Collaborating with nature

Nature art is trending on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. These Face the Foliage images are all over the web!

Face the Foliage Art Series, Justina Blakeney

We can't get enough of Kerstin Hiestermann's nature inspired art and this post which inspired our post title.

Collaborating with Nature, Playful learning

Drop, Kerstin Hiestermann

So, when we were invited to participate in the Healey School's Adventure camp, we thought a nature art activity would be perfect!

The Healthy Eating Active Time (HEAT) Club at Adventure Summer Camp at the Healey School focuses on eating healthy, nutrition and exercise. An art project might not seem like a natural fit for this club, but there is nothing healthier for the mind and body than getting outside and exploring nature, looking closely at the things growing beneath our feet, breathing fresh air and stretching your legs while hunting for interesting leaves, rocks and sticks.

We started the day on a scavenger hunt around the school. We found special wood chips (could it be a boat?) and small yellow leaves (does it look like a nose?). Purple flowers, red berries, and fuzzy white weeds were carried carefully back to the art room and spread out on tables to assemble into art and sculptural pieces.

Laying out the design

Gluing the design on to white paper.

Expanding the drawing and adding detail with pencils.

Some students created faces, beach scenes, super heroes and dragonflies.

Dragonfly

Riding the waves

Face the foliage

While others created more abstract pieces.

One made an applesauce factory sculpture using berries to represent apples!

Every student approached the project from his/her unique perspective. Every single piece was different - an authentic collaboration between artist and nature!

Content and pictures provided by Karyn Novakowski, Somerville Farm to School Project Director

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