The Popular “Nature Artist Trio” is Back, Thursday, August 4, 2016

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No, it’s not a new musical group!  Even better, each year the Nature Artists’ Guild invites three artist members to share their tips, techniques, materials and inspirations in a fun, informal and informative presentation.  The program will be held at the Thornhill Education Center, The Morton Arboretum, on August 4, 2016 from 7 until 9 pm.  

This year, all three artists will be working on or with paper, but in interesting new ways.  

Carol Cooley will share her methods for using watercolor and the “shinkolei” process to add new elements to her wonderful block prints.

Carol Cooley’s block print with applied watercolor
Carol Cooley applying watercolor to block print
Carol Cooley’s print using “shinkolei” process

Sharon Malec uses her hand-made silk papers to create shimmering fabric art.

Silk fibers used by Sharon Malec to create silk paper
Detail of Sharon Malec’s art featuring her hand-made silk paper
Sharon Malec’s fiber art created with her hand-made silk paper

Susan Bartlett’s stunning collages are made with paper that she has hand-painted.

Susan Bartlett’s hand-painted paper drying in studio
Susan Bartlett’s hand-painted paper being prepared for collage
Susan Bartlett’s collage from hand-painted paper

Members, non-members, visitors, friends, family – all are welcome at this popular program!  Both the program and parking are free-of-charge.  Non-members of The Morton Arboretum should let the gate attendant know that they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild program and they will be directed to Thornhill.

All artwork images above are copyrighted and may not be used without permission of the artist.

Ribbit!

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Two talented Nature Artists’ Guild’s members who also happen to be popular instructors at The Morton Arboretum will be teaching a three-evening class titled Amphibian Art:  Frogs Across Forms beginning on Tuesday, July 26, 2016  from 6:30 until 9:30 pm and continuing on the following two Tuesdays. Participants in this class, taught by Suzanne Wegener and Karen Johnson, will be looking at artsy amphibians from different points of view and interpreting fabulous frogs in various media.  Students will complete some drawings and even a croaker creation from polymer clay bead.

For more details (minus the poor puns and awful alliteration), please click on this link to The Morton Arboretum’s class listing.  It is sure to be a “ribbiting” experience!

Frog Beads, copyright KA Johnson

 

“Featured: Feathers”, Solo Exhibit of Lindsay Sandbothe’s Awe-Inspiring Artwork

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Lindsay Sandbothe’s large-scale paintings of birds on wood have been inspiring awe at Nature Artists’ Guild exhibits for years!  Now, Lindsay’s first solo exhibit will feature all of her best artwork in one setting.  Please see the postcard below for details about the exhibit and the opening reception on July 9, 2016 from noon until 2 pm.  Congratulations, Lindsay!

Lindsay Sandbothe Exhibit Postcard front

Lindsay Sandbothe Exhibit Postcard back

Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit Opens at Kavanagh Gallery July 8, 2016

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Nature Artists' Guild at Kavanaugh Gallery 2016 Front

The Nature Artists’ Guild special exhibit of fine art will open at the Kavanagh Gallery, Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles, IL on July 8, 2016, and will run through August 12, 2016.  An artists’ reception will be held at the gallery on the evening of Friday, July 15, 2016 from 5:30 until 7:30 pm.  All are invited to attend this reception where they can meet and speak with many of the participating artists and enjoy a few light refreshments.  The gallery is open every Monday through Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm.

Please click on the highlighted links above for more about the Kavanagh Gallery and the Fine Line Creative Arts Center, or on the following highlighted link to view the front and back of the Kavanagh Gallery Invitation (which also includes information about and images from their current gallery exhibit).

The Annual Garden Art Festival is All of the Above

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Is it a paint-out in a wonderful location?  Is it an artwork exhibit?  Is it a membership drive?  Yes, yes, and yes!  

Suzanne Wegener and Karen Johnson at the Nature Artists' Guild Information Table at The Growing Place
Suzanne Wegener and Karen Johnson at the Nature Artists’ Guild Information Table at The Growing Place

The annual Garden Art Festival, Saturday, June 25, 2016 at The Growing Place, 25w471 Plank Rd, Naperville, IL  will feature  “local artists, live music, talks and treats in our gardens” from 9 am until 5 pm.  Each year, the Nature Artists’ Guild is invited to host a table where guests can ask questions, pick up a membership brochure, or just talk with one of our members about the benefits of Nature Artists’ Guild memberships.

Meanwhile, Nature Artists’ Guild members are busy in the gardens sketching, drawing and painting.  Members bring their own chairs or standing easels, and set up throughout the vast display area.  While the Nature Artists’ Guild will not have a booth for selling artwork at this event, it is permissible for participants to bring business cards and a few small examples of previous work or a small portfolio for interested visitors to view.

