New Exhibit Opportunity for 2012, Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles

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Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum have been invited to exhibit their work at the St. Charles Hickory Knolls Discovery Center for the months of April, May and June, 2012!  Three separate exhibits are planned, with the following themes –

April – Botanical Art

May – Landscapes

June – Wildlife

The first exhibit opened on April 1 and runs through April 28, 2012.  

If you did not receive an e-mail or letter with the registration forms, or if you have any questions, please contact our Outside Exhibitions Chair, Paulette McDermott (you can find her contact information in the Nature Artists’ Guild Yearbook).

Spring!

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Yes, it may be a bit early to declare Spring, but our new header image sure puts us in the spirit!  This sweet detail from the watercolor Sweet Violets, was contributed by our featured artist of the upcoming 2012 Spring Exhibition of the Nature Artists’ Guild, Margo Heald.  You can view the entire painting, read all about Margo and see more of her beautiful artwork by clicking on the Our Current Featured Artist tab above.

Iris © Margo Heald

Spring Exhibit Workshop, March 24, 2012

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Our Fund-Raising Committee Co-chairs Nancy Thyfault and Brenda Spitzer have a fun workshop planned for this year’s spring exhibit fundraising table! The workshop will take place at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on March 24, 2012 from about 9:30 am until about 1:00 pm. Here’s what  we can look forward to –

Join us to create one of a kind treasures for our Artisan Shop (fundraising table).

There are some new things to try out:

Sharon Malec has a wrapped branch project. These look great in a vase. Please bring:

  • Freshly cut branches, fairly sturdy ones
  • Any scrap yarn, any color.

Brenda Spitzer will demonstrate ArtEmboss, a method of embossing metal. The metal can be displayed on its own, or attached to a support, such as a wooden box. Please bring:

  • An old mouse pad (to put beneath the metal)
  • A design no larger than 4” x 4” drawn on tracing paper..
  • Brenda will supply styluses and metal.

ArtEmboss photo credit Dick BlickNancy Thyfault will demonstrate how to transfer of copies of your artwork. These can be used to decorate wood pieces, papier mache items, etc. Please bring:

Laser copies of artwork (ink jet will wash away) which can be made at any office supply store. Make multiple sizes to cut up. Copies sized 8.5 x 11 and reduced down from that work well.

  • Old pieces of jewelry or found objects
  • A burnisher, if you have one (we can share)
  • An old stiff brush for application
  • Acrylic paints & brushes
  • A water container

We will have trays, boxes and other items to decorate or paint on. The embossed metal and/found objects can be incorporated onto your piece, as well.

This workshop will incorporate some new, fresh ideas with some old standbys. Don’t miss it!

You may join us or leave at any time. If YOUR time is short, stop by and pick up something to work on at home.

See you there!

Nancy and Brenda

Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum Paint-Out March 12, 2012

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Even if you missed the mastodon at our previous paint-out, as a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, you will now have another chance to draw, paint or photograph many, many huge (or tiny, if you prefer) creatures!

The Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL houses over 10,000 mounts, skeletons and other items in its 2500 square foot space, and we will have it all to ourselves the morning of March 12, from 9 am until 1 pm.

Please click here to view the museum’s new online catalog of photographs and information!

Photo credit Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum

There are a few benches, but for the best view and your own comfort, bring a folding chair along with your art supplies.  Many attendees choose to go out for lunch following this yearly paint-out.

Please RSVP to Suzanne Wegener if you’d like to attend, but even if you decide to drop-in at the last minute, please feel free to.  There’s plenty of room, and you can even show up late if you’d like!

Welcome new Nature Artists’ Guild Members!

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We are thrilled you decided to join us!  There are quite a few new members in 2012, and we are so happy to have you all.  We sincerely hope that you will find the Nature Artists’ Guild to be a supportive, friendly, informative and fun group to be a part of.

Please make sure to take advantage of all that the Nature Artists’ Guild has to offer!  From our top-notch exhibitions at The Morton Arboretum and other venues, to our paint-outs at some really interesting and beautiful places (and we’re always adding more), to our formal programs featuring some of the best artists around, and even to our fun fund-raising workshops, we like to think we have something to offer all of our members.

