A Trio of Talented Artists on June 6, 2024 at The Morton Arboretum

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All are invited to a program featuring demonstrations by three talented Nature Artists’ Guild members at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

Examples of stippling in black and white ink, copyright Nancy Wu

Nancy Wu will demonstrate the use of stippling with black and white ink to create intricate drawings of nature.

Pearl Onions and Lacy Leaf, silverpoint, copyright Sandra K. Wilcoxon

Sandra Wilcoxon will share materials and methods for using silverpoint in both old and new ways.

Monochromatic and glazed stages of painting, copyright Dale Olsen

Dale Olsen will add glazes in oil or acrylic to bring glowing color to a black and white base.

Presentations sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild are always free and open to all. There is no requirement to be a member of The Morton Arboretum or the Guild to attend, and there is no charge for attendance, parking, or entry into the Arboretum for these events. Visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to the Thornhill Education Center. There will be plenty of seating, and light refreshments will be available.

Coming this June!

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Cicada, copyright Jean Black

More than just cicadas are coming to Chicagoland over the next few weeks. For members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, June also marks the arrival of –

  • One of the Nature Artists’ Guild’s most popular annual programs, featuring short demonstrations and discussions by three talented members, at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on the evening of Thursday, June 6, 2024 (open to all, free of charge). This year’s artists will share tools, tips, and techniques for creating botanical art using pen and ink, drawing with silverpoint, and using glazes when painting in oil or acrylic. Details to come soon.
  • An exciting new special exhibit at the Aurora Public Art Commission gallery. Participating Guild artists are dropping off their work this weekend, and in less than two weeks, the exhibit opens. Aurora’s First Friday event on June 7, 2024 will include a reception at the gallery for the Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit (open to all) with light refreshments and live music.
  • A paint-out, tentatively planned for late June at the lovely private garden of one of the Guild’s members. The date of the paint-out will be determined in June, and will depend on weather and possible cicada activity.

Weekly Nature Artists’ Guild Gatherings Return to Wednesday Mornings

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Click on image for more about Coffee and Art at The Morton Arboretum

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, guests, and interested artists are welcome to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum to “sip and sketch” any Wednesday morning at 9 am (weather permitting).

These small and friendly gatherings usually last until about 11 am, and there are plenty of spots for participants to sit, either inside or out, with views of beautiful flowers, shrubs, a lake, trees, and wildlife.

Wednesday mornings are a wonderful time to visit the Arboretum, before the crowds and the heat of the day arrive. There is no charge or registration necessary to attend these casual get-togethers, but non-members of The Morton Arboretum will be required to pay an entry fee at the gate.

Gouache Class with Suzanne Wegener in June 2024 at The Morton Arboretum

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Milkweed painting in gouache, copyright Suzanne Wegener. Click on image to learn more or register.

Scientific Illustrator and educator Suzanne Wegener will be teaching a 4-part intermediate to advanced level class on painting in gouache at The Morton Arboretum this June.

Each Thursday evening in June 2024, from 6:30 to 9:30, class attendees will join Suzanne at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum to learn and practice using the tools and techniques for creating detailed paintings in the versatile medium of gouache.

This class is open to all artists with “fundamental knowledge and skills” and “previous art experience.” (There is no requirement to be a member of the Nature Artists’ Guild or The Morton Arboretum to register.) Paints and paper will be supplied for the class, but participants will need to bring along a few other basics.

Suzanne Wegener is one of the original members and former president of the Nature Artists’ Guild, the former coordinator of the art and photography education programs for The Morton Arboretum, and recent president of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. With her knowledgeable, friendly, and patient teaching style, Suzanne continues to be a popular instructor at The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The class is titled Flowers and Feathers in Gouache, but students will find that working in gouache will result in wonderfully detailed representations of not only flowers and feathers, but a wide variety of subjects in the natural world.

Postcards for the 2024 Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit at the Aurora Public Art Gallery Now Available

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Postcards for the 2024 Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit at the Aurora Public Art Commission Gallery are ready for sharing with friends and family!

Copies can be obtained from the attendant at the front desk of the Administration Building of The Morton Arboretum (the same building that includes the Cudahy Room and Sterling Morton Library) beginning on May 7. The postcards will also be available in Aurora by arrangement with Cheryl Holz.

All members and friends of the Guild are encouraged to share copies of the exhibit postcard either digitally or by mailing to friends or dropping off at local businesses.

The postcards for Art Inspired by Earth were designed by Special Exhibits Co-Chair Cheryl Holz, and feature artwork by some of the exhibiting Guild members, Nicki Metz, Beth Berry, Laurie Peters, Patty Koenigsaecker, and Vicki Liszewski.

