Nature Artists’ Guild’s Return to the Tropics 2025

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Magenta-Lined Orchids, copyright Kathi Kuchler

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be making their yearly visit to Orchids by Hausermann on the morning of February 7, 2025.

Each year, Guild artists pack their bags, not with clothes, but with art supplies, as they head north, not to the airport, but to Villa Park, Illinois, to enjoy the warmth, scents, and gorgeous flora, not of a tropical island, but of Orchids by Hausermann, one of the oldest and largest growers of orchids in the midwest.

Nature Artists’ Guild members are invited to sketch, paint, and photograph orchids inside the display area of Hausermann’s 3-acre greenhouse (before it opens to the public) from 7:30 until 10 am on Friday, February 7, 2025. Registration is required for this event by clicking here, or emailing Celia Rodee.

Scratchboard with Rhonda Nass, February 6, 2025

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Abundant Succulents II, copyright Rhonda Nass. Click on the image for more of Rhonda’s work.

The Nature Artists’ Guild is excited to welcome back Rhonda Nass for an online presentation on the evening of Thursday, February 6, 2025.

Many members of the Guild have had the privilege of learning colored pencil or acrylic techniques with beloved instructor and incredible artist Rhonda Nass over the years. Rhonda has expanded her expertise to the world of scratchboard, and as with all of her artistic endeavors, brings it to an extraordinary level.

On the evening of Thursday, February 6, 2025, beginning at 7, Rhonda will give an online presentation to the Nature Artists’ Guild and guests. While sharing techniques, preferred materials, and inspirations for using scratchboard, Rhonda will also discuss how her experiences with colored pencil influence the work.

All are invited to attend this free online presentation sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum! Members of the Guild will receive an email link approximately one week before the presentation, and guests and visitors can request a link by contacting the Guild.

Paint-Out at The Field Next Saturday, January 18, 2025

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Photo credits FieldMuseum.org

The year’s first paint-out (or paint-in) for the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be held at Chicago’s world-renowned Field Museum next Saturday, January 18.

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, along with members of Artists at the field (a group that meets there regularly), will begin the morning at the Hall of Birds, where “more than 1,000 winged specimens await,” before dispersing to discover and sketch some of the Museum’s wonders of the natural world.

Downy Woodpecker. Image credit FieldMuseum.org. Click on image for more about the Hall of Birds.

Interested participants will meet to share their discoveries and artwork in the early afternoon, leaving plenty of time to stop by other exhibits or to visit SUE, the world’s most famous T. rex. Artists who are not members of either group are also welcome!

January 18 also happens to be the final day for one of the Museum’s special exhibitions, Audubon’s Birds of America. The exhibit, included with basic Museum admission, invites visitors to “behold Audubon’s vivid, life-size bird illustrations” and “soar through the 12-year process of creating these masterpieces of printmaking.”

Photo credit FieldMuseum.org. Click on image to learn more about Audubon’s Birds of America.

Artists (including non-members) can register here to receive an email with all the details, including times, places, and transportation (including possible carpooling groups) and parking tips. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and parking costs and admission to the museum.

Beginning 2025 with a Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit and Much More

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Aphrodite Sweetshrub, copyright Arlene Widrevitz, will be one of many works of art celebrating nature at a special exhibit at the Downers Grove Library this January.

The year begins with a special exhibit and quickly jumps right into exciting paint-outs, programs, and other ways for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to celebrate and share the beauty of nature throughout winter.

