Morton Arboretum Herbarium Paint-In

          On Friday, March 19, at 9:30 a.m., Nature Artists’ Guild  Members will meet at the botany lab, located in the Administration & Research center, to sketch or paint from herbarium sheets.   At noon, members will have the exceptional opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the Morton Arboretum herbarium on a tour given by herbarium volunteer and guild member Liz Lizzio.
           “The Arboretum herbarium houses more than 165,000 dried plant specimens and 19,000 lichens, many from Illinois and Missouri. The herbarium’s strongest collections are its (1) active and nearly comprehensive contemporary collection of the flora of the 24-county Chicago region and (2) broad collection of woody plants of the northern Temperate zone, both cultivated and spontaneous.” redwood.mortonarb.org/lab_pages/hipp/herbarium.html
Please RSVP to Suzanne Wegener at swegener@mortonarb.org or 630-719-5642.

Deadline Extended For Spring 2010 Exhibition

There is still time for members to register artwork for the Spring Exhibition!

The new deadline is Wednesday, March 10, 2010. If you are a Guild member and did not receive a prospectus, please contact Show Chair Sharon Malec or Publications Chair Evelyn Grala.

The Spring show will run April 16-18th. Referee Night will be Wednesday, April 14.

Renowned Artist Victoria Fuller, March 4, 2010 at 7:00

On Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:00 pm, please join us at our formal meeting as renowned sculptor and painter Victoria Fuller shares her art experiences.
Victoria’s works range from delicate watercolor paintings of flora and fauna to large scale public sculptures. Her 35 foot bronze sculpture Global Garden Shovel, recently installed in the city of Seattle, “is constructed from castings and manual replications of indigenous plants and trees from the tropics and northern climates. The sculpture is also a reminder of the crucial role that plants play in sustaining life on our planet, such as producing food, medicine, oxygen, moisture, as well as providing beauty and enjoyment in our everyday lives”.

Global Garden Shovel (detail), Victoria Fuller

“In search for knowledge and adventure” Victoria has “traveled to China, witnessing the Tiananmen Square uprising, to Africa on photo Safari, and the Amazon on a house boat, creating botanical illustrations. She has lived in Paris to study French, New York to immerse herself in the NY art scene, and in San Francisco to study at the San Francisco Art Institute.” Victoria moved to Chicago in 1992 to obtain an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her award-winning work has been featured in exhibitions from Chicago to New York, as well as in numerous publications.

Roseate Spoonbill, Victoria Fuller

 

Please join us for what will surely be a fascinating evening as Victoria shares her experiences. You can read more about Victoria online at www.ObjectArtist.com.

Fascinating Presentation

Porcelain painter and teacher Karen Wahlers gave a lovely presentation at a well-attended formal meeting last evening!  After speaking about her background, some of the history and fascinating facts about porcelain painting, and (bravely, in our opinion) passing around numerous examples of her work for us to look at more closely, Karen did a demonstration which we were all able to watch on the large screen.   Karen assured us that the process was not quite as difficult as we may have thought (it allows for changes by simply wiping paint right off),  and it certainly appeared to be an enjoyable method of painting, the way the paint glided onto the shiny porcelain surface!   The process was fascinating, and the delicacy and luminosity of the finished pieces is something that could only be fully appreciated by seeing them in person.   

Karen was so generous as to offer one of her finished pieces as the evening’s door prize, and the grateful winner was Connie Devendorf.    Pat Delano helped to complete the evening by supplying us with an assortment of her delicious homemade goodies!   Thank you to Karen and all who helped with and attended last evening’s meeting!   

 Karen currently teaches porcelain painting from her home, and can be reached at rtst54@aol.com.  You can also visit www.theshop.net/wocporg/ for more information about the art form.

Like a Trip to the Tropics! (Paint-Out)

In late winter, the next best thing to going on a tropical vacation is?  A paint-out at Hausermann’s Orchids, of course.  Another perennial favorite paint-out spot, Hausermann’s is magical.  When you go inside, out of the snowy 10 degree Chicagoland weather, you are instantly transported to the tropics.    No sand, no pina coladas, but there are thousands of orchids, and they are in bloom!

Hausermann’s has a nice area set  aside in their huge greenhouse as a “showroom” with specimens of dozens of different types of orchids, which is where we set up to sketch or paint.  It’s worth coming even if you only have time to take some photographs, or as some do, walk around oohing and aahing at the amazing orchids (and ultimately buying one or two)!  One lucky participant will even receive a free orchid to take home with them.

It gets a little crowded if there are too many, so we’ll try to limit the group to about 15.   Please contact Denise Fisk if you think you’d like to come.  We’ll be meeting on Friday, 02/05/10 from 9:30 to 12:30, and Suzanne Wegener will meet you there.  Hausermann’s is located at 2N134 Addison Road, Villa Park, IL (see www.orchidsbyhausermann.com for directions).   Bring a chair, your art supplies, and maybe an MP3 with some Don Ho (who?) or Ziggy Marley (who???) music, and enjoy!

Karen Wahlers Presents: The Ancient Art of Porcelain Painting

Local accomplished porcelain artist, Karen Wahlers, will be our featured presenter at the February 4, 2010 meeting of the Nature Artists’ Guild.  Karen’s program will guide us through the preparation and application of this stunning ancient art form. 

A member of the International Porcelain Art Teacher’s Association and the World Organization of China Painters (www.illinoiswocp.com), Karen has taught classes and workshops at art leagues and galleries, as well as at state and national conventions.  Karen is also the founder of the DuPage Wild Roses guild.

Please join us February 4, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. for a fascinating journey through this ancient art form with this talented teacher.

Paint-Out January 14th, 2010 at Jurica Nature Museum

It’s Not Too Late to Join a Fun Paint-Out Tomorrow!

Our first paint-out of the year is tomorrow, and it’s at a place that many of us know and love! We will be meeting at the Jurica Nature Museum at Benedictine University tomorrow, January 14, from 9:30 to 12:30 (or later if you wish). If you haven’t been there before, you’re in for a treat!

This museum is filled with mounts and skeletons of creatures ranging from hedgehogs to lions . They are displayed in a few large rooms, and there are few or no spectators, so you’ll have room to spread out and get comfortable. Unfortunately for them, the animals stay extremely still, but that makes it much easier for us to get some good sketches, drawings or paintings! I stayed a while after everyone left last year, and though it was a tiny bit spooky in a “Night at the Museum” sort of way, I was able to do a sketch of a skunk that would have otherwise never been possible!

Please let LaVerne Bohlin know  if you plan on coming, as she will be meeting members there. Don’t stress about getting there right at 9:30 – it’s a casual gathering and we’d love to have you any time you can make it . If you have the time, maybe you could also go with some other NAG members to lunch afterwards, or stay later at the museum for some extra time with the animals (if you dare)!

Denise Fisk, Program Chair

January Board Meeting Rescheduled

The board meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 7, 2010 has been canceled due to the weather forecast of a winter storm. The meeting is rescheduled to Thursday, January 14, 7:00 pm at Thornhill, Room B.

Holiday Party and Installation of Officers

Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 pm, Thornhill Founders Room

Don’t miss our annual holiday meeting! The evening includes pot luck refreshments, installation of officers and a raffle. Guests are welcome!

2009 Holiday Exhibition

Help us spread the word! Postcards and Posters can be picked up at the Arboretum’s Education Department at Thornhill Education Center.