Summer’s End Art Events for 2021

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The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to share a number of ways to spend some of the remaining days of summer making and enjoying art-

This weekend, August 21 and 22, 2021, visitors to the Wine and Art Walk at The Morton Arboretum can meet and talk with a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild and view the artist at work. The guild’s table will be set up inside the Visitor Center.

Photo credit mortonarb.org

This Sunday, August 22, 2021, artists, friends, family, and all those who appreciate nature art are invited to attend a reception for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s in-person exhibit, Visions of Nature, at the McCord Gallery in Palos Park, IL between 2 and 4 pm.

Postcard artwork by Karen A Johnson

Next Tuesday, August 24th, 2021, the weekly meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s Coffee Club will begin at 9 am. There is so much to see and sketch within a few yards of the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum and all guild members are invited.

Exterior of Visitor Center facing Meadow Lake at The Morton Arboretum. Photo credit mortonarb.org.

Please click on any of the highlighted links for more information and the latest updates.

Paint-Out at The Gardens at Ball on August 18, 2021

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  • The Gardens at Ball, photo by Linn Eldred
  • The Gardens at Ball, photo by Linn Eldred
  • The Gardens at Ball, photo by Linn Eldred

This video from Ball Seed highlights some of the views, which include acres of flowers, water features, trees and shrubs, and container displays, all available for artists to enjoy and be inspired by.  Please click on this link for a guided video tour of the gardens.

Since the gardens will be reserved for this event, interested members of the Nature Artists’ Guild must contact Linn Eldred to be put on the list for attendance and to receive further details by email.  Linn’s contact information can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook.

Seeds of Inspiration Tomorrow, August 5, 2021

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Zinnia, copyright Alice Wych

Tomorrow evening, beginning at 7 pm, some of the participating members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will share artwork and experiences from this summer’s Seeds of Inspiration. The artists of this project, like any gardeners, may have a few tales of frustrations and disappointments along with those of successes and unexpected delights.

All members of the Nature Artists’ Guild received an email on July 29 with instructions for attending this online meeting.

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit Opens Tomorrow, August 5, 2021 at McCord Gallery

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Artwork by Karen Johnson. Postcard design by Jane Kellenberger.

McCord Gallery is open to all on weekdays from 10 am until 4 pm and Saturdays from 11 until 4 pm (closed on Sundays.) There will be a reception for artists, friends, family, and other visitors on Sunday, August 22, 2021 from 2 until 4 pm.

Seeds of Inspiration by Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild on August 5, 2021

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Participants in Seeds of Inspiration will be sharing some of their experiences and artwork in an online meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum on Thursday evening, August 5, 2021 beginning at 7 pm. Here is a small sample of the work –

Details of works by (clockwise) Alice Wych, Catherine Stacy, Terrie McComb, and Betsy Edwards.

Images of artwork for the presentation should be emailed to Terrie McComb by July 31, 2021.  All Nature Artists’ Guild members will be emailed instructions for attending the meeting.

Also coming up –

  • The artwork drop-off date for the McCord Gallery exhibition is Monday, August 2, 2021. Participants can check their prospectus for details. Nature Artists’ Guild members are asked to help spread the word about this exciting in-person exhibit by sharing the digital postcard and inviting friends and family to a reception at the gallery on Sunday, August 22, 2021 at 2 pm. Postcard design by Jane Kellenberger and artwork by Karen Johnson.

Please share with friends and family

  • Interested guild members will be meeting at The Morton Arboretum for the Tuesday Morning Coffee Club. The gathering takes place rain or shine, but the weather forecast looks promising! Please click on the highlighted link for details.

Tuesday Morning Coffee Club at 9 am tomorrow

  • A paint-out has been scheduled for the morning of August 18, 2021 at The Gardens at Ball in West Chicago, IL. Details will be coming soon to members’ emails and on this website. Photo by Linn Eldred.

Gardens at Ball paint-out on August 18

Sharing Seeds of Inspiration on August 5, 2021

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In an online program on the evening of Thursday, August 5, 2021, beginning at 7 pm, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be sharing some of their experiences, inspirations, and artwork from the Seeds of Inspiration project.

It promises to be an interesting and entertaining program as some of the participants discuss how their seedlings, their frustrations, their accomplishments, and their artwork all “grew” throughout the summer.