Looking Ahead to Late Spring and Summer

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Here Fishy, Fishy, copyright Dan Danielson

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be welcoming the arrival of late spring and summer in a number of enjoyable ways –

  • Nature Artists’ Guild members are encouraged to share images of their summer-inspired artwork for the upcoming issue of the Nature Artists’ Quarterly. This members-only publication includes essays, book reviews, images, and news by and about Guild members. Submissions for possible inclusion in the Summer Quarterly can be emailed to Jane Kellenberger at the NatureArtNews gmail address by May 1, 2024 (Guild members only).
  • There is still time for members to register for the paint-out at Lilacia Park scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 9:30 am. Paint-Out Chair Celia Rodee will share details and updates by email with those registered, and share coffee and her delicious homemade muffins at the paint-out.
  • Artwork drop-off dates for this June and July’s Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the gallery of the Aurora Public Art Commission are approaching quickly. Registered exhibitors can park in the designated lot next to the building on May 24 between 2 and 4 or May 25 between 11 and 1, and take the elevator to the third floor to sign in their artwork. The exhibit opens on June 7, 2024 with a reception at the gallery (and a gathering at the studio of Exhibit Co-Chair Cheryl Holz) and continues through July 13.
  • Three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be discussing and demonstrating their inspirations, materials, and techniques at the June 6, 2024 program at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum at 7 pm. This program will be open to all, free-of-charge. Details will be coming soon.

Celebrating the May Flowers

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Photo credit Lilacia Park, Lombard, IL

Members of The Nature Artists’ Guild can celebrate the results of recent April showers with a visit to Lilacia Park next month.

On the morning of Wednesday, May 8, 2024, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be gathering at Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL for a paint-out from 9:30 until noon.

What is now Lilacia Park was begun by Colonel William Plum and his wife Helen Plum as their estate garden, inspired by a visit to a garden in France during their Grand Tour. Designed by world-renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen, the park is now over 8 acres and features more than 700 lilacs and 35,000 tulips, as well as a pond and walking trail. Lilacia Park is the site of Lombard’s annual Lilac Time celebrations.

There is no fee for admission to the park, and some seating is available (portable chairs are also allowed). Interested Guild members can stop by the park any time that morning, but registration is recommended in order to receive details and updates by email from Paint-Out Chair Celia Rodee (who will, by the way, be bringing coffee and her wonderful homemade muffins).

Photo credit Lilacia Park. Click on image to register for paint-out.

‘Tossing their heads in sprightly dance’

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Daffodil Glade, copyright Yvonne Buckley

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

……………………………………

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

……………………………………

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Wordsworth, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” (3-4, 11-12, 23-24)

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to join their fellow artists at the Daffodil Glade of The Morton Arboretum for a paint-out on the morning of Friday, April 19, 2024 from 9:30 to noon. (Note – paint-out was postponed from April 17 due to weather concerns. Participants do not need to re-register.)

The Arboretum’s latest Bloom Report shows the daffodils thriving, accompanied by their little blue dance partners, Siberian squill. Add some sunshine (hopefully), and coffee and homemade scones provided by Paint-Out Chair and accomplished baker Celia Rodee, and members might just be tempted to ‘dance with the daffodils’.

Nature Artists’ Guild members and their guests are invited to stop by the glade any time between 9:30 and noon, but registration (by clicking here) or emailing Celia is strongly recommended in order to receive details and updates by email.

Nature Artists’ Guild Cards at the 2024 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum this Weekend

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Just one more reason to visit the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2024 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum this weekend!

A limited number of these sets of four cards (blank inside) featuring the artwork of Nature Artists’ Guild members will be available for purchase (10 dollars per set, cash or check only) at the Guild’s Spring 2024 Exhibit from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7.

Exhibit visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy more than 200 works of nature art created by 60 members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, numerous pieces by Featured Artist Lindsay Sandbothe, demonstrations by artists in a variety of media, raffles (tickets cash or check only), and more.

The exhibit will be open to all visitors to The Morton Arboretum between 10 and 4 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at no additional charge (Arboretum admission fees or membership will be required) and will be held in the Cudahy Room, located in the Administration Building, adjacent to the Sterling Morton Library (a short stroll from the Visitor Center).

In addition, there will be no admission fee or membership requirement to enter the Arboretum for the reception on Friday evening from 4:30 to 7 pm, and all are invited! Reception visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the event to be admitted and directed to parking.