Art At The Arboretum

Last week, while the weather was fine, we took a trip to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle to see a new art exhibition called Of The Earth. The show consists of five creations by Polish American artist Olga Ziemska. The first, entitled Stillness in Motion, is made from reclaimed branches with a steel armature and is 6ft tall.

The artist used reclaimed materials from the Arboretum’s 1,700 acres to create her works. The next sculpture, Hear, is 5ft tall and 6.5ft wide and made from thousands of smooth river rocks. A nearby sign tells us to close our eyes and be still. It asks, can we hear what nature has to say? I can hear redwing blackbirds shrieking nearby, which makes me very nervous!

The exhibition’s intention is to remind us of the human connection to nature and the earth, and the setting, amid the trees and fields of the Arboretum, is ideal for this purpose. This piece is entitled Strata, is 8ft tall and 45ft long and is made with layered river rocks encased in a wire mesh and steel armature. It considers the human body as part of the landscape, emerging from the earth.

Oculus is 10ft tall and 9ft wide and is made of Arboretum logs and mirrored stainless steel set in a metal armature. It explores the idea of shared vision and collective sight and I can see a little mini-me standing in the field behind me.

The final sculpture, Ona, which means “she” in Polish, is 14ft tall, 20ft wide and 22ft deep. The eyes are open to reflect the surrounding scenery. I think this was my favorite piece. Apparently we picked the right week to go, weatherwise, as we are now getting some much-needed rain.

Morton Daffodils

It hardly seems possible that two weeks have flown by since the warm spell of weather that we had in early April and my trip to the Morton Arboretum to see the daffodils.

Daffodil time is one of the highlights of the year at Morton and comes when everyone is itching to get outside and see some Spring color. Combine that with the delightful weather we were experiencing, and it wasn’t surprising to see quite a crowd in Daffodil Glade. Fortunately the place is so large that it’s possible to take pictures without intruding on other people’s enjoyment of these cheerful flowers.

The branches on most of the trees were still bare, and it was nice to see that they leave some of the old, dead tree trunks, where many creatures still make their home, standing. How lovely to live in a place surrounded by golden daffodils.

The flowers have probably all faded now, as they have in my own garden, but there will be other enchanting sights to see at the Arboretum as the year progresses.

Magnolia Time At Morton

Last week, the weather was perfect for a visit to the Morton Arboretum. I’d gone there mostly to see the daffodils but an added bonus were the gorgeous magnolia trees.

Because the temperatures can still be rather brutal at this time of year, the life of a magnolia blossom can be quite short. Sometimes the buds don’t even have a chance to open up, This year, however, our warm spell coincided with the magnolia’s blossom time and the results were spectacular.

Everywhere, on the grass, were little wildflowers, and the warm breeze wafted a delicate perfume in the air, so it was no wonder that people were taking a moment to sit and enjoy this most delightful time at the Arboretum. More about the daffodils in a future post.

Walking Squares – At The Morton Arboretum

Another one of my favorite places to walk is at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, so here are a few shots taken on two of my most recent visits, the latest with fellow blogger, Janet from This, That And The Other Thing, for Becky’s Walking Squares Challenge. Janet helped me find the elusive ‘Human Nature’ sculpture (the first picture in this series) that I had previously missed and we spent a lovely day talking and walking around the Arboretum.

This is another one of those posts that serve to answer two challenges, the other one being Jez’s Water, Water Everywhere Challenge. There are plenty of water features throughout the Arboretum.

Around the Scarecrow Trail

Every year at the Morton Arboretum, during the Autumn season, they have a Scarecrow Trail that winds around Meadow Lake. These scarecrows are put together by local scout troops and you have to admire the kids’ creativity. Here are just a few that we saw on a recent visit, along with some views of Meadow Lake.

Human Nature – At The Morton Arboretum

A beautiful day at the Morton Arboretum and the perfect setting for their latest art exhibition entitled ‘Human Nature.’

Gingko

These magnificent sculptures by artist Daniel Popper should definitely be viewed from all angles, not only to enjoy the piece itself, but how it relates to the surrounding landscape.

Hallow

These 15 to 26ft tall sculptures were created exclusively for the Arboretum and are made of aluminum, steel, fiberglass, wood and concrete.

Sentient

Each sculpture weighs several metric tons but despite their size, they are sometimes dwarfed by the surrounding trees of the Arboretum.

Umi

The sculptures are spread throughout the Arboretum and although there are parking areas by most of them, some require a short walk to gain access.

Ephemera

The exhibition will be open through March 2023 and I’m looking forward to making a second visit later in the Fall when the surrounding trees will take on a whole new appearance.

Heartwood

The artist, Daniel Popper, is from Cape Town, South Africa, and his art installations include the memorial sculpture for the Nelson Mandela School of Science and Technology in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Basilica

Square Trees At The Morton Arboretum

What more fitting place for my final entry in Becky’s Square Tree Photo Challenge than at the Morton Arboretum. I close this post, as I very often do, with a picture of my dear mum. She was always up for any jaunt that I might suggest and I know she really enjoyed our visits to the Arboretum. Thank you, Becky, for this wonderful challenge.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Autumn

This week, Patti is looking forward to Autumn for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. For so many reasons, autumn is probably my most favorite time of year. Primarily, I love the colors, and then there’s the cooler weather, not to mention less biting bugs and irate red-wing blackbirds. Of course, any time of year is great at the Chicago Botanic Garden but autumn is a very special season full of bright flowers and glowing foliage.

Autumn is one of the few times in the year that most of our family is able to get together and there is nothing more fun than our Family Fall Festival which is usually held at our daughter’s house in Indiana. She really puts on a terrific show with festive decorations that include Halloween characters, many of which are animated. The kids love it!

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle is the ideal place to visit in autumn when the trees are at their most colorful. A membership to the Chicago Botanic Garden gets you into the Arboretum for free and you can spend the day taking in the sights.

And what would autumn be without a trip to the pumpkin farm. This one is in South Barrington, Illinois, but we also visit a couple in Indiana and Wisconsin. They are a little more low-key but usually just as enjoyable.

And finally, one of my all-time favorite Halloween shots. “Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog,” and a Big Mac to go, please.

Square Tops – Tree Tops At Morton

My second entry for Becky’s Square Tops Photo Challenge features a few tree tops at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.

Featherlight

Another entry for Becky’s Square Light Photo Challenge. This time it’s featherlight. Images captured at River Trails Nature Center, The Morton Arboretum, Spring Valley Nature Center and The Chicago Botanic Garden.