  • The Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual exhibit at the Downers Grove Library opens in just three days, on Tuesday, January 7 during normal library hours. Guild members’ artwork will complement the library’s permanent collection throughout library exhibit spaces for all to enjoy through February 4, 2025.
  • A paint-out at the Field Museum has been scheduled for January 18. Guild members will join members of the Artists at the field group in sketching some of the wonders of the natural world. Much more about this event will be emailed to Guild members soon.
  • On February 6, the Guild welcomes talented artist and beloved instructor Rhonda Nass for an online presentation about her experiences with scratchboard and colored pencil. Guild members will be emailed a link for attending the presentation. More details will be coming soon, including instructions for non-members to attend.
  • Also on February 6, Guild artists can leave the winter behind for a few hours at Orchids by Hausermann. This paint-out starts in the early hours, but the thousands of orchids and balmy conditions in the greenhouse of Hausermann’s make it worth setting the alarm. More details and a form to register online will be available soon.
  • It’s time to begin thinking of Spring! Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild who have news, articles, or artwork for the Spring edition of the Quarterly must submit them no later than February 1, 2025. An email with instructions for submission will be sent to all members in coming weeks.
  • The theme for the Guild’s annual 8 x 8 project, in which members create small works of art honoring The Morton Arboretum, will be announced soon for those who want to get an early start! The artwork will be exhibited alongside the Guild’s annual Autumn Exhibit at the Arboretum in November.
Click here for information about new memberships or renewals for 2025

Looking Back at 2024 with the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Click on image for a sample of images and list of posts from 2024.

2024 was filled with programs and paint-outs, exhibits and demonstrations, gatherings and artwork, and friendship and fun for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.

The Guild is hoping to welcome back all of its current members, as well as new ones, for even more in 2025. (Memberships are for the calendar year, so joining or renewing by January 1 ensures receiving all the benefits for the year.)

Please enjoy this small sample of images from 2024 (or scroll through the website or visit the Member Artwork pages for many more).

  • Downers Grove Library exhibit 2024
  • Diamonds of Winter detail, Dale Olsen
  • Field Museum paint-out
  • Field Museum paint-out
  • Claudia Lane presentation
  • Orchids by Hausermann paint-out
  • Great Horned Owl, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe
  • Spring Exhibit poster 2024
  • Rachel Davis presentation
  • Jurica-Suchy Museum paint-out
  • Goldfinch, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe
  • Rachel Davis presentation
  • Spring exhibit demo
  • Spring exhibit demo
  • Spring exhibit demo
  • Spring exhibit demo
  • Spring exhibit demo
  • Jewels of Spring, copyright Beth Berry
  • Wild Bergamot, copyright Lisa Kanellos
  • Spring 2024 Artists’ Card Collection
  • Daffodil Glade, copyright Yvonne Buckley
  • Lilacia Park paint-out
  • Aurora Public Art exhibit postcard
  • Lilacia Park paint-out
  • Cicada pendant detail, copyright Karen A Johnson
  • Ink demonstration, Nancy Wu
  • Glazing demonstration by Dale Olsen
  • Aurora Public Art exhibit
  • Private Garden paint-out
  • Anderson Japanese Gardens paint-out
  • Nature Journal Pages class by Sandra Wilcoxon
  • Grand Garden paint-out
  • Wine and Art Walk
  • Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum poster
  • Cantigny paint-out
  • Presentation by Don Widmer
  • Presentation by Don Widmer
  • Autumn events montage
  • Morning Light 3, copyright Dale Olsen
  • Trees exhibit
  • Trees at Sunset, copyright Marlene Vitek
  • Three Fall Maples, copyright Maggie Capettini
  • Autumn Exhibit demonstration
  • Autumn Exhibit demonstration
  • Autumn Exhibit demonstration
  • Autumn Exhibit demonstration
  • Autumn Exhibit demonstration
  • Yellowstone Tree Root detail, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
  • Card Exchange
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Suzanne Wegener
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Celia Rodee

Happy Holidays from the Nature Artists’ Guild

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2024 Holiday Card, copyright Joanne May. Please click on the image to open a gallery of 2024 Holiday Cards created by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild.

The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season!

