Pinks and Purples of Summer this Week

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Zinnia, color pencil, copyright Alice Wych

As the nights become a little cooler and the earliest signs of autumn begin to appear, we know that, although there will be plenty of yellows and golds in the months ahead, many of the pinks and purples of summer will begin to fade.

To celebrate the pink and purple blossoms before they disappear, we are inviting participants in this week’s Wednesday Morning Coffee and Art gathering to try to find a flower from their garden to bring along for themselves or other attendees to sketch. A few members will bring some different types of color pencils for others to try as well.

All Nature Artists’ Guild members are invited to drop in at the seating area of the cafe in the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum any Wednesday morning beginning at 9 to spend a little time sketching, chatting, or enjoying the morning quiet. (Timed-entry passes are required and are usually available the same morning.)

Copyright Lisa Kanellos, from the 2021 ‘Seeds of Inspiration‘ project.

Just this Week for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Shady Lakes, pastel, copyright Laverne Bohlin. Used with permission.

This week the members of the Nature Artists’ Guild –

  • Can still contribute to the upcoming Quarterly by sending images of their autumn-focused artwork to Jane Kellenberger. Images must be sent by today, August 1, 2022.
  • Can try out pastels at this week’s Coffee and Art Club on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 beginning at 9 am. A few basic supplies will be shared by fellow artists so that interested members can give the medium a try. There is hope that our program presenter for Thursday (and fellow member) Laverne Bohlin will join us for coffee and a chat. Timed-entry passes will be required (usually available the same morning.)
  • Can attend a program by renowned pastel artist Laverne Bohlin on Thursday, August 4, 2022. Laverne will share some of her techniques and inspirations beginning at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. Visitors and guests are welcome to attend this program free of charge and can let the gate attendant at the Arboretum know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill. Timed-entry passes are not required for this event.
  • Will open a new exhibit at Gallery 200 in West Chicago. A reception, complete with refreshments and open to all, will be held at the gallery on Friday, August 5, 2022 from 6 to 8 pm.
  • Will learn more about a project to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Schulenberg Prairie at The Morton Arboretum. Details are still being worked out and will be shared with members as soon as they are finalized. The Schulenberg Prairie is “one of the nation’s oldest and most successful prairie and savanna restorations.” – mortonarb.org

As always, please click on the highlighted links for more information.

Nature Artists’ Guild’s Late Summer Events

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Coleus, copyright Ann Lamoureux will be one of the lovely pieces exhibited at Gallery 200 during August 2022.

The Nature Artists’ Guild is returning to Gallery 200 in West Chicago this August. This spacious and vibrant gallery regularly showcases the work of thirty artists but has plenty of room for special exhibits as well. The artwork of participating Nature Artists’ Guild members will be featured from Thursday, August 4 until Friday, August 26, 2022. (Artwork drop-off will be from 11 am until 1 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2022.)

A reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, August 5 from 6 until 8 pm. All are welcome to drop in to meet some of the artists and enjoy the exhibit.

Red-tailed Hawk, copyright Alice Wych is one of more than fifty pieces of artwork in Visions of Nature at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center during July 2022.

Visions of Nature at Hidden Oaks Nature Center ends on Saturday, July 30, 2022. This wonderful exhibit includes more than fifty works of art by Nature Artists’ Guild members. (Artwork pick-up will be on Sunday, July 31, 2022 between noon and 2 pm.)

Wetland Tangle, copyright Laverne Bohlin

August also begins with a program sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild featuring Laverne Bohlin and her serene pastels. This program will be open to all, free-of-charge, on Thursday, August 4, 2022 beginning at 7 pm.

More details about these events can be found by clicking on the highlighted links.

Visions of Nature Continues through July 2022 at Hidden Oaks

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Arrive for the Art and the Architecture and Stay for the Sights, Scents, and Sounds of Nature

Visions of Nature, an exhibit of more than fifty works by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will continue until the end of July 2022 at the newly reopened Hidden Oaks Nature Center.

Here is a quick look at some of the wonderful artwork included in the exhibit –

  • Jack in the Pulpit, copyright Nancy Thyfault
  • Red-tailed Hawk, copyright Alice Wych
  • Rabbits, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
  • Colorful Iris, copyright Linn Eldred
  • Blue Jay, copyright Jane Kellenberger
  • Porcini and Pinecones, copyright Jane Kellenberger
  • Kiwi Harvest, copyright Linda Fairbanks
  • Blue Heron, copyright Margaret Navolio
  • Red Currant, copyright Irena Gintilas
  • Coneflowers, copyright Alice Wych
  • Slate -Colored Junco, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • Path, copyright Linda Fairbanks
  • Red Gooseberry, copyright Irena Gintilas
  • Sycamore Leaf, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
  • Goldfinch and Squirrel, copyright Cindy Kerchmar
  • Short-eared Owl, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
  • Perseverance Conquers All, copyright Nancy Wu
  • Empress Lotus, copyright Kumie Kim
  • Shotting Star, copyright Cindy Kerchmar
  • Pink Magnolias, copyright Paulette McDermott
  • Virginia Bluebells, copyright Linn Eldred
  • Cedar Waxwings, copyright Arlene Widrevitz
  • Spring Keeps Her Promise, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker

Visions of Nature at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center is a collaboration between the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum and the Forest Preserve District of Will County and funded by The Nature Foundation of Will County.

Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Detail of photo by Suzy Lyttle, Forest Preserve District of Will County.

Little Red Schoolhouse Paint-Out Update

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Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center has educated and delighted generations of families with live animals, exhibits and self-guided trails.

