Time to Renew

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

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.

All Members and Guests are Invited to our Annual Holiday Party on December 6, 2012

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

Don’t forget to save an evening during your busy holiday season to spend some time with a great group – your fellow Nature Artists’ Guild members!  Our annual Holiday Party and Elections will take place on December 6, 2012, beginning at 7:00 pm at Thornhill.

If you can, bring a dish to pass, and/or a contribution to the raffle (books, prints, or other nature or art-related items are always popular).  There will be a few short speeches, the swearing in of the new Board, and then the fun begins! You’ll finally have an opportunity to catch up with old Guild friends, welcome some new members, and maybe even win some great prizes.  Please feel free to bring a guest to join us for this enjoyable and relaxing annual tradition. 

The American Society of Botanical Artists Visiting The Morton Arboretum

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

Next Friday, October 19, 2012, members of the ASBA will visit The Morton Arboretum as part of its 18th annual conference in Chicago.  Most of the activities for the conference, attended by hundreds of botanical artists and educators from all over the world, will take place at the Chicago Botanic Garden, but on Friday, volunteers from the Nature Artists’ Guild, along with liaison Suzanne Wegener, will welcome the members to The Morton Arboretum.  The visitors will be treated to a historical overview of Botanical Art by Rita Hassert and Arlene Widrevitz at the Sterling Morton Library, a tram tour, a lecture by Ed Hedborn, and a tour of the Herbarium by Dr. Andrew Hipp.

Welcome ASBA members!

Calling All Nature Artists!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and the Friends of Danada present the 38th annual Nature Art Show on October 12 and 13 during the annual Danada Fall Festival, at the Danada House, 3S501 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL.  The art show is open to all artists, but all work submitted most show some aspect of our natural environment with no indication of human influence.  The categories are Animals, Plants and Scenery, and drop off dates are October 9 and October 10, 2012.    Please contact Friends of Danada at info@danadahouse.com for more information and to obtain an entry form.  

A Few Very Important Reminders!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

You may have noticed our lovely new header, which is a detail of a painting by our Nature Artists’ Guild Holiday Exhibit Featured Artist, Nancy Pienta Thyfault. Please click on the “Current Featured Artist” tab above to enjoy more of Nancy’s wonderful work and to learn more about her!

Speaking of our Holiday Exhibit, tomorrow (Saturday, September 29, 2012) is the last day to send in your completed prospectus if you plan to participate. If you are a current member, you should have received your prospectus by mail or e-mail in late August.  Please contact one of the Exhibit Co-Chairs, Barb Denny or Karen Johnson (you can find their contact information in your Yearbook) if you have any questions.

Next Thursday, October 4, 2012, the Nature Artists’ Guild is very honored to welcome award-winning watercolor artist Heeyoung Kim, presenting “Science of Watercolor Brushstrokes”.  It promises to be a very exciting and informative program, and we hope to see everyone there (guests and visitors are welcome)! Please scroll down to read more about Heeyoung and her artwork.

A Wonderful Morning at The Beard Garden!

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

Carol Jean Rogalski shares this update about this morning’s paint-out at The Beard Garden –

The garden was inviting, the weather was perfect, and the sky was clear in spite of warnings of early showers.  Susan Beard could not have been a more generous hostess, even sharing some grasses and pods and vines with the stragglers, the last ones to leave. She commented that we should see the place in the spring.  Well, I take that as an invitation that we were such good guests that we would be able to return in 2013.  So those who missed it this year can put it on their list for the spring.

Great News!  We will be looking forward to it!  We are also looking forward to seeing more photographs of the garden and the event on the website of the Morton Arboretum Photographic Society (MAPS).

Nature Artists’ Guild and Morton Arboretum Photographic Society at The Beard Garden, 2012

Heeyoung Kim, Science of Watercolor Brushstrokes, October 4, 2012

Published on by DeniseLeave a comment

On October 4, 2012 ,  the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum welcomes Heeyoung Kim, presenting the “Science of Watercolor Brushstrokes” at the Thornhill Education Center from 7 to 9 pm.

As Heeyoung explains,

Painting watercolor botanicals on hot-pressed watercolor paper is quite different from other types of watercolor paintings. It requires extreme control over the amount of water and brush strokes. It is all about the interacting process of water, paint, and paper, which can be explained scientifically, but in a very simple way.  The only or main tool for this whole process is the brush and the artist is the facilitator, in my personal point of view, who should create the best working environment for the tool and media. Working with transparent watercolor on hot-pressed watercolor paper is so sensitive that every single brush stroke is seen through or affects the next steps. Therefore, understanding how the brush works is critical in creating successful watercolor botanical paintings.

Fringed Gentian, Gentianopsis crinita, © Heeyoung Kim

Botanical artist and instructor Heeyoung Kim was the gold medal winner of the Royal Horticultural Society London Botanical Art Exhibition in March, 2012.  She has shown her works in ASBA/HSNY International Juried Botanical Art Exhibitions (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 – Honorable Mentions Award, 2010, Award of Merit, 2011), 13th Hunt International (2010), and Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World (2009-2011).  You can view more of Heeyoung’s beautiful artwork on her website, prairieplantart.com.  

 Guests and visitors are welcome to join us for this wonderful program!  Please ask for directions to Thornhill as you enter the Arboretum gate.