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A Reminder for Subscribers

If you receive these posts by e-mail, it’s easy to forget that all of the Nature Artists’ Guild posts delivered to your inbox are also available any time by going to www.natureartistsguild.com.

You will be able to scroll through older posts (going back years), search for a particular topic, event, or artist by typing in a key word, choose a category to see all of the posts with that label, or choose a month to see everything posted within that time frame.  There are also other items to explore that aren’t delivered by e-mail, such as the Featured Artist, Member Artwork, and Committees pages.

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Creativity, Learning, and Fun on September 5, 2019

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to attend a fun and educational gathering on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 7 pm.  Participants will be exploring techniques for working on wood to create unique hand-made objects for fundraising at the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Holiday (Autumn) Exhibition of Natural History Art on November 9 and 10, 2019.

Fellow artists will be sharing their skills in nature printing, collage, colored pencil, pen and ink, painting, staining and much more.  Some supplies will be available, but artists are also encouraged to bring a few of their own. Wood will be provided.

All proceeds from the fundraising will be used to support the Nature Artists’ Guild.  This event is for members only, and will meet at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

Photo credit Nature Artists’ Guild Fundraising Committee

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An Opportunity to Learn Woodblock Printing with Ben Calvert

Nature Artists’ Guild members may remember Ben Calvert from his fascinating presentation on creating woodblock prints in February, 2019.  Ben will be teaching a four-evening introductory class beginning on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 and continuing for the following three Wednesday evenings, at The Morton Arboretum, where he will share the history, supplies, and processes involved in woodblock printing.  All supplies are included.

All are welcome to join Ben in this class, which will be suitable for all skill levels.  There is no requirement to be a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild or The Morton Arboretum to register, although Arboretum members will receive a discounted enrollment fee.  Please click here to register or to read more about the course.

Fellow procrastinators should note that to prevent cancellation, The Morton Arboretum requires a minimum enrollment number well before the start date of any class.  To minimize the likelihood of any class cancellations, early enrollment is highly encouraged.

Great Migrator Rest Stop, copyright 2018, Benjamin F. Calvert III.  Please click on the image to be directed to Ben’s website.

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Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2019 Summer Encounter Artwork

The 2019 Summer Encounter for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild has come to an end. This project required the artists to start their artwork at one point of their paper or canvas (usually the bottom) and add to it each week, without necessarily knowing exactly where it would lead.  The results were impressive and wonderful!

Some of the participants have kindly agreed to share their Encounter artwork with us here.  Perhaps we’ll be seeing some of these pieces again in the upcoming Fall (Holiday) Exhibition of Natural History Art in November at The Morton Arboretum.  Congratulations to all the participating artists for, once again, venturing outside their comfort zone.

Larger images of the artwork can be seen on the 2019 Summer Encounter Gallery page under the Member Artwork tab of this website.

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Coming Soon for the Nature Artists’ Guild

  • There will be a paint-out this September for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, with the exact date and location to be announced shortly.  Update – the paint-out will be at Chicago’s Field Museum with Peggy Macnamara at 10 am on September 18, 2019. More details to come soon!
  • The prospectus for the 2019 Autumn (Holiday) Exhibition of Natural History Art at The Morton Arboretum will be sent in early September to all members of the Nature Artists’ Guild.  New members are welcome to join the Guild before then to receive a prospectus.
  • Images from the 2019 Summer Encounter are being received from the artists and will be shared here and in the next issue of the Nature Artists’ Quarterly (a members-only publication).
  • A Creative Event has been scheduled for September 5, 2019 at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum for Nature Artists’ Guild members.  Lots of fun and creativity will be in store as members create handmade objects to sell at the Autumn (Holiday) Exhibit.  A list of skills being shared and suggested supplies to bring was sent to members on August 12.  All proceeds from the sales will be used to support the Nature Artists’ Guild.
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A Trip to Australia with Nature Artists’ Guild’s Featured Artist, Karen Johnson

The Nature Artists’ Guild’s Featured Artist for Spring and Summer of 2019, Karen Johnson, has just returned from a trip to Australia.  Karen has been journaling her adventures in nature for years with words, photos and artwork on her blog, Karen’s Nature Art.  Needless to say, the nature she encountered in Australia is a little different from what may be seen in Chicagoland.  Karen has captured her impressions of the trip wonderfully, and a visit to her blog to see all of her sketches is definitely worth the click!

Image from Australia trip sketchbook pages.  Copyright Karen A Johnson. Used with permission.

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Nature Artists’ Guild Program Next Thursday, August 1, 2019

The next program sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild is only one week away, on Thursday evening, August 1, 2019 from 7 until 9 pm at The Morton Arboretum. This program will feature three stations with different types of artwork being done at each.  Please click on this link to read more.

All fans of nature and art are welcome to attend, free-of-charge.

Autumn Prairie, pen and ink, copyright Nancy Kolar.
Full Wolf Blood Moon, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
Thistle, copyright Jill Adzia

Please click on any of the images for larger versions and artist names.