  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Celia Rodee
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Suzanne Wegener
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Sandra Wilcoxon
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Ann Lamoureux
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Laurie Alvear
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Joanne McKibben
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Vicki Liszewski
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Margie Navolio
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Carol Jean Rogalski
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Christine Carroll
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Heidi Jachna
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Alice Wych
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Nicolette Metz
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Bernadette Hanacek
  • 2024 Holiday Card “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” copyright Yvonne Buckley
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Joanne May
  • 2024 Holiday Card, front, copyright Carol Cooley
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Jean Black
  • 2024 Holiday Card, inside, copyright Barbara Wendel
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Karen Romani
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Pat Mroczka
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Terrie McComb
  • 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Debra Giampoli

Please click here to view the gallery of handmade cards. Many thanks to Celia Rodee for once again coordinating this year’s Holiday Card Exchange, and to all the participating members for sharing their time and talents!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! (clack, clack, clack)

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Holiday Card 2023, copyright Bernadette Hanacek

This festive, furry friend is ringing (clacking, actually) his bells (acorns, actually) to remind members of the Nature Artists’ Guild that it’s time to –

Mail their holiday cards! Participants in the Guild’s 2024 Holiday Card Exchange are asked to make sure to mail their handmade cards by tomorrow, December 16. Images of the cards (both sent and received – we’ll work out eliminating duplicates) for the website should be emailed by December 21 if possible.

Renew their memberships for 2025! Current members can renew online or send a check to the Guild treasurer, and new members can join online or send a check to the address listed on the membership brochure. Nature Artists’ Guild memberships are for the calendar year, so joining or renewing early ensures receiving all the benefits for the entire year.

Nature Artists’ Guild’s Invitation to Stop By

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All those interested in learning more about the Nature Artists’ Guild or current members who would just like to spend an enjoyable morning with fellow artists are invited to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum any Wednesday morning after 9.

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild can spend time sketching, photographing, or just chatting at these informal friendly gatherings. (What a perfect time to work on their holiday card project!)

Visitors can also ask questions and learn more about the Guild from current members in a relaxed and casual setting (with absolutely no pressure to join).

Why not stop by?

Note: Gatherings may be canceled without notice due to inclement weather and are not scheduled on holidays. Membership in the Nature Artists’ Guild or The Morton Arboretum is not required to attend, but regular Arboretum gate fees will apply.

Time to Spread Some Cheer!

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Sample of 2023 holiday cards by (l to r) Patty Koenigsaecker, Bernadette Hanacek, Christine Carroll, Celia Rodee, and Cheryl Holz

It doesn’t matter what the medium is (as long as it can be mailed), and it doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be handmade, and it will spread a bit of cheer to a fellow artist this holiday season.

Putting on some favorite tunes, pouring a hot beverage, gathering a few art supplies, and sharing some creativity – what a joyous and generous way to spend a little time this season! (Normal Guild exhibition guidelines are slightly loosened for this project, so artists can feel free to dress their critters or add some sparkle.)

Registration for the 2024 Nature Artists’ Guild’s Holiday Card Exchange ends tomorrow, December 5. The following day, coordinator Celia Rodee will email each participant the name and address of the recipient for their handmade card.

All cards must be mailed by December 16, 2024. Guild members received an email earlier this week with the details, and after all the cards are sent and received, images of them will also be shared on this website. (Blank multi-media cards and envelopes will be available at the Holiday Party for those who would like to begin with one.)

This Week for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Yellowstone Tree Root, copyright Jeffrey Zawada will be included in the Nature Artists’ Guild’s January 2025 Exhibit at the Downers Grove Library.

December sneaked in so quickly this year that it’s hard to believe the time is here for Nature Artists’ Guild members to –

Register for the exhibit at the Downers Grove Library by December 4. The library has a long history of featuring artwork and has an impressive permanent collection by local and internationally renowned artists. The Nature Artists’ Guild has been honored for decades to be featured in their annual January exhibit, and will continue the tradition in 2025.

Register for the Holiday Card Exchange by December 5. Just a few years ago, the Guild began coordinating informal exchanges of handmade holiday cards between members. This popular event is now an annual tradition! Members were emailed all the details in November, and for those participants who would like to use them, blank multi-media cards will be available at the December 5 party.

Attend the annual Holiday Party on the evening of December 5. The Holiday Party is a year-end celebration that gives Guild members an opportunity to enjoy a meal and spend time with fellow artists in the lovely Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. A fun raffle of donated nature and art-related items will be held (cash only for raffle tickets). Each member is invited to bring a guest, and there is no registration required. Nature Artists’ Guild members received an invitation by email in November with details.