Making Art in + from Nature
Looking for a great creative outdoor activity for your family, a playdate, or your class?
Google Andy Goldsworthy or better yet go take out a coffee table book of his art at your local library. Another fantastic source of inspiration are the magical nature mandalas of Day Schildkret (aka Morning Alters) and his Instagram feed is awesome.
Take a few minutes to look at the ephemeral works of nature art, notice the thoughtful use of found natural materials, the shapes and contrast, then go out there + make an art installation with your kiddos!
Don’t worry if you the adult are feeling iffy about your art execution + creativity, trust me your little ones will have lots of ideas. This is a great activity for multi-age groupings as well. Recently we paired high schoolers with small groups of middle school students and they created fantastic works of art. Make sure to give them a little time to think, inspect material options, find an inspiring location, and delegate.
Artwork by Andy Goldsworthy
I’ll be honest, it seemed like a “hmmm is this even working, was this a waste of time” situation while we were out there with all the kids and even when we toured each of the sculptures/nature collages. Then I got home, looked at the photos, and had a “WOW. This was awesome” moment. Sometimes you need a minute to decompress + reflect. You can’t appreciate an experience if you don’t try it though!
Nature Mandala by students at Rocky Hill Country Day School in Rhode Island
A “Morning Alter” by Day Schildkret
