Project #2 - Collecting Nature

Materials Needed - Time, adult supervision, a park/other natural setting, gloves and your 5 senses.

Making -

1.  Use 4 of your 5 senses (sight, smell, sound, touch, NOT taste) to pay attention to the nature around you.

2.  Look for small, abundant items that have interesting colors, textures and shapes. Do not damage any living plants.

3. Take just a few of your favorite things.

4.  When you get home, organize your new collection in different ways, based on qualities like size or color. 

5.  Ask yourself some questions about an item, for example a stick:  Why did I pick this up? What do I like about this stick? What story can I tell about all the things that happened to this stick before I found it?  How could I use this stick in a future art project?

When taking a walk these days, there are necessary rules to follow, like keeping a 6-foot distance from other people and not touching what may have been touched by others. Just the way it is for now.  I notice people in my neighborhood are now even friendlier than usual.  We wave our hands and smile to each other, shouting out things like "Glad the sun came out" or "Remember to wash your hands!".  It's great to be outside and move your body.  And, if you live near some nature, be on the look out for a few natural materials for making art. I went out for a walk with my favorite 4-year-old and we collected the things you see in the photo above. We wore gloves and were careful to take just a few things, so as not to disturb the ecosystems of the forest. 




Inspiration - Andy Goldsworthy is a British sculptor and photographer. He is best known for working with natural materials in a natural setting. He often works with flowers, leaves or other organic materials that will quickly decay. Because of this, he documents his work with photography. The artwork that Goldsworthy creates emphasizes the beauty found in nature, and the importance of showing care for the environment.