It’s been a busy and exciting year for the Nature Artists’ Guild. There have been programs, workshops, encounters, paint-outs, exhibits, the Quarterly and more. While the Nature Artists’ Guild accepts new and returning members at any time, memberships are for the calendar year, so artists who pay 2020 membership dues by the end of this year can ensure that they have the opportunity to participate in all of next year’s activities. An option for paying dues by Paypal or credit card is now available for new or returning members by clicking on the Membership tab of this website.
Small sample of Nature Artists’ Guild members’ 2019 artwork and a photo from The Morton Arboretum. Please scroll through the 2019 posts for more artwork and photos.
Please click on the Member Artwork tab to see a larger sample of the artwork to be showcased in this weekend’s 2019 Holiday (Autumn) Exhibit of Natural History Art. Even this small sample shows a range of the many styles and media that the Guild’s members are known for. Flora and fauna are represented in watercolor, pastel, pen and ink, fiber, digital imaging, jewelry, and more.
Many thanks to all of the artists who shared images of their artwork!
It’s getting to be that time! No, not for the holidays (yet), but for Nature Artists’ Guild members to put the finishing touches on their artwork, complete their framing, and find a way to safely transport their artwork, rain, snow, or moonlight, because “referee night” is just over a week away. On Wednesday, November 6, 2019, between 6 and 8 pm, participating members of the Guild are asked to bring the artwork they have previously registered through their prospectus to the Administration Building at The Morton Arboretum.
The 2019 Holiday (Autumn) Exhibit of Natural History Art will take place at the Arboretum on the weekend of November 9 and 10, 2019, with a reception for artists, their guests, and members of The Morton Arboretum on Friday evening, November 8.
Milkweed pod, copyright Jane Kellenberger. Click here to see more by Jane, the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2019 Autumn Featured Artist.
The annual Spring and Holiday (Autumn) Nature Artists’ Guild exhibits at The Morton Arboretum always feature a wide variety of media and styles. The upcoming exhibit on the weekend of November 9 and 10, 2019 (and the reception for artists’ guests and members of the Arboretum on Friday evening, November 8) will continue in that tradition, and five Guild members will be sharing their unique ways of creating nature art with visitors. Visitors to the exhibit will be able to watch the following artists up-close and at work, talk with them, see their tools and supplies, and sometimes even try the techniques themselves!
On Friday, November 8, from 5 until 7:30 pm, Nancy Halliday will be sharing her approach to creating lovely watercolors.
Masked Shrew, copyright Nancy Halliday
On Saturday, November 9, from 10:30 am until 1 pm, Carol Abramofsky will show visitors the tools, steps, and uses of mold-making in nature art.
Mold-making with Carolyn Abramofsky
On Saturday, November 9, from 1:15 until 3:45 pm, Cheryl Rausch will be engaging visitors in the fascinating world of digital art.
Mother’s Love, copyright 2019 Cheryl Rausch
On Sunday, November 10, from 10:30 am until 1 pm, Victoria Elizabeth will share some of her inspirations and techniques in creating watercolors.
Closed, copyright Victoria Elizabeth
On Sunday, November 10, from 1:15 until 3:45 pm, Kathy Steere will show visitors her way of using different media for coloring on fabric.
The next artist in The Morton Arboretum’s Visiting Artist Series, Sasha Viazmensky, will be traveling all the way from his home in St. Petersburg, Russia. Mr. Viazmensky is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and his stunning work appears in public and private collections around the world, including those of the Shirley Sherwood Collection in London, the Komarov Botanical Institute in St. Petersburg and The Morton Arboretum’s Sterling Morton Library.
To me [mushrooms] are flowers of the woods. I wanted to save that beauty and to share it with the others.
I call my watercolors ‘Portraits of Mushrooms.’ For these portraits, I select not the most typical, but the most pleasant and happy looking individuals. And I paint them life size.
There are still a few available openings for Mr. Viazmensky’s three-day workshop taking place at The Morton Arboretum from Friday, November 15 through Sunday, November 17, 2019. Intermediate and advanced watercolor artists will further their skills through shared insights, their observation of the artist at work, and personal guidance in their own efforts to capture the unique beauty of mushrooms.
