Braving the Weather

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Those members who braved the weather last evening to attend the program featuring artist Scott Harding were treated to a wonderful demonstration! Scott began an oil painting one of the most recognized (and hugged) trees of The Morton Arboretum, and we all were able to watch the painting transform before our very eyes.   Scott has promised to send a photograph of the finished painting, and we will post it when he does.  Below are a few photographs from the evening, taken by our Nature Artists’ Guild photographer, Kathy Wagner.

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While you’re here, please check out our Member News page (click on the tab at the top of your screen).  We can all be proud of (and inspired by) being part of such an ambitious and talented group of artists!

Upcoming events for the Nature Artists’ Guild include an exhibit at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center (prospectus due by February 22, 2013), the Spring Exhibition at The Morton Arboretum (prospectus due by February 23, 2013), a paint-out at Orchids by Hausermann on February 12, 2013 (contact Carol Jean Rogalski to RSVP), and  heading into early March, a program featuring Carol Jean Rogalski and the art of Illumination (March 07, 2013) and a paint-out at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum  on March 12, 2013 (more details to come very soon).

Some Wonderful Member News!

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Member Carol Jean Rogalski would like to share the wonderful news –

Some of the Nature Artists’ Guild members have formed a local group in Long Grove. This group is titled the Reed-Turner Woodland Botanical Artists’ Circle.  This group is a Midwestern affiliate of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and it provides interaction and support among artists with similar interests.  The following members –

Fran Kelly, Kumie Kim, Eileen LaBarre, Barbara Papamarcos, Lynne Railsback, Carol Jean Rogalski, and Carla Schmakel

will be participating in Drawn to Nature II, an exhibition at Brushwood Gallery, in the Ryerson Conservation Center .  The opening reception will be on Sunday, March 3 from 1 to 3 pm, and all are invited.  In this exhibition the artists seek to further the interests of conservation science, botany and horticulture, and to represent the beauty of plants in our lives.

For further information, including directions to Ryerson Conservation Center and the Brushwood Gallery in Deerfield, see the website www.ryersonwoods.org

Our Annual Day in the Tropics is Coming Soon!

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One of our most popular annual paint-outs is scheduled this year for February 12, 2013 from 9 am until 12:30 pm. Where would we possibly want to hold a paint-out in the middle of February?  Hausermann Orchids’ showroom and greenhouse, of course!

Orchids by Hausermann, Inc.  is the largest orchid grower in the Midwest, and each year, fifteen members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are able to take this trip to the tropics without any of the hassles of traveling!  The showroom and huge greenhouses of Hausermann’s are warm, bright, and filled with gorgeous orchids of every shape, size and color.   One lucky participant will even win a certificate for a free orchid to take home with them!

The spots fill quickly, so please contact Carol Jean Rogalski (you can find her contact information in your Yearbook) to reserve your place in the sun (or at least warmth).   

Orchids by Hausermann, Inc. is located at 2N134 Addison Road, Villa Park, IL  60181.

Please visit their website at www.orchidsbyhausermann.com to view some stunning photos and read more about the art of growing orchids!

Update

The word is that the paint-out was a huge success, so please enjoy these photographs contributed by some of the attendees!   The winner of the orchid was Irene Gintilas, and the photo she has shared with us is included in the slideshow.

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“The Effects of Light on the World Around Us” with Scott Harding, February 7, 2013

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Our first program of the new year will feature award-winning artist Scott Harding.  Scott works primarily in oil, but is also well-versed in pencil, watercolor, pastel and intaglio printing.   His work is described as “realistic, with an impressionistic touch”, and covers a wide range of subject matter.

Scott’s work has been featured in numerous galleries and one-man shows, and has won awards in several national competitions.  His art is included in many private and corporate collections around the world.

Please join us on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 7 pm at Thornhill  for what promises to be a fascinating evening with this talented artist as he discusses the challenges and joys of creating his work and his fascination with “the effects of light on the world around us”. 

You can read more about Scott and see examples of his stunning artwork on his website by clicking here.

 

 

Nature Artists’ Guild Member Don Castro’s Retrospective at the Burning Bush Gallery

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One of the biggest perks of being a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild is the support of your fellow members.   Whether you are exhibiting for the first time, or the hundredth, it’s always great to see a few familiar smiling faces of fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members at your reception!

Who could be more deserving of our support than 22-year member, and Holiday Party “Master of Ceremonies”, Don Castro?  Don not only shows up every December to swear in our officers, make us laugh, and hand out prizes, but has also contributed so much of his time and talents to the Nature Artists’ Guild over the years.

