From Across the Pond

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Carol Jean Rogalski discovered this gem on London’s Kew Royal Botanic Gardens’ website. Please click here to see a short video about influential botanical artist Rory McEwen.

After viewing the video, you can scroll down the page to preview the book,  Rory McEwen The Colours of Reality.   “Developed in close collaboration with the McEwen family, this is the first major exposure of Rory McEwen’s work since 1989. The book includes stunning illustrations of McEwen’s floral subjects, and essays about his life and work from Martyn Rix, James Fox, Richard Demarco and Dr Shirley Sherwood.”

Botanical Art by Rory McEwen, from Amazon.com, "Rory McEwen Colour of Reality".
Image from http://www.Amazon.com, “Rory McEwen The Colours of Reality”.

Wildwood Awaits! New Paint-Out Opportunity on August 17 and August 20, 2013

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You may know Nina Koziol as a garden writer for the Chicago Tribune and Chicagoland Gardening, as well as a speaker and teacher at the Chicago Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum.

Nina Koziol's Wildwood Garden, Used with permission
Nina Koziol’s Wildwood Garden, Used with permission

Now we will be lucky enough to experience Nina’s gardening skills in person, as she has so generously offered to open her personal garden, Wildwood, (also the name of the gallery in Lockport, IL owned by Nina and her husband, http://www.WildwoodGallery.com) on two separate mornings to members of the Nature Artists’ Guild for painting, sketching and photographing!

Nina Koziol's Wildwood Garden, Used with permission
Nina Koziol’s Wildwood Garden, Used with permission

Nina’s gardens take inspiration from her grandparents’ garden in Essex, England, and include flower and shrub borders, edible and container gardens, and judging from the photos on Nina’s website, www.thisgardencooks.com, some fascinating creatures as well!  Not all of them will be present for our paint-out, but Nina promises there will be “hummingbirds and butterflies galore”!

Nina Koziol's Wildwood Garden, Used with permission
Nina Koziol’s Wildwood Garden, Used with permission

Our members are invited to share Nina’s garden on either Saturday, August 17 or Tuesday, August 20, 2013, from 9 am until 1 pm.  The address is 11925 Ford Road, Palos Park, IL, and Nina has even been kind enough to offer light refreshments!

Please let Carol Jean Rogalski know on which of the two dates you’d like to attend (or both, if space permits, but please indicate your first choice).  You can find Carol Jean’s contact information in your Yearbook.

Artist Trio Presentation, August 1, 2013

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On August 1, 2013, from 7 pm until 9 pm at Thornhill, three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will share their inspirations and techniques with us.

Attendees will divide into three smaller groups, which will rotate through the three presentations. This gives us all a great opportunity to get closer looks, ask more questions, and engage with the artists in a way not possible with a larger group. The three talented artists who will be generously sharing their talents with us are –

Jane Doherty – Western Marbling

Karen Johnson – Polymer Clay Patterns: Botanicals and Insects

Ed Cook – Landscapes

Please join us for what promises to be a fun, inspirational and educational meeting! Guests and visitors are welcome.  Visitors,  please just let the attendant at The Morton Arboretum gate know that you are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild meeting.

Better Homes and Gardens comes to Wildwood!

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Exciting news!  We have it on good authority that some photographers from a Better Homes and Gardens specialty publication are scheduled to be present at Nina Koziol’s Wildwood garden on the same day as one of our Nature Artists’ Guild paint-outs (scheduled for August 17 and August 20 – see earlier post).

Don’t get ready for your close-up just yet, though.  We are waiting for some details – we have the “where”, but still need the “who, what, why, and when. “   We’re not sure yet whether our participants will be included in any of the photos,  but be assured that if you would rather not be included, you can still attend the paint-out.   The photographers will obtain a photo release from anyone who may appear in any of their photos.

As soon as we get more details, we will share them with all of our members!  Please remember to RSVP to Carol Jean Rogalski if you would like to attend either of the paint-outs (you’ll find her contact information in your Yearbook).

Call for Artwork from Nature Artists’ Guild Members

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2013 Calendar CoverGraphic Artist, former Nature Artists’ Guild President, and honorary lifetime member Mary Ingels has once again volunteered to design and coordinate our annual Nature Artists’ Guild Desk Calendar.  The calendar, which features members’ artwork, is our most popular fund-raising project as well as a wonderful way for members to see their artwork published.  Even nice sketches can become lovely calendar pages in Mary’s talented hands. Artwork for this 2014 calendar must be submitted by September 13, 2013.  

Nature Artists’ Guild members will soon be receiving full instructions for participating in the calendar project by e-mail or mail, but to get started, please click on this link to see instructions for creating a quality digital copy of your artwork.  All artwork must be in high-resolution digital format to be included in the calendar.  If you have any questions about the instructions, please do not hesitate to contact Mary.  She (now living near Seattle) says she would be happy to hear from you and help ensure that the quality of your digital copy does your artwork justice!  You can find Mary’s number and e-mail address in your Quarterly or in the instructions you will be receiving by e-mail or mail.

Some Nature Artists’ Guild Member Artwork

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Thanks to our Nature Artists’ Guild photographer Kathy Wagner, you may have already seen the gorgeous photos from our recent paint-out at Susan and Kenneth Beard’s garden.   We thought you might also enjoy a few wonderful sketches and drawings from some of the paint-out participants.  Included here are an ink drawing by Nancy Wu, two oil paintings by Linda Skisak, two watercolors by Connie Devendorf, a watercolor by Karen Johnson, a watercolor by Paulette McDermott, and a watercolor by Carol Jean Rogalski.  Please click on the thumbnails of the artwork to see larger versions.

Enjoy!

Remember to Make the Most of Your Nature Artists’ Guild Membership

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We are so excited to welcome  many new members to the Nature Artists’ Guild this year!  We just wanted to check in with all our members, the brand new ones, as well as those that have been around a while, to make sure everyone is making the most of their membership.

Remember, your membership entitles you to –

  • Attend formal meetings (the next one will be in August, and will feature three of your talented fellow members sharing some of their favorite techniques in various media)
  • Attend paint-outs at some great places (there is one coming up in July at Laverne Bohlin’s wonderful garden, and more are being added all the time)
  • Participate in Nature Artists’ Guild exhibitions (either at The Morton Arboretum, where up to a thousand visitors will view your artwork in one weekend, or at various outside venues)
  • Attend workshops (to help create items for fundraising and to learn new skills from fellow artists)
  • Contribute artwork or articles to our quarterly publication, The Nature Artists’ Quarterly
  • Contribute artwork to the annual Nature Artists’ Guild desk calendar

There are also many opportunities for just having fun with your fellow artists, whether by attending a “field trip” to somewhere interesting,  helping to create our annual Scarecrow for The Morton Arboretum,  volunteering on one of the committees or attending the Holiday Party!

Please check the Important Dates tab above to see our current schedule of events.