Forest Preserve District of Cook County
How it might have looked long ago – digitally-aged detail of a current photo from the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

On Monday, July 25, 2022, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet for a paint-out at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center from 9 am until noon. This beloved no-longer-little and no-longer-red nature center has grown and now includes a large visitor center with live animals, three unpaved walking trails, and a new paved trail through its expansive accessible garden.

Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center visitor center. Photo credit Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

The little red schoolhouse is still there, of course, along with its history and charm. Here is how it actually looks in its current restored and well-maintained state.

Little Red Schoolhouse. Image credit Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

Nature Artists’ Guild members who would like to attend the paint-out should email Linn Eldred to be put on the contact list for any updates. There is room for all at the Little Red Schoolhouse!

Notice – this event has been canceled due to insufficient enrollment.

Reminder to all Nature Artists’ Guild members – completed registrations for the Gallery 200 exhibit must be returned (online or postmarked) by tomorrow, Saturday, July 16, 2022. Links to the mail and online registration forms were emailed to all members last Monday.

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit at Gallery 200 throughout August 2022

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Gallery 200 is a lovely and vibrant artists’ cooperative located in West Chicago and features the work of 30 artists in a wide variety of media. Classes, monthly special exhibits, and other art events are held in the large open areas of the gallery’s new location.

Artwork by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be highlighted throughout the month of August 2022 in a special exhibit, Visions of Nature.

No Printer? No Postage? No Problem!

Hopefully, anyway. The Nature Artists’ Guild is trying out a new way for members to submit their registration for special exhibits. In addition to the option of mailing a completed registration form (previously emailed to members,) members will soon be emailed a link with the option to use an online form. In order to participate in the Gallery 200 exhibit, members must either submit the online registration or mail their completed registration by Saturday, July 16, 2022.

Welcoming New Members, a Television Appearance, Paint-Out, Exhibits, Program, and More

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Porcini and Pinecones, copyright Jane Kellenberger. One of more than fifty works of art featured at the Visions of Nature exhibit at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center.

For those who have long been considering joining the Nature Artists’ Guild or those who have just discovered it and don’t want to wait until the new year to join, there is now a half-year (July through December) membership plan available for new members only. Please click on this link to the Membership page to read more.

Some current and upcoming events –

Suzy Lyttle of the Will County Forest Preserve District was interviewed recently by Naperville Community TV about the upcoming Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit and the reopening of the Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Please click on this link to view the short interview (and some of the artwork.) A reception and open house with light refreshments will take place at Hidden Oaks this evening from 4 until 7.

A Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at Gallery 200 in West Chicago has been scheduled for the month of August 2022. The prospectus was emailed to members on June 24 and completed prospectuses for participating artists must be returned (postmarked) by Saturday, July 16, 2022.

Members will meet for a paint-out at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center on Monday, July 25, 2022 from 9 am until noon. More about the paint-out coming soon.

A program featuring Laverne Bohlin and her lovely pastels will be open to all, free-of-charge at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 7 pm.

The Nature Artists’ Guild will have an information table and artist demonstrations inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum during the Wine and Art Walk the weekend of August 20 and 21, 2022.

Finally, there’s an opportunity every Wednesday at 9 am to enjoy a few hours of chatting, sketching, snacking on delicious muffins, or just relaxing and watching the chipmunks scurry through the flowers at the Coffee and Art Club.

Reception this Friday, July 8, 2022 from 4 to 7 at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center

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Postcard design by the Forest Preserve District of Will County. Artwork by Kumie Kim.

All are invited to visit the Hidden Oaks Nature Center on Friday, July 8, 2022 between 4 and 7 pm to celebrate the reopening of the center, support the artists, enjoy some light refreshments, and take in the wonderful view.

The reception is free and open to all – please share the invitation with friends and family!

Laverne Bohlin’s Serene Pastels on August 4, 2022

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Fox River View, copyright Laverne Bohlin. Used with permission.

Laverne Bohlin has been a valued instructor, volunteer, and member of The Morton Arboretum and the Nature Artists’ Guild for many years. Although she has chosen to spend her “retirement” creating award-winning paintings in the mountains of New Mexico, Laverne still enjoys visiting and painting the many wonderful local landscapes of the Chicagoland area.

Although her work often depicts ordinary scenes that are experienced by many – looking, seeing and recording the effects of light on the landscape is the essence of her work.

lavernebohlin.com

The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud to sponsor a program featuring Laverne Bohlin and her stunning pastel works on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. This program will be open to all, free-of-charge (including free admission to The Morton Arboretum and free parking.) Visitors can let the gate attendant at the Arboretum know they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild program to be directed to Thornhill.

Laverne will also be teaching Nature in Pastel: The Nuances of Water at The Morton Arboretum the following weekend. A few spots are still available and details can be found by clicking on the highlighted link above.

Hidden Oaks Exhibit Drop-Off Next Week

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Jack in the Pulpit, copyright Nancy Thyfault. Jack in the Pulpit will be exhibited at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center along with approximately fifty other works by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild.

Twenty-five members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be exhibiting approximately fifty wonderful pieces of nature-inspired art at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center from July 6 until July 31, 2022.

Participating artists will need to deliver their artwork to the Hidden Oaks Nature Center between 11 am and 1:30 pm on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 . Detailed driving directions (it really is somewhat hidden!) will be emailed to artists before the drop-off date.

An open house and exhibit reception is scheduled for July 8, 2022 from 4 until 7 pm. All are invited to stop in to enjoy the artwork, the beautiful surroundings, and some light refreshments.