The Artists’ Reception for Don’s upcoming Retrospective at the Burning Bush Art Gallery in Wheaton, IL is coming up on January 20th from 1 until 4 pm (details below).  What a great chance to admire some of Don’s best work all in one place, and show your appreciation for all of his contributions to the Nature Artists’ Guild!

Courtesy of Burning Bush Gallery
Courtesy of Burning Bush Art Gallery

Artists Reception: Sunday, January 20, 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Gallery Hours: Sundays: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm,

Wednesdays: 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, or by appointment (708) 705-8669.

216 North Main Street, Wheaton IL

 

Nature Artists’ Guild to Exhibit at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center

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Our Outside Exhibitions Chairpersons have been hard at work!  Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild  have an exciting opportunity to exhibit at the Kavanagh Gallery of the Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles, Il from March 8 through March 28, 2013.  An Artists’ Reception is scheduled on March 9, 2013 between 2:30 and 5 pm.

The Fine Line Creative Arts Center is one of the country’s few regional arts centers, and along with its many classrooms and beautiful galleries,  The Fine Line also features a fascinating history , which you can read about here!

Photo credit, Fine Line Creative Arts Center
Photo credit,  Fine Line Creative Arts Center

All current members of the Nature Artists Guild should have received their prospectus recently via mail or e-mail.  If you have not received your prospectus, or have any questions, please contact Sharon Malec or Patty Koenigsaecker (whose contact information you will be able to find in your Yearbook).

Please remember to register before Friday, February 22, 2013 to  be a part of this wonderful opportunity!

 

You’re Not Quite Done Yet!

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There’s just one more important item to check off your list this year as a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild, and that is to return your completed prospectus for our annual exhibit at the Downers Grove Library.  The prospectus is due by December 21, 2012, but in order to participate, your 2013 membership dues must be paid by  December 31, 2012. 

This month-long yearly exhibit is held in the large, nicely lit and absolutely lovely gallery space of the Downers Grove Library, 1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, Illinois.   The library is well-known and much appreciated in the surrounding communities for its dedication to providing ongoing quality art exhibits, and we appreciate being part of that tradition.

It couldn’t be easier to participate.  If you have exhibited in any of the Nature Artists’ Guild exhibitions, you are ready!  Those previously exhibited works have already been through the approval process, and just need to be dropped off at the library on January 5, 2013.

Check your e-mails from last September for your prospectus and details, and if you have any questions, Paulette McDermott, whose contact information you can find in your Yearbook or on the prospectus, will be glad to help.

“Seeding the Snow” features Nature Artists’ Guild Members’ Artwork

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Congratulations to Nature Artists’ Guild members Connie Devendorf, Linn Eldred, and Evelyn Grala for the inclusion of their photography and artwork in the Fall and Winter 2012 issue of the periodical Seeding The Snow.  The issue features Evelyn’s pen and ink drawing, Owl, on the cover, and Connie’s photo, Setting Seeds, her watercolor, Wrens, and Linn’s pen and ink drawings, Scrub Pine and Goatsbeard are featured within.

By Permission of Seeding the Snow
By Permission of Seeding the Snow

To read more about Seeding the Snow, or to order your copy, please click here. Copies are also usually available for purchase at the Arboretum gift shop, The Arboretum Store (hours and information available by clicking here).

Time to Renew

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Your Nature Artists’ Guild Membership dues bring you so much – opportunities to participate in some of the best art exhibits in the area,  fun paint-outs and workshops with your fellow members, wonderful programs featuring top artists, and a subscription to our members’ only publication, the Nature Artist’s Quarterly.  As if you needed more convincing, don’t forget that all of this takes place at the beautiful and inspiring Morton Arboretum!

Winter at Thornhill © Laverne Bohlin

Please don’t forget to renew your membership by the end of the year.  You can bring your dues to the Holiday Party, or send a check for $45, payable to the Nature Artists’ Guild to –

Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL  60532-1293.

If you’re not a member yet, but considering joining, we welcome you to fill out the membership application (click on the tab above), and send it along with your dues to the above address.  You are always invited to attend a program as our guest, but we think you’ll find the benefits of membership make it well worth joining.

The Nature Artists’ Guild Starts Planning for the New Year!

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Great news!  The board and committee members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are already busily planning some of next year’s events, and we have a sneak peek of some that are coming up within the next few months!

Our first program of the new year will feature artist Scott Harding, on February 7, 2013.  Of course, we’ll have our special exhibit at Downers Grove Library in January, we’ll be visiting Hausermann’s Orchids for a paint-out in February,  and we can look forward to a fascinating presentation by one of our own members, Carol Jean Rogalski, at our March meeting.

There is also talk of a “open studio” event at Thornhill, where natural objects will be provided as subject matter, and an instructor will be on-hand for questions or assistance.

Please check your next issue of the Quarterly or check back here in the upcoming months for all the details.