Registration is open to all interested watercolor artists. Members of The Morton Arboretum will receive a discount on their enrollment fee. Nature Artists’ Guild members will receive an additional discount to this workshop, co-sponsored by the Guild, which they can receive by registering by phone and confirming their Guild membership.
Please click on any of the above highlighted links to see more of Sasha’s work, to read more about him, or to learn more about or register for the workshop.
All are invited to the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2019 Holiday (Autumn) Exhibition of Natural History Artat The Morton Arboretum on Saturday, November 9, 2019, and Sunday, November 10, 2019. There will also be a reception for artists, their guests, and members of The Morton Arboretum on the evening of Friday, November 8, 2019. The exhibit will showcase nearly 200 wonderful pieces of nature art by Featured Artist Jane Kellenberger and approximately 50 other members of the Nature Artists’ Guild.
Poster art copyright Jane Kellenberger. Poster design by Evelyn Grala.
There is still time for nature artists in the Chicagoland area to participate in the 45th Annual Danada Nature Art Show. This exhibit, which showcases artwork by local artists, will be attended by nearly two thousand visitors over the course of the Fall Festival at Danadaweekend, October 11 through 13, 2019.
Artwork must be dropped off and entry forms will be available atDanada House at Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton, IL on October 7 or October 8, 2019 between 3 and 8 pm.
Artwork in this exhibit must adhere strictly to a nature theme with no indication of human influence. Awards and ribbons will be given in numerous categories. Further details about the show can be obtained by contacting Friends of Danada at info@danadahouse.com or calling one of the numbers listed on their website.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to join their fellow artists on a ride on The Morton Arboretum’s Acorn Express the morning of Wednesday, October 30, 2019 (exact time to be determined).
This “one-hour ride winds you through the Arboretum’s woodlands, wetlands, and prairie while listening to a narrated tour.” – mortonarb.org. While the tour is not considered a paint-out, determined artists could certainly take photos, do a few thumbnail sketches, or jot down some color notes. Of course, there is also the option of just sitting back and enjoying the wonderful sights, scents, and sounds of nature in autumn.
The Nature Artists’ Guild will cover the cost of the tour for any interested members. Guests are welcome, but will be responsible for obtaining their own tickets. Interested Guild members should contact Linn Eldred to reserve a seat on the tram. Linn’s contact information can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook. Linn will instruct participants of the exact time of the tour and the meeting spot as soon as those details are finalized, and will communicate any last minute weather-related plan changes if necessary.
A living carpet of foliage and flowers graces The Morton Arboretum’s Ground Cover Garden, linking the Visitor Center to the Research Center and the Sterling Morton Library.
The original garden was built in 1938. It is one of the more densely planted and diverse gardens in the Arboretum, with over 350 different plants amid shady, winding paths with strategically placed benches that allow visitors to enjoy a moment of seclusion and tranquility.
The Ground Cover Garden consists of perennial plants and ground covers chosen to complement trees and shrubs, blanketing the ground with a wonderful assortment of attractive flowers and foliage. – http://www.mortonarb.org
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to attend a paint-out between 9 am and noon on Friday, October 4, 2019 at the Ground Cover Garden at The Morton Arboretum, where the numerous plants, shrubs, trees, and autumn arrangements will be sure to inspire. Members should contact Linn Eldred if they have questions or would like to attend. Linn’s contact information can be found in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook.
The Nature Artists’ Guild is pleased to announce that its 2019 Holiday (Autumn) Exhibit’s Featured Artist is Jane Kellenberger. Please read more about Jane and enjoy some of her artwork on the Featured Artist page of this website.
The 2019 Holiday (Autumn) Exhibit of Natural History Art will take place on the weekend of November 9 and 10, 2019 at The Morton Arboretum,with a reception on the evening of November 8, 2019 for guests of the artists and Arboretum members. More than 50 Nature Artists’ Guild members will be participating in this exhibit of nearly 200 pieces of nature art.
More details (and the exhibit poster) coming soon!
Nature Artists' Guild 