Any members who would like to participate are asked to contact Mary Ann Jimenez as soon as possible.  Mary Ann’s contact information can be found in the Yearbook.  Please click on the highlighted links above to learn more about The Growing Place and the Garden Art Festival.

Get Ready for The Great Sketchbook Encounter!

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The Great Sketchbook Encounter, a fun new challenge for Nature Artists’ Guild members, begins next week.  Members who wish to participate should bring an empty sketchbook to the June 2, 2016 meeting, where they will receive an official participation stamp on the first page.

The very next day, the fun begins!  As detailed in the e-mail sent to members earlier this week, the Great Sketchbook Encounter is a challenge to Nature Artists’ Guild members to fill two pages in their sketchbook every day from June 3 until September 4, 2016.  That’s 90 days of skill-improving sketching!

Redbellied Woodpecker Sketch, © 2016 Karen A. Johnson. Used with permission.
Red-bellied Woodpecker Sketch,© 2016 Karen A. Johnson. Used with permission.

Before purchasing a new sketchbook, participants might like to take a few minutes to think about when and where they are most likely to find the time and opportunity to sketch, and which media they would like to try.  Pencil sketches just require a regular sketchbook, a few pencils, a sharpener and an eraser. Adding color, whether with colored pencil, watercolor, inks or pastels may require a thicker or textured paper.  Pen and ink may work better on something smooth.  If you are planning a lot of traveling, a small sketchbook and simple supplies can go anywhere, but if you plan to sketch in your garden each morning, a larger sketchbook may result in some lovely frame-able drawings.

Great Sketchbook Encounter tote bags will be awarded at the October 2016 meeting to those who meet the challenge, and any members who wish to may display their sketchbooks at the meeting. Thank you to Evelyn Grala for planning this exciting challenge!  Those who wish to participate or have questions but cannot attend the June meeting, should check their recent e-mail for contact information.

No Hoeing, Mulching or Weeding Required

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How nice would it be to enjoy a beautiful garden on a May morning without thinking about all of the hoeing, mulching and weeding that lies ahead? At the Gardens at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL, the work has been done and the only thing left to do is enjoy the results.

The Nature Artists’ Guild paint-out at the Gardens of Cantigny Park is this Tuesday, May 24, 2016, between 9 am and noon.  Please click on this link to a previous post for more details, and on this link to Cantigny’s “In Bloom” report.  There is no need for Nature Artists’ Guild members to RSVP for this event.  Admission to the gardens is free, but there is a $5 fee for parking.

Visiting Artist Series – Drawing Trees in Pastel

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The upcoming workshops in The Morton Arboretum’s Visiting Artist Series – Drawing Trees in Pastel, on June 17 and 18, 2016 will be taught by none other than longtime Nature Artists’ Guild member and Arboretum instructor Laverne Bohlin, and she will be visiting from the sunny city of Albuquerque, NM.  Perhaps she will bring some of that sunshine with her!

From the class description on the Arboretum’s website –

Apply pastel techniques to the challenging subject of trees in the landscape. Join returning artist Laverne Bohlin and learn to recognize three major design characteristics of trees and how to express them in pastel. Depict a tree’s three-dimensional form under changing light conditions. Friday’s subject will be deciduous trees, and Saturday’s subject will be evergreens. Sign up for both days and receive a $20 discount.

Please register soon, as workshops fill quickly.  You can read more about Laverne and view her beautiful artwork at lavernebohlinart.com.  To register for or read more about the workshop, please click on one of the highlighted links above.  The workshop is not limited to members of The Morton Arboretum or the Nature Artists’ Guild, although Arboretum members will receive a discount.

Scenes in Pen and Ink by Marianne Lisson Kuhn, June 2, 2016

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Marianne Lisson Kuhn grew up in the “then small farming community of Naperville, Illinois”, and “spent most Sundays visiting her grandparents at their local farms and grew to love the country and the beauty of nature unfolding with each passing season”.

Marianne Lisson Kuhn, Photo Credit mariannelissonkuhn.com/

Marianne’s artwork includes small rural scenes and landscapes in pen and ink, pastel and watercolor, as well as large murals depicting historical and contemporary life in the area.

On Thursday, June 2, 2016, Marianne will share some of her thoughts, inspirations and techniques with the Nature Artists’ Guild at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL from 7 until 9 pm. Her focus will be on scenes in pen and ink for this presentation.

As always, guests and visitors are welcome to attend this program sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild.  There is no charge for attendance, parking, or admission to the Arboretum for this event.  Visitors can just let the gate attendant know that they are there for the program, and they will be directed to Thornhill.

Please click on the following links to learn more about Marianne, and to view examples of her artwork  –

Marianne’s website,   Naperville’s Century Walk Art website