Nature Artists’ Guild liaison, Suzanne Wegener describes our upcoming program featuring Marlene Hill Donnelly –
Nature artists have color considerations beyond those of other artists—we need to be able to mix both the intense and precise colors of our flowers, birds and insects, and the quiet but luminous colors of shadow, reflected light and distance. Marlene will first demonstrate her system of “color mapping” designed to create a team of colors for any subject to ensure both accuracy and interest. Next she will demonstrate a very loose and expressive method that can be used to learn color mixing in a fun and meditative way as well as to create finished paintings or backgrounds.
Marlene HIll Donnelly is a third generation artist with degrees in Fine Art from the American Academy of Art in Chicago and in Zoology, with a minor in Botany, from University of Illinois. She is a science artist Associate for the Field Museum, reconstructing ancient landscapes and extinct plants and animals for the Department of Geology. She also works with the Smithsonian Institution, University College Dublin, Ireland, and many other institutions, bringing the past to life. Her work is widely published and is exhibited in museums throughout the world. She is a Certificate Course instructor at the Chicago Botanic Garden and at the Morton Arboretum.
At our formal meeting on Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 7 pm, Dick Blick Wheaton store manager Kevin Sandstrom and his associates will be performing product demonstrations and even handing out some free samples!
Along with his experience in retail management and marketing, Kevin is an experienced freelance illustrator, and founder of various artist groups and forums.
Please join your fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members in what we expect to be a fun and informative evening!
Priscilla Humay is a talented, established artist, who will be sharing some of the inspiration and techniques behind the creation of her colored-pencil landscapes at the June 2, 2011 meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, from 7 to 9 pm.
Priscilla’s artwork is included in numerous private and corporate collections, as well as the Bauhaus Archive in Germany, the Chicago Historical Society, and the University of Illinois archives. Priscilla also participates in and receives awards in such high profile shows as the CPSA International Exhibition.
Educated at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology and Charles University, Prague, Priscilla’s art has been featured in numerous publications, including the Best of Colored Pencil III and V.
Some may know Priscilla as a Visiting Artist Instructor at The Morton Arboretum. She is also a Certificate Program Instructor at the Chicago Botanic Garden, as well as the Peninsula Art School in Door County, WI and the Art Center in Highland Park. Priscilla serves as creator and instructor of a host of her own workshops, including those entitled “ Introductory Plein Aire Colored Pencil”, “The Aerial Landscape – Clouds”, “Drawing the Color of Summer”, and “Land, Sky and In-between”.
Visit Priscilla’s website, www.humayfineart.com to preview her vibrant, rhythmic landscapes and then join us for an enjoyable and informative evening with Priscilla!
Although we’ve all seen and admired her beautiful creations, soon we’ll also have the opportunity to see just how she does it! We’re talking about, of course, Sharon Malec, one of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s own talented fiber artists. At our formal meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2011, from 7 to 9 pm, Sharon will give us some background on various types of fiber art, including quilting and wool needle felting, bring some of her work, and even conduct a demonstration of some of her techniques!
Sharon’s interest in nature helped to develop her distinctive style of art, and she is now most recognized for her unique and realistic depictions of nature and wildlife in fiber. Her talents have led Sharon to serve on the faculty at national quilt shows, be published in Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, and have quilts in the permanent collections of the Museum of the American Quilt’s Society in KY, the Lincoln Memorial library in CA, and the Norris Gallery in IL.
An excellent instructor, Sharon also shares her knowledge and experience in three books, 64 patterns, and an instructional video. Sharon’s website is www.malec-designs.com.
Last evening at our formal program, Winnie Godfrey captivated us with her artwork, her warmth and her humor. Seeing slides of her artwork, hearing stories of her art adventures, asking her questions, and getting the chance to see many of her original paintings (including a favorite of hers and most of the audience – Peony, seen in the post below, as well as one part of the triptych also posted below), made it absolutely worthwhile to have braved the cold!
Thank you, Winnie, for going the extra mile and bringing your gorgeous paintings. What a wonderful treat!
At the first formal meeting in 2011 of the Nature Artists’ Guild, on Thursday, February 10 from 7 to 9 pm, we will have the privilege of welcoming accomplished artist Winifred Godfrey.
While best known for her stunning grand-scale floral paintings, Winnie also has a national following for her work in other subjects. Winnie has been featured in numerous publications, is the recipient of many honors, and her artwork is included in private, corporate and museum collections and has been exhibited throughout North America.
