You Can Put Away Those Parkas and Boots (At Least for a Few Hours)!

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Every year, one of the most anticipated and well-attended paint-outs for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild is the trip to Orchids by Hausermann, 2N134 North Addison Road, in Villa Park, IL.

On Tuesday, February 11, 2014, attendees will meet at about 8 am and spend the next few hours among thousands of blooming orchids that are looking their best just in time to be sketched, drawn, painted or photographed (or even purchased if you’d like to take your model home with you).  One lucky participant will even win a certificate for a free orchid to take home with them.

Attendance is limited to about 15, so please contact Carol Jean Rogalski to save your spot (if you are a new member and do not yet have your Yearbook with Carol Jean’s contact information, please let us know in the comments section below, and we will send you the information).

It’s a wonderful way to spend a cold winter day!  You may want to click on this link to Hausermann’s website for a preview of what you can look forward to.  If you’d like to see more photos of last year’s artists at work, please click here.  All photos from last year are courtesy of Evelyn Grala.

Join Us Before January 20, 2014 for a Wonderful Exhibit Opportunity

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Here is a little extra incentive for those who have been considering joining us, but haven’t quite gotten around to doing so.   If you send in your membership dues to the Nature Artists’ Guild by January 20, 2014, you will be eligible to receive a prospectus for participation in our Spring Exhibit.

Our Spring Exhibit will take place from April 4 to April 6, 2014, coinciding with the arrival of many of The Morton Arboretum’s spring blooms!  Just think of all those winter-weary visitors that will be eager to get a glimpse of green, both outdoors on the Arboretum grounds, and indoors at our wonderful exhibit of Nature Art.  Our Nature Artists’ Guild three-day exhibits at The Morton Arboretum normally attract nearly 1000 art and nature-loving visitors.

Of course, your Nature Artists’ Guild membership will also be your ticket to our programs, paint-outs, participation in exhibits (including a new group exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum this summer) and holiday party.  You will also receive our publication, The Nature Artists’ Quarterly, which features member artwork as well as announcements and articles about Nature Art.  Please click on the following link to view the Nature Artists’ Guild membership application.

The Nature Artists’ Guild board has been busy planning, scheduling and preparing for a busy (and fun) year – check back here soon for more details.

We look forward to meeting you!

The Loss of a Friend

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It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of a friend and long-time Nature Artists’ Guild member, Barbara Papamarcos.

Barbara’s friendly face in the front row at our Nature Artists’ Guild programs, her kind words of encouragement for her fellow artists, and her passion for and curiosity about both nature and art will be greatly missed.

So Very Pretty

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While we certainly agree that trees are beautiful in their natural state, some added sparkle does a great job of welcoming the holiday season.  This year, many of the trees at the entrance and near the Visitor’s Center of The Morton Arboretum have been adorned, branch by branch, all the way down to the smallest twigs, with blue, white and green lights.  The effect is stunning!

More beautifully lit trees are being featured at The Morton Arboretum’s Illumination event, according to their website, www.mortonarb.org–

Illumination is an outdoor event on a one-mile, gently rolling, paved path that takes approximately one and one-half hours to complete. Please dress for the weather. Food and beverage concessions are available for purchase.

Walking along the paved trail you can:

  • Hug a tree to make it grow brighter
  • Sing to a tree and watch it change color
  • Interact with light and color with a swipe of your hand
  • And many more surprising experiences around every turn!

Also be sure to:

  • Warm up next to fire pits while enjoying hot cocoa, s’mores, and other delights
  • Visit the Enchanted Railroad and stop in to browse the holiday wares at The Arboretum Store
  • Enjoy energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly LED lighting that provides beautiful, powerful color while consuming only half the power of traditional incandescent lights​

You can find more details for this event by clicking on Illumination, Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum.

Open House This Weekend

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Suzanne Wegener, Nature Arts Education Manager at The Morton Arboretum, and Nature Artists’ Guild liaison, would like to share the following news about an upcoming event!