Morning Glory Seedling, copyright Betsy Edwards

Detailed instructions for attending this virtual gathering will be emailed to all Nature Artists’ Guild members before the meeting.

A Busy Summer for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Members enjoyed lovely weather and spectacular views at last week’s Nature Artists’ Guild paint-outs at The Morton Arboretum (Tuesday Morning Coffee Club) and the Gardens at Cantigny. Tommorow’s gathering of the Coffee Club is open to all members and meets at the cafe in the Visitors Center of The Morton Arboretum at approximately 9 am.

Plein Air painting in oil at the Gardens at Cantigny, copyright Terry Niccoli

A link to the prospectus for the guild’s upcoming exhibit, Visions of Nature, at McCord Gallery has been emailed to all members. Completed prospectuses must be returned by this Saturday, July 17, 2021.

Postcard for Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the McCord Gallery, 2021

The next program of the Nature Artists’ Guild will take place online on Thursday, August 5, 2021 beginning at 7 pm and will feature fellow members sharing artwork and experiences from the Seeds of Inspiration project. More details and instructions for attending will be emailed to all members closer to the program date.

Coleus, acrylic, copyright Ann Lamoureux (artwork from previous exhibit, not Seeds of Inspiration)

Two Paint-Outs This Week for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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The first opportunity this week for guild members to spend a little time with their fellow artists to talk, eat or drink, learn something new, take some photos, or sketch or paint will be at the the weekly Coffee Club on Tuesday morning at 9 am at the Visitor’s Center of The Morton Arboretum. This paint-out takes place rain or shine and there is plenty of seating in and around the Visitor’s Center.

Linn Eldred has been working on her sketchbook. She does each initial drawing in pencil and completes the work in ink and watercolor.

The second paint-out will be at the Gardens of Cantigny on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 9 am. It is recommended that interested members contact Linn Eldred to be added to the contact list for weather-related updates, but last-minute and late participants are welcome.

Nature Artists’ Guild at previous Cantigny Gardens paint-out.

Please click on the highlighted links to learn more.

Nature Artists’ Guild at the McCord Gallery, August 2021

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The Nature Artists’ Guild is excited to announce that there will be an exhibit of members’ work at the McCord Gallery in Palos Park, IL throughout the month of August, 2021. The exhibit, Visions of Nature, will feature artwork that has been previously exhibited at The Morton Arboretum and will take place from August 5 until September 5. A reception will be held on Sunday, August 22 at 2 pm.

Guild members will receive an email soon with a link to the prospectus and all the details and instructions for participating.

The McCord Gallery & Cultural Center is located in the stately pre-Civil War McCord House and is an integral part of the Palos Park community, educating music and visual-arts students in addition to serving as a gallery. The gallery is open every day except Sunday.

McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, Palos Park, IL. Image credit mccordgallery.org.

Paint-Out at The Gardens at Cantigny on July 7, 2021

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At The Gardens at Cantigny. Photo by Linn Eldred

On the morning of Wednesday, July 7, 2021, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to meet at 9 am at the Visitor’s Center of Cantigny Park for a paint-out in the gardens.

Cantigny Park is the 500-acre former estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The park is now the home of two museums, a visitor’s center with a cafe, restaurant, and gift shop, an education center, walking trails and a picnic area, the gardens, and a golf complex.

The Gardens at Cantigny at 29 acres, is one of the largest display gardens in the Midwest and includes more than 160,000 flowers, shrubs and trees as well as statuary and water features.

“The Gardens at Cantigny beckon you. They tug at your senses, drawing you closer. If you listen carefully, each garden will tell you a story, unfolding with every step. You will feel your body relax as you absorb the landscape and the landscape devours your stress. The hustle of life melts away just a few steps into our 29 acres of flourishing, blooming tranquility. Come enjoy the pace of nature here in The Gardens at Cantigny.”

– Cantigny.org

Admission to Cantigny Park is always free, and parking is also free on the day of the paint-out. Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild who are interested in attending are encouraged to contact Linn Eldred to be ensured of receiving weather-related updates. Linn’s contact information can be found in the guild’s Yearbook. Last-minute or late attendees are also welcome.

Please click on any of the highlighted links for directions and to read more about Cantigny Park and The Gardens.