Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild have so much to do this Autumn! Here is a quick reminder about some upcoming events and deadlines –
On Wednesday, October 2, members of the Guild will meet at the gardens of Cantigny Park for the last paint-out of the season from 9:30 until noon. Registration is recommended, but drop-ins are also welcome.
All are invited to the October 3, 2024 presentation sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum from 7 until 9 pm. Artist Don Widmer will be sharing some of his techniques for creating textural art using paper pulp. There will be no charge to attend this presentation.
Guild members who would like to contribute to the gift baskets to be raffled at the upcoming 2024 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum can drop off items at the October 3 meeting. An email was recently sent to members with all the details.
Posters and postcards for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2024 Autumn Exhibit will be available at the October 3rd meeting for members and guests to pick up to share with friends, family, and local businesses.
Nature Artists’ Guild members who are interested in learning more about next year’s open volunteer positions can speak with current volunteers at the October 3rd meeting after the presentation is over (the attendant at the welcome table can steer members to the appropriate person to answer their questions).
The final day for Guild members to register online or by mail for the special exhibit “Trees” will also be October 7, 2024.
Also coming soon – artwork by the 2024 Autumn Exhibit Featured Artist, Dale Olsen, as well as many more of the exhibitors. Details for contributing images will be emailed to all exhibiting artists soon.
Detail of Happy Friend, copyright Don Widmer. Click on image for more.
Book and paper artist Don Widmer will share inspirations and techniques for depicting nature and other subjects using “detailed pulp painting with numerous layers of stenciled pulp” at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on October 3, 2024 from 7 until 9 pm.
Book and paper artist Don Widmer’swidely collected and exhibited work began as mostly monochromatic pieces. He credits birds as his inspiration to begin adding color to his work. “One day several years ago I got invited to exhibit at an Audubon art show in Madison, Wisconsin. I had never pulp painted a bird up to that point so I decided to give it a try. … I slowly expanded my color palette. The male grackle, for example, has tones of iridescent purple and blue. When I finally got to a cardinal, I knew I was on my way to embracing color.” Don also appreciates the way that the “feathery edges of handmade paper and the fibrous quality of pulp” complement his bird images.
All are invited to this presentation sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum. There will be no Guild or Arboretum membership requirement for entry to this event, and admission and parking are free of charge. Visitors can let the gate attendant at the Arboretum know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill. Plenty of seating and light refreshments will be available.
Perennial Border, the gardens of Cantigny Park. Photo credit cantigny.org.
On the morning of Wednesday, October 2, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will visit the renowned gardens of Cantigny Park to paint, sketch, and photograph the early autumn colors.
Located in Wheaton, Illinois, Cantigny Park is the 500-acre former estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune.
In 1967, [famed landscape architect Franz] Lipp began construction of this lush, horticultural masterpiece, which is one of the largest display gardens in the Midwest with more than 160,000 annuals, perennials, ground covers and flowering shrubs and trees. – Cantigny.org
On October 2, 2024 Guild artists will meet at 9:30 on what will hopefully be a crisp and glorious autumn morning with their art supplies, cameras, and chairs (some chairs and benches are already available at the gardens).
While Nature Artists’ Guild members are welcome to stop by between 9:30 and noon, registration is encouraged in order to be added to the email list for paint-out details and updates. There will be no charge for parking or admission to Cantigny for the paint-out.
2024 Nature Artists’ Guild’s Autumn Exhibit Poster. Poster artwork by Dale Olsen, poster design by Jane Kellenberger. Copies of the exhibit poster and postcard will be available at the October 3 meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild at the Thornhill Education Center.
What a busy season for the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum!
The Guild paint-out at the lovely gardens of Cantigny Park will be the last of the year. Members can register in advance to be placed on an email list for updates, or just drop-in on the morning of October 2, 2024 after 9:30. More about this paint-out coming soon.
The Nature Artists’ Guild is excited to announce that the speaker for the October 3, 2024 meeting will be paper artist Don Widmer. The meeting will be open to all, free of charge, at 7 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. More to come about Don and his work.
Guild members and guests are always welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum (near the cafe) to chat, sketch, or just enjoy a quiet morning with fellow artists any Wednesday between 9 and 11 at a Coffee and Art gathering.
Finally, the Nature Artists’ Guild is looking for a few volunteers for positions opening soon. The Social Committeewill need a new chairperson for next year, as well as assistance this year in planning and managing the annual holiday party. The Outside Exhibits Committee will also need two new co-chairpersons, who would begin late this year by helping to plan the January 2025 exhibit at the Downers Grove Library, and continue throughout next year. Volunteers for either position will work alongside current committee members until comfortable working independently.For more information, click on the links above for position descriptions or click here to have a board member contact you.
