Join Us At Our March Fundraising Fun Workshop

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Our Nature Artists’ Guild Fundraising Chair, Nancy Thyfault, asks,

Are you tired of hearing that your note cards are so lovely that people won’t use them? Are people telling you that they frame them instead? Are people buying your note cards but not your artwork? If you answered yes, head out to our Workshop on Saturday, March 26, 9:30 to 2:00 at Thornhill. 

 One of the available projects will be painting/reviving stand up picture frames that will display your art- in note card size! We will also learn to create felt flowers with Sharon Malec, paint and decorate papier mache eggs and other fun things.

Bring along your printed note card, acrylic paints, brushes, water container and lunch. We will have frames prepped to paint, but if you have one at home that you feel is ready to recycle, bring it along! Frames must be acrylic paint receptive, so no metal, please. See you there!

The Nature Artists’ Guild will be Visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden

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Who doesn’t have Spring Fever?  Although the first day of Spring isn’t until the twentieth of March, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild can begin celebrating its arrival a few days early!

Photo credit Chicago Botanic Garden
Photo credit Chicago Botanic Garden

 On Friday, March 18, 2011, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, we will be visiting the world-famous Chicago Botanic Garden for a spring paint-out.  The Garden’s 24 display gardens and four natural areas will just be coming back to life with tulips and crocuses and literally hundreds of thousands of daffodils and jonquils!   As the Garden’s website notes, “No season is more longed for, or dreamed about, than spring, perhaps because it rubs shoulders with the harshest months of the year. This spring, discover daily miracles and celebrate the plant world at the Garden in all its optimism, color, and beauty.”

 All of us in the Chicago-land area also know that March weather can be very unpredictable!  Luckily for our paint-out participants, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s three greenhouses boast semitropical, tropical and desert environments. 

Photo credit Chicago Botanic Garden

You won’t be feeling any chill while indoors sketching the Garden’s display of “beautiful and fragrant flowering plants, rare plants, edible plants, utilitarian plants, seasonal plants, and houseplants from around the world”, all kept at a plant and people-pleasing 75 to 85 degrees!  Take that March winds!    

 Please let Ku-mie Kim know if plan to attend (her contact information is in the Yearbook).  There may be a possibility of arranging some car-pooling for those interested.    Please visit the Chicago Botanic Garden website,  for directions as well as some late-winter sustenance!

The Nature Artists’ Guild Spring Exhibit Featured Artist, Kathleen Tomasek

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You’ve probably noticed by now our lovely new header, contributed by our Spring Featured Artist, Kathleen Tomasek. 

© Kathleen Tomasek

Please click on the Featured Artist tab above to read more about Kathleen and to see more of her artwork. 

Don’t’ miss the Spring Exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum on April 9th and 10th, where you will see much more of Kathleen’s artwork as well as that of about fifty other members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!

Spring has Arrived at the Canterbury Shoppe!

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The Canterbury Shoppe’s spring exhibit of the Nature Artists’ Guild is up and looking great!   Everything spring-related, from bulbs to birds are beautifully represented by our group of talented artists.   Please take a few minutes one afternoon to stop by and enjoy the exhibit, at 43 E. Jefferson, Naperville, IL  60540.  The phone number is 630-717-5005, and the shop is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 6, Thursday from 10 to 8, and Sunday from 11 to 3.    

In addition to the original artwork and fine-art prints, there are cards, jewelry and decorative items for sale, all created by Nature Artists’ Guild members!   Be prepared to possibly make a day of it, though.  When you leave the Canterbury Shoppe, the scents of the area restaurants and the sight of all the other unique shops in downtown Naperville are hard to resist!

The Fiber Art of Sharon Malec, March 3, 2011

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Although we’ve all seen and admired her beautiful creations, soon we’ll also have the opportunity to see just how she does it!  We’re talking about, of course, Sharon Malec, one of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s own talented fiber artists.  At our formal meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2011, from 7 to 9 pm, Sharon will give us some background on various types of fiber art, including quilting and wool needle felting, bring some of her work, and even conduct a demonstration of some of her techniques! 

Sharon’s interest in nature helped to develop her distinctive style of art, and she is now most recognized for her unique and realistic depictions of nature and wildlife in fiber.   Her talents have led Sharon to serve on the faculty at national quilt shows, be published in Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, and have quilts in the permanent collections of the Museum of the American Quilt’s Society in KY, the Lincoln Memorial library in CA, and the Norris Gallery in IL. 

An excellent instructor, Sharon also shares her knowledge and experience in three books, 64 patterns, and an instructional video.   Sharon’s website is www.malec-designs.com.

