile specimens in the museum’s collection on the morning of March 7, 2023. While members are welcome to drop by any time that morning, registering in advance will ensure that they receive any emails with details and updates about the paint-out.
  • The March 7, 2024 program sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum will feature Rachel Davis, a talented artist who will share techniques and inspirations for her fabulous and fun work in “painting, prints, and textiles.” The presentation, from 7 until 9 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of the Arboretum will be open to all, free of charge. (Copies of the Spring Nature Art Exhibit’s postcards and posters will also be available that evening for members to take and share with friends and local businesses.)
  • The Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual Spring Nature Art Exhibit has marked the beginning of the season at The Morton Arboretum for more than 30 years. This year’s exhibit will include approximately 200 works of art by more than 50 members of the Guild, including Featured Artist Lindsay Sandbothe, from April 5 through April 7, 2024. Members of the Guild were emailed a link to the prospectus and online registration form on February 5. Much more to come soon!
Towards Arctic Shores, lithograph, copyright Lars Jonsson, Sweden. Photo courtesy of Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

Note – While the Nature Artists’ Guild was unfortunately unable to organize a field trip to the Plum Creek Nature Center to experience the internationally renowned Birds in Art exhibit, we encourage our members to consider visiting (about an hour’s drive from The Morton Arboretum) before February 25, 2024. 

The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin selected 112 pieces from many of the best bird artists from throughout the world to be included in their 48th annual Birds in Art exhibit for 2023. 60 of those pieces are now traveling to a limited number of venues on their touring exhibition throughout the United States, and their first stop is in Illinois, brought to the Forest Preserve District of Will County through funding by the Nature Foundation of Will County (a recent sponsor of a Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit).

Paint-Out at Orchids by Hausermann February 8, 2024

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Greenhouse at Orchids by Hausermann and artwork by (clockwise) Maggie Mardis, Linda Fairbanks, Nancy Wu

This Thursday, February 8, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will return for their annual ‘trip to the tropics’ at the greenhouse of one of the world’s largest growers of orchids, Orchids by Hausermann.

Whatever the weather outside, inside the greenhouse it will be balmy and filled with the sights and scents of the tropics. The paint-out begins at 7:30 am and continues until 10. The early start allows our artists to have exclusive use of the facility before the showroom opens to the public. 

To help the creativity flow at such an early hour, Paint-out Coordinator Celia Rodee will supply hot coffee and a delicious snack to all attendees. In addition, one lucky participant will be randomly chosen to receive a gift certificate towards the purchase of a stunning orchid to bring home!  Interested members can register here and be added to the email list for updates and details, or contact Celia by email.

Botanical Artist Claudia Lane Tomorrow, February 1, 2024

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Claudia Lane and ‘Ginkgo biloba, female’

Tomorrow at 7 pm, February 1, 2024, Claudia Lane will present ‘The Evolution of Botanical Art’ to members and guests of the Nature Artists’ Guild. 

Guild members and guests were emailed a link to this online live presentation on January 25. Please click here to read more.

In other Nature Artists’ Guild news –

  • The Guild is now accepting reservations for the limited spots available at the upcoming paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann on the morning of February 8, 2024 from 7:30 to 10. This paint-out starts early so that participating artists can enjoy the greenhouse before the display area opens to the public for the day. Interested members can register here or contact Celia Rodee to be added to the email list for updates and details. 
  • Guild members who would like to contribute artwork images for the Spring Quarterly can do so by February 3. An email sent to members on January 26 has all the details.
  • The Nature Artists’ Guild continues to welcome new and returning members for 2024. Interested artists can join online or by mail (more details here) and be eligible to receive a prospectus (to be emailed late next month) for the upcoming Spring Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.

‘Field’ Trip for the Nature Artists’ Guild on January 31, 2024

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Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are heading back to the world-renowned Field Museum to draw and paint.

White-tailed deer diorama, Nature Walk & Messages from the Wilderness, Field Museum. Photo credit FieldMuseum.org.

Nearly everyone who grew up in Chicago or its suburbs will remember the excitement of boarding a big yellow bus with their classmates and eventually spilling out to skip up those impressive steps to the entrance of the Field Museum. First, the awe of the Stanley Field Hall. Then, the treasures, large and small. The dinosaurs! The gems! The mummies! The elephants! The dioramas! Where to begin?

Entrance to the Field Museum. Photo credit FieldMuseum.org.

At 9:30 on the morning of Wednesday, January 31, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be revisiting the wonders that the Field Museum, one of the world’s largest museums of natural history, has to offer. At this paint-in, members will probably spend most of their time drawing or painting in the quiet corners of the dioramas (click here for a short video of Artist-in-Residence and friend of the Guild, Peggy Macnamara, doing just that). But the other artifacts are still there, along with many new and modern attractions, for visitors to enjoy after the sketching is done. 

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild recently received an email with details about meeting at the museum. Admission will be free on this day, but members will have to arrange for their own transportation, and there will be a fee for parking. Those who would like to attend can register here by January 28 to learn more and receive email updates from Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee.

Photo credit FieldMuseum.org.

Farewell to 2023 from the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Deer Morning, copyright Marybeth Devine. Click on the image above for a quick look at 2023 or scroll through this website for all the posts and images.

The Nature Artists’ Guild bids farewell to 2023 with fond memories of programs, paint-outs, parties, exhibits, and the friendship and support of fellow artists. 