Visiting Artist and Nature Artists’ Guild presenter Cynthia Hellyer-Heinz and her husband will be hosting an open house this weekend at the historical Warren Tavern Museum.   Cynthia is a Visiting Instructor at The Morton Arboretum and this is a unique opportunity to see her original works.

The Open House will take place on Friday, November 22, 2013 from 6 until 9 pm, Saturday, November 23, 2013 from 10 am until 5 pm and Sunday, November 24, 2013 from 10 am until 4 pm.   Please click here for directions.

Cynthia will also be teaching a workshop at The Morton Arboretum in February, 2014 –
Visiting Artist Series:  Capturing Nature with Colored Pencil, Cynthia Hellyer-Heinz

The experience of drawing enhances both our understanding and appreciation of the objects of our natural world. This workshop will address the intimate relationship between seeing, feeling, and then depiction. The fundamentals of drawing and expression will be applied to the creative representation of the precious artifacts from the landscape.

Notes:  Limit 15,  Certificate Information:   Art Certificate enrichment (10 hours), Course number: A601
Prerequisite:   Botanical Art & Illustration: Colored Pencil (A215)
Schedule and Location:   Saturday, February 22 and 23, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Thornhill Education Center.
Fees and Admission:  $105.00  member, $123.00  non-member
To register:   Call 630-719-2468, stop by the Arboretum Visitor Center, or register online by clicking here.

The Holidays Are On Their Way

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Paulette McDermott’s lovely holly branch reminds us that the holidays are right around the corner!

Our Social Chairperson, Gail Diedrichsen has been doing a wonderful job coordinating the upcoming Nature Artists’ Guild Holiday Celebration, which will take place on Thursday evening, December 5th, 2013 at Thornhill.  Please plan on arriving between 6 and 6:30 pm so you will have some time to help set up food and chat with your fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members before the festivities begin.

All Nature Artists’ Guild members and their guests are welcome, but please RSVP to Gail if you haven’t already confirmed, so she can get an estimate of the number of attendees.   Gail’s phone number and e-mail address can be found in your Yearbook.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Holly © Paulette McDermott
Holly © Paulette McDermott

A Message From Our Exhibit Co-Chairpersons

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The Co-Chairpersons of the 2013  Holiday Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild of the Morton Arboretum would like to share a few words with all of our members –

What A Show!

 A great big THANK YOU to all of the members who participated in the Holiday Exhibit. Thank you, also, to all of the Artists who attended the exhibit to show your support.  We had over 1000 visitors. Our featured artist, Sharon Malec, had phenomenal work and generated much interest in fiber arts.  Congratulations to all!

Susan Bartlett

Barb Denny

Susan and Barb and their team did a wonderful job planning and coordinating the exhibit and also deserve a huge thank you and congratulations from all of the members of the Nature Artists’ Guild.

The 2013 Holiday Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum

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Nature Artists' Guild Holiday Exhibit (640x443)

The artists of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum invite you to attend their 2013 Holiday Exhibit, taking place at the Thornhill Education Center on November 9 and 10, 2013, from 11 am until 4 pm.

Approximately fifty artists will be presenting over one hundred pieces of original nature art for your enjoyment.  There is no charge for the exhibit, but normal gate fees for The Morton Arboretum will apply on Saturday and Sunday.

Busy Betty Birdwatcher

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There are just a few more days left to visit “Betty Birdwatcher”on the Scarecrow Trail at the Morton Arboretum.  You can find Betty just outside the door of the Visitor’s Center, at the beginning of the one-mile path around Meadow Lake, and will recognize her by her Nature Artists’ Guild t-shirt.

Betty, created by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild,  will be watching her birds until the end of October, and you can visit the trail between 7 am and sunset.

Betty Birdwatcher, photo credit Kathy Wagner
Betty Birdwatcher, photo credit Kathy Wagner