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We’re Glad You’re Here

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The month isn’t even over yet and we’ve already received the most monthly “hits” (looks) ever on the Nature Artists’ Guild blog (the  service provider records the number of times the blog is accessed, but not by whom).  We’re so glad you’re visiting!  

Of course, we all love our publication, The Nature Artists’ Quarterly – you really can’t beat it for relaxing along with a nice hot cup of tea.   The stories and artwork contributed by your fellow Nature Artist Guild members are so nice to peruse when you have the time to really get comfortable, sit back and enjoy them (and don’t forget that you are always encouraged to send in your own news and artwork!)  You will just love the heartwarming article and artwork contributed by Nancy Hart in the upcoming edition (which you should be receiving in your mail next week).   

But when you’re running late, can’t find your Quarterly, and just need to look up a paint-out date, or want to follow a link to see more of one of a program artist’s work, the blog (or website) is the place to go! Come back any time!

Looking Forward to Your Latest!

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This is just a reminder of a few deadlines coming up –what a busy month for Nature Artists’ Guild members!

This Friday, February 18, the prospectus for the Canterbury Shoppe Spring Exhibit is due, and Saturday, March 5, the prospectus for The Morton Arboretum Spring Exhibit is due.  Saturday, February 26 is the day to drop off and pick up your artwork at the Canterbury Shoppe.  (You should have received instructions for both exhibits either through e-mail or mail.  If you haven’t received them, please leave a comment below, and we’ll make sure to get them to you.)

These are both great exhibit opportunities for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild – the arboretum exhibit alone attracts up to 1000 visitors over the weekend.   Do you have a few drawings or paintings newly completed or almost completed?   Maybe some that have been sitting around for a while waiting for a new wave of inspiration or just waiting to be framed?   Now is a great time to finish them up and get them hung!  We look forward to seeing your latest work!

Botanical Art Acquisition

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If you’ve attended Botanical Art classes at the The Morton Arboretum, you’ve probably had the chance to see some of the rare prints and original artwork from the impressive collection held by The Sterling Morton Library. 

The Nature Artists’ Guild  recently made a donation to the arboretum to show our gratitude and to help contribute to their mission.  Our donation late last year was used by the library to purchase some contemporary artwork to add to their collection.  As Arlene Widrevitz, of the Rare Print Collection writes,

“The newest acquisitions in the Print Collection of The Sterling Morton Library were purchased with funds donated by The Nature Artists’ Guild.

Winter Portrait:  Asclepias syriaca by Karen Johnson is an example of scratchboard art. The scratchboard technique is normally associated with the use of ink, but here, Karen has created a black and white image with graphite. This original piece features dried milkweed pods with the seeds escaping against a prairie background.

Winter Portrait: Asclepias syriaca, © Karen Johnson

Sacred Union by Kimberly Mullarkey is an example of her delicate colored pencil work on a black background. The image is an imaginative combination of an insect with one wing outspread superimposed over the human skeleton.

Sacred Union, © Kimberly Mullarkey

Amanita muscaria  and Russula Bouquet II by Alexander “Sasha” Viazmensky represent his work in watercolor. Sasha specializes in portraying the mushrooms that he finds in the woods near his home in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sasha recently taught a class in mushroom painting here at the Arboretum, which was very popular with his students and everyone who was able to see his work and that of his class. Amanita muscaria is an original in watercolor and Russula Bouquet II is a print of his watercolor work.

Amanita muscaria, © Alexander Viazmensky

 

Russula Bouquet II, © Alexander Viazmensky

These works will be available for viewing in classes that feature these techniques. Also, anyone can make an appointment to view these artworks or any others here in the library. We do enjoy showing off our collections!”

Stencils from your own Artwork – Think of the Possibilities!

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Tomorrow, from 10 am to 2 pm, the Nature Artists’ Guild will be hosting one of our two scheduled spring workshops.  Tomorrow’s workshop will focus on creating stencils from your own artwork, which can then be used on almost anything – fabrics, furniture,  walls, you name it!  You should have received an e-mail earlier this week with the supply list.  At first glance, it may look like quite a few items, but if you read it carefully, you probably already have most or all of the supplies.  If you are just interested in making the stencils, and want to do your painting at a different time, you don’t even need to bring the last few items. 

 The workshop will be held in Room A at Thornhill, so please stop in!

Winnie Wowed Us!

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Last evening at our formal program, Winnie Godfrey captivated us with her artwork, her warmth and her humor.  Seeing slides of her artwork, hearing stories of her art adventures, asking her questions, and getting the chance to see many of her original paintings (including a favorite of hers and most of the audience – Peony, seen in the post below, as well as one part of the triptych also posted below), made it absolutely worthwhile to have braved the cold! 

Thank you, Winnie, for going the extra mile and bringing your gorgeous paintings.  What a wonderful treat!