We hope that our atmosphere of non-competitive support goes a long way towards ensuring that all artists, from the newest beginners to the most seasoned professionals, feel welcome.  Please join us at the next meeting or send in your prospectus for the Spring Exhibition!  We look forward to getting to know you!

If you ever have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact any of the committee or board members.

Paper and Collage with Laura Lein-Svencner, March 1, 2012

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Please join us at our next Nature Artists’ Guild formal meeting, on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at Thornhill from 7 to 9 pm, as renowned collage artist Laura Lein-Svencner shares her passion for paper!

Laura Lein-Svencner’s love of paper has led her to pursue studies in drawing, printmaking, sculpture, papermaking and collage, and has motivated her not only to co-found the Midwest Collage Society, but also to teach and exhibit in various venues throughout the Midwest.

Shoreline 4 © Laura Lein-Svencner

Laura’s website describes her collage work as beginning with paper, “from handmade with the plants from her backyard to found papers that are crinkled, sanded and repurposed. Textures are formed with gesso and molding pastes. Layers of gloss medium are added to the papers surfaces for added strength and protection. In creating the collages Laura uses a technique where each side of the paper is coated in a polymer medium and after they are dry, fusing is done with a tack iron to hold each piece in place. She delights in exposed raw edges of torn paper, and visual entries flow out of self discovery.”

You can read more about and view images of Laura’s fascinating work by following these links – website, blog.

Nature Artists’ Guild to Visit Hausermann’s Orchids February 6, 2012

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In just a few weeks, during the cold, dreary month of February, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will once again be taking a trip to the most tropical place in the area, Hausermann’s Orchids, the showroom and greenhouse of the largest orchid grower in the Midwest!

The paint-out will take place on Monday, February 6, from 9 am until noon. This is one of our most popular paint-outs of the year, and Hausermann’s can accommodate only 15 artists, so please be sure to RSVP to Kathyrn Wagner-Selbach (you can find her e-mail address in your Yearbook) to save your spot.

You can read more about Hausermann’s, get directions, and view some of their thousands of stunning orchids at their website,  www.orchidsbyhausermann.com.

Colored Pencil Artist Cynthia Hellyer-Heinz, February 2, 2012

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Cynthia Hellyer–Heinz is an accomplished colored pencil artist whose work defies any simple description and truly must be seen to be appreciated!  On her website, www.cynthiahellyerheinz.com, Cynthia explains that “These pencil drawings are visual surrealist narratives. The intention is that they not hang passively on the wall but stimulate a dialogue. They are meant to provoke questions.”

 A widely respected artist and the recipient of numerous awards, Cynthia will join us on Thursday evening, February 2,  from 7 to 9 pm at Thornhill for what promises to be a fascinating look into her process and inspirations.  You can view Cynthia’s artist statement and biography by clicking here.

Wheaton College Paint-Out, Saturday, January 14, 2012, 9 am – Noon

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Nature Artists’ Guild member Marilyn Peretti has arranged a wonderful new opportunity for our first paint out of 2012!

According to Marilyn, the new Science Center at Wheaton College features the Perry Mastodon, which was unearthed in 1963 in Judge Perry’s backyard pond in Glen Ellyn.   Several other large animal specimens, as well as  a geological display of rocks and gems are also in included in what Marilyn describes as a “gorgeous, classy display area on two floors”.

Wheaton College has asked us to limit the number of participants to 12, so please RSVP to Ku-mie Kim to reserve your spot.  You will also need to bring your own folding chair or stool.

Please click here to see more about the mastodon and the Science Center!

Welcoming 2012!

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The Nature Artists’ Guild schedule next year will include some new paint-out locations (the first being Wheaton College’s Science building in January), some old favorites (Hausermann’s Orchids in February) and as always, some of the best artist presentations in the area (renowned colored pencil artist Cynthia Hellyer-Heinz will be featured at our February meeting).   Details will be posted soon, or you can check  your Winter Quarterly for the dates and times.

Although the Nature Artists’ Guild accepts membership dues at any time of the year, if you want to ensure that you are included in our Yearbook and that you won’t miss any issues of The Quarterly, please renew your membership by sending in your check and the renewal coupon from your latest Quarterly by December 31, 2011.