Autumn, Sterling Pond, copyright Dale Olsen. Dale will be the Featured Artist for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2024 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
Today’s beginning of meteorological autumn brings more than just a new tongue-twisting term for the Nature Artists’ Guild. It also brings opportunities for creating, exhibiting, and sharing artwork that celebrates the season. Here are a few coming up –
The prospectus for the 2024 Autumn Exhibit of Nature Art at The Morton Arboretum will be emailed to all Guild members within the next few days. (There is still time to join the Nature Artists’ Guild and receive a prospectus!) Much more about the exhibit coming soon.
The Autumn Quarterly, featuring artwork, photos, and news about and by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be arriving in members’ mailboxes soon, just in time to enjoy along with a favorite beverage and some wonderful weather.
The final paint-outs of the year are in September and October. A paint-out at the Grand Garden of The Morton Arboretum is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, September 5, 2024. Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to drop by and even bring a friend or two to this paint-out (applicable Arboretum entrance fees will apply). Registration is recommended, but not required. (October’s paint-out will take place at the always-lovely gardens of Cantigny Park – more details in coming weeks.)
Lake Marmo Reflections, copyright Laverne Bohlin, began as a demonstration at a recent Arboretum workshop.
Even after her move across the country to New Mexico, gifted artist and experienced educator (and long-time Nature Artists’ Guild member) Laverne Bohlin returns to the Chicago area every year to enjoy the early autumn colors and teach at The Morton Arboretum. In 2024, Laverne’s workshop, Painting the September Garden in Pastel, will take place on Friday and Saturday, September 27 and 28.
Painting the September Garden in Pastel will be open to all artists with a “foundational experience with drawing the landscape” and members of The Morton Arboretum will receive a discount on the registration fee. Space is limited for this wonderful workshop with a popular instructor, so early registration is recommended.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild could even use this opportunity to create artwork for Trees, the special display of small worksto be featured during the Guild’s 2024 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum this November!
Visitors to the Arboretum are invited to enjoy this “juried art show featuring photography, woodturning, jewelry, painting, ceramics, fused glass, fiber arts, and more from regional artists.” – mortonarb.org
The Nature Artists’ Guild will not have an outdoor booth at the event, but will have an information table inside the Visitor Center, where some members will be sharing artistic tools and techniques (as well as information about the Guild) with visitors.
All are invited to stop by to chat with an artist and learn more about the Nature Artists’ Guild!
Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum. Photo credit mortonarb.org (detail).
Nature Artists’ Guild members will visit the Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum on the morning of September 5, 2024 with their paints and pencils for a fond farewell to summer and a warm welcome to autumn.
Autumn plantings will join the trees, fountains, and remaining summer blooms to create a lovely setting for Guild members to draw, paint, or photograph. The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden opened at the Arboretum last autumn, and was “designed for gathering, relaxation, inspiration, and beauty throughout the year.” – Delights of the Grand Garden, mortonarb.org
Nature Artists’ Guild members and guests are welcome to drop by the paint-out any time between 9:30 and noon on Thursday, September 5, but registration is recommended in order to be notified by email of updates.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild who would like to share articles or images of their autumn-inspired artwork in the members-only publication, the Quarterly, should forward them to Jane Kellenberger by August 1, 2024. Guild members recently received an email with details and an email address for submitting.
Nature Artists’ Guild members are reminded that the theme of theGuild’s annual tribute to The Morton Arboretum (8 x 8-inch works of art inspired by their collections) is “Trees” for 2024. This special display will be exhibited during the Guild’s annual Autumn Exhibit at the Arboretum in November. More information here.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be visiting the Gardens at Ball on the morning of Wednesday, August 7, 2024 from 9:30 to noon to paint, draw, photograph, and explorethe vast showcase of plants.
Ball Horticultural Company is a leader in all facets of horticulture. Our global family of breeders, research and development teams, suppliers, and distribution companies has a strong presence on six continents in 20 countries. – Ballhort.com
West Chicago, IL is the home Ball Horticultural Company and the site of the Gardens at Ball, their 13 acres of garden showcases filled with thousands of beautiful plants, including hundreds of their latest innovations in research and breeding.
Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will meet at the gardens for a paint-out at 9:30 am on August 7 to enjoy all the color and beauty on display. Registration is required for this event, either online, or by emailing Paint-Out Coordinator Celia Rodee.
Nature Artists' Guild 