The Guild would like to welcome first-time and returning members to new opportunities to explore and share the appreciation of nature through art in 2024! 

Click here to join or renew
  • Copyright Heidi Jachna
  • Copyright Jane Kellenberger
  • 2023 Autumn Cards
  • Morning Revelation, copyright Beth Berry
  • 2023 Holiday Party Invitation by Margie Navolio
  • Red Oak Branch, copyright Joanne McKibben
  • Forest in Ireland, copyright Marybeth Devine
  • Red Saddlebags Dragonfly, copyright Karen A. Johnson
  • Naturalist Treasure Trove #1, copyright Cheryl Holz
  • Short Eared owl, copyright Michelle Buziak
  • Lakeside Birch, copyright Marlene Vitek
  • Sparrow, copyright Lisa Kanellos
  • Sneak Preview, copyright Mary Ann Jimenez
  • Snowy Enchantment, copyright Mary Roberts
  • Blown Flower, copyright Joe Rizzo
  • Near Lake Marmo. Photo credit The Morton Arboretum.
  • Colorful Ramirezi and Friends, copyright Joe Rizzo
  • Autumn 2023 Exhibit poster artwork by Joe Rizzo
  • Green Kingdom, copyright Bryce Lafferty, Visiting Artist
  • Joy Morton on Joy Path. Photo credit The Morton Arboretum.
  • Rock and Gravel Garden, Cantigny Gardens
  • Presenter John Fleck
  • Copyright Linda Hilderbrant
  • Landscape in charcoal, copyright John Fleck
  • The Morton Arboretum, photo credit mortonarb.org
  • Exhibit postcard, McCord Gallery. Artwork by Alice Wych.
  • Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum
  • Garden of Anne and Charles Bouchard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Photo credit Anne and Charles Bouchard.
  • House Wren, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • McCord Gallery and Cultural Center
  • Woodridge Library exhibit postcard. Artwork by Cheryl Holz.
  • Lilacia Park, Lombard, IL
  • Common Redpoll, copyright Mary Voegeli
  • Myna in Maui, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe
  • Last Flowers of Winter, copyright Linda Fairbanks
  • Robin in her Nest, copyright Celia Rodee
  • Snow Glories Peek, copyright Patricia Mroczka
  • Watercolors by presenter Thomas Trausch
  • Lion specimen at Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum
  • Book by online presenter Amy Lindenberger
  • Examples of 8 x 8 artwork for Joy’s Vision project
  • Specimens at the Herbarium at The Morton Arboretum
  • Gardens at Ball, photo credit ballhort.com
  • Ball Horticultural
  • Great Blue Heron, copyright Jill Adzia
  • My Favorite Flower, in progress and complete, copyright Mary Ann Jimenez
  • Morning Meeting, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Jewels of Spring, copyright Beth Berry
  • Winter 2023 cards
  • Spring 2023 Exhibit poster. Artwork by Pat Mcrozka.
  • Summer Splendor, copyright Maggie Mardis
  • Various spring events
  • Frames at Colbert Custom Framing
  • Mauvelous Mallow, copyright Alice Wych
  • Artwork by member program presenters Joe Rizzo, Cindy Franks, Alice Wych

Jump into your Jodhpurs and Collect your Cloche!

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The Morton Arboretum’s first picnic area near Lake Marmo. Copyright Sterling Morton Library, The Morton Arboretum.

We’re Meeting at Marmo!

Of course, nearly 100 years after this photo was taken, comfortable painting clothes, a warm drink, and a folding chair might be more appropriate for those members of the Nature Artists’ Guild meeting at the lovely Lake Marmo at The Morton Arboretum for a paint-out on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 beginning at 9:30 am.

Guild members can register here to be added to an email list to receive details and updates about the paint-out. Those who would rather just stop by might have to look around for their fellow artists (who may or may not be wearing berets) scattered around the lake.

This paint-out at Lake Marmo would be a great opportunity for Nature Artists’ Guild members to find inspiration or complete a drawing or painting for this fall’s Joy’s Vision special display at the Sterling Morton Library.

Important Reminder – the final day for members to register for the 2023 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit is October 7, 2023. Guild members were emailed a link to the prospectus and online registration form in recent weeks.

Lake Marmo Paint-Out on October 4, 2023

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Lake Marmo Reflections, copyright Laverne Bohlin

It should be a work of art … In short, it should be a beautiful place, affecting one like a beautiful painting.

O.C. Simonds

The creation of Lake Marmo (named after Joy Morton’s wife, Margaret Morton) at The Morton Arboretum began in the autumn of 1922 with crews using teams of mules and dredges to widen and deepen a small tributary of the DuPage River. Working with those crews was renowned landscape designer O.C. Simonds, who believed that an arboretum should be more than a museum of trees. He wrote that it should also be a “work of art … like a beautiful painting.”

Just over one hundred years later, at 9:30 on the morning of Wednesday, October 4, 2023 (rain date October 11), Nature Artists’ Guild members will meet at Lake Marmo to attempt to capture the stunning autumn colors of the lake, sky, and surrounding landscape in their own “beautiful paintings,” drawings, or photographs. Members can register here to be added to the email list for paint-out details and updates.

This paint-out would be a wonderful opportunity for Guild members to find inspiration for the special exhibit of 8 x 8 small works, Joy’s Vision, at the Sterling Morton Library during the 2023 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit.