Art Activity #9: Exploring Environmental Art
For this week’s activity we are going to be getting outside with those closest to us to make some natural environmental art, which is art created in nature with pieces of nature. One of my inspirations for this week’s activity is Andy Goldsworthy, an environmental artist. He creates beautiful and vibrant pieces in nature using what he finds around him, and in a way that does not harm the landscape he works in. He does not tear branches off of trees, pick flowers or grass, but instead works with what nature has released. Fallen leaves, sticks, stones, anything that is scattered around in the environment. We are going to be trying that out today.
For this project you will need:
a natural outdoor space such as a backyard, park, trail, beach, or school yard
gloves if you don’t want to get your hands dirty
keen eyes to find pieces of nature that you can rearrange without causing any harm
a camera to take a photo of your finished art piece
anyone else in your home who would like to join, this is a great activity to do with your family
Here are two pieces of Andy Goldsworthy’s incredible art. Click the picture to see lots more. These are my inspiration for this art activity, but you can make your environmental art in whatever style feels right to you.
Follow these steps to create your natural environmental artwork:
Find a nearby natural environment to work in. This could be right outside your door, at the local park, at the beach, or on a trail or hike. The main qualities you want to look for is that it isn’t too crowded with other people, it has a variety of natural items (sticks, flowers, leaves, ect) and that there is enough space for you to work and create your art piece.
(( Ms. Marks went with her family to a park near her house to make art together.))
2. Gather your materials. Remember that our goal is to create art without harming the environment around us. Look around on the ground for objects you can incorporate into your art. Be careful about what you pick up, as there can be unexpected sharp things or bug homes you could be disturbing. This is why having your family with you during this art activity is a good idea, you can help keep each other safe! Everyone can choose their own materials and canvases to work with.
3. Pick where you want to create your art. This will be your canvas. You may be inspired by a piece of nature and want to build your artwork around it, or just look for an easy area to spread out your materials. Trust your instincts and pick an area that feels right for you.
((Ms. Marks picked up lots of sticks and found a nice grassy field to create her work on))
4. Create your artwork by arranging your materials on your canvas. You may want to start laying out your artwork, step back, look it over, then make changes or go find more materials to add. You will know when your artwork is done.
5. Take a photo of your completed art piece and share it with your class on microsoft teams. I would love to see photos of your work as well and share them here in the student gallery, so email them to me at smarks@vsb.bc.ca!
6. When you are finished you can return your materials to where you found them or leave them where they are to inspire others who may come across your canvas in the future.
((Ms. Marks made a tree on the grass using the sticks I found. She considered adding leaves but liked how the grass served as the leaves instead!))