A few of Winnie’s most recent accomplishments in the last few months have been a one-woman exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center and participation in the renowned Grand Rapids “ArtPrize” competition ( with a 72” x 112” floral triptych of gladioli!)
In Winnie’s words, “What primarily interests me in painting flowers is the delicate and temporary quality of the blossom. Although they are painted realistically, the subject is just the starting point for an abstract study of luminosity, transparency and form.”
“The trick is to catch my live subjects at precisely the right moment when the sun illuminates their fragile components.”
Please visit Winnie’s website for a better appreciation of the delight in store for our February meeting. What a way to brighten up a winter evening and turn our attention towards spring!
While most of us have had the pleasure of meeting Nancy Hart (Stieber), many of us only know her as an always friendly, fun, and helpful fellow member of the Nature Artists’ Guild. What many of us don’t realize is that Nancy is also the retired Staff Artist of the Morton Arboretum and Curator of Rare Prints and Drawings at the Sterling Morton library, as well as the developer of the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program and the founder of our very own Nature Artists’ Guild! A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nancy has notable accomplishments in an incredible array of learning, teaching, designing, lecturing and exhibiting (including The Smithsonian Institution, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The New York Natural History Museum) activities.
Nancy, Rhino, Hippo Head (Raku), Bear
Please join us asat the arboretum’s Thornhill Educational Center on Thursday, October 7 at 7:00 pm, as Nancy shares her enthusiasm as well as the challenges presented by her newest form of creative expression, the art of sculpture in ceramics. Her new third dimensional work is so different from her previous two dimensional work that Nancy reports that “to think of a piece from all sides at the same time makes my head hurt! But I love it!” She also loves the history around the human use of clay, which is “omnipresent” and “all wrapped up in the earliest of human endeavors”, as well as “the feel of clay at all stages”. Nancy’s love of her latest chosen art form is even more apparent in her statement that “It is almost alive as it changes from dust to the final beauty of artists’ creations”. Not only will Nancy bring examples of her work and discuss basic hand-building , but she will be bringing clay for each of us and guiding us through the formation of a tea bowl!
As always, refreshments will be served and guests and visitors are welcome!
Approximately 58 members and visitors turned out to enjoy our recent Prismacolor seminar conducted by Diana Garrett, who certainly did not disappoint! Between her friendly style, her demonstrations, tips, prizes, and samples, Diana kept the crowd enthralled. Thank you Diana, and we hope to have you back again soon!
Pamela Hart, painter of luminous oil landscapes, will be our featured presenter and speaker at the June 3, 2010 meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild.
Pamela’s traditional style of oil painting is greatly influenced by the Impressionists, as well as the Flemish portrait painters of the 14th and 15th centuries. Her technique of layering highly reflective whites, then numerous glazes of transparent and translucent colors, enhances the luminosity of her work. The finished paintings have an incredible glow and depth that draws the viewer right in. Continue reading “June Meeting Features Luminous Landscapes of Pamela Hart”→
On Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:00 pm, please join us at our formal meeting as renowned sculptor and painter Victoria Fuller shares her art experiences. Victoria’s works range from delicate watercolor paintings of flora and fauna to large scale public sculptures. Her 35 foot bronze sculpture Global Garden Shovel, recently installed in the city of Seattle, “is constructed from castings and manual replications of indigenous plants and trees from the tropics and northern climates. The sculpture is also a reminder of the crucial role that plants play in sustaining life on our planet, such as producing food, medicine, oxygen, moisture, as well as providing beauty and enjoyment in our everyday lives”.
Global Garden Shovel (detail), Victoria Fuller
“In search for knowledge and adventure” Victoria has “traveled to China, witnessing the Tiananmen Square uprising, to Africa on photo Safari, and the Amazon on a house boat, creating botanical illustrations. She has lived in Paris to study French, New York to immerse herself in the NY art scene, and in San Francisco to study at the San Francisco Art Institute.” Victoria moved to Chicago in 1992 to obtain an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her award-winning work has been featured in exhibitions from Chicago to New York, as well as in numerous publications.
Roseate Spoonbill, Victoria Fuller
Please join us for what will surely be a fascinating evening as Victoria shares her experiences. You can read more about Victoria online at http://www.ObjectArtist.com.
