art in nature

This week we took a closer look at the amazing things that reside right in in front of us, but that we often fail to notice. A closer look at a branch, or a weed, or a seed pod, or a patch of dirt can reveal some awesome stuff. With a little help from one my favorite artists, Andy Goldsworthy, we made our art out of nature, and the results were just beautiful. 

My hope was that some quiet time in the woods with nothing but a friend and some natural gathered materials would lead to a bit of inspiration and it happened. The bigger boys found logs and large branches and made a fort in between some boulders. The younger kids found berries, feathers, and leaves and made beautiful designs. 

We walked around the dappled woods and talked about our creations and our thoughts when making them, and the comments were so sweet and well thought out. I am always amazed by children and their bright minds.

The backyard can be an infinite place when our eyes are wide open. 

Get yourself to a library and get any books you can by Andy. Look at them with your children. Let them try to guess how he made his creations. 

Go outside. Make art.

Here are some fun Andy Goldsworthy creations for inspiration.

I told Matt that I want our woodpile to look like this.
He's on it.