Field Excursions Bring Art To The Outdoors

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As warmer weather arrives, we have more opportunities to connect youth to the outdoors. Amy Pille, who teaches Eco Arts at our Rainier Vista location, along with our Executive Director Renee Mona, recently took students on an outdoor excursion to create nature art around their neighborhood. She drew inspiration for her lesson from the work of Andy Goldsworthy, a professional artist who creates sculptures from materials found in nature.

Before sending students off to create their own sculptures, Amy guided them in a discussion on the importance of creating art with natural materials. Nature art is waste-free, can be done anywhere, and doesn’t require any purchased supplies. This makes it one of the most accessible forms of art.

The students gathered at a nearby park to collect rocks, leaves, and flowers for their nature art creations. Rather than gluing their designs on paper to take home, we asked them to lay their creations in the grass for the community to enjoy.

And that’s what makes nature art so unique – it’s waste-free, easy to create, and enhances the beauty of public spaces. And since all of the materials come from nature, they can return to nature when the project is over. Flowers and leaves used in our project will eventually decompose and enhance the soil for new plants to grow.

Nature art is just one way our Youth Art Program combines environmental learning with arts education. Whether in the classroom or in the field, Nature Consortium fosters creativity in ways that are both accessible and sustainable.

 

You can support this program by donating to Nature Consortium today.