Nature Challenge Overview
When you make a sculpture with leaves, rocks, or sticks, the work is not about the material itself. It is an opening into the process of life within and around the piece. This process continues, even after you leave. This nature challenge is inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy. You may be familiar with mandalas through drawing and coloring but they are also a beautiful foundation for working with nature.
Challenge Steps
Step 1: Think about the elements or materials that you might use to design your sculpture. As you walk through the garden, pick up stones and pebbles of different shapes, colors, and sizes. Look for brightly colored seeds and pods and other natural materials. Do not use anything man made.
Step 2: Choose a location where you will build your sculpture. Look for an area that is not in the middle of a walking path. You will want a place where people can see your art, but you don’t want anyone to accidentally step on it! Lay the gathered objects out and look at them. Notice the area around the objects. The area around an object is called negative space.
Step 3: Start with the center and work outward in a symmetrical pattern. Everyone can create their own design or you can work together as a family, taking turns adding more and more layers. You will make a pattern with sticks, stones, or other elements.
Step 4: Look at the materials that you collected and decide what colors and shapes you want to use now and what you might use later. Note that the actual parts that make up a sculpture take up positive space. Continue to add layers to your artwork!
Step 5: Unity allows the viewer to see your complex combination of elements as a complete whole. If all of the parts are joined together in such a way that they begin to appear as a whole, your work of art is said to be unified. Shapes, colors, and patterns can help create unity in a piece. Make any necessary adjustments – you’re almost done!
Step 6: Take a photo of your work and share it!