#NaturalBornArtists
While teaching at the Avenue Road Arts School, it became clear to me that the natural world was my niche.
Launching an original course called "Nature Art" I encouraged my students to engage more deeply with the world around them. In "Nature Art" (and in many of my other courses) students learned about historical and contemporary artists who were inspired by nature, worked with natural materials, and even began to learn some basic plant identification skills. #NaturalBornArtists utilized traditional drawing, painting, and sculptural techniques, but also explored nontraditional materials and methods (like microwaves, orange peels, or freshly brewed tea). And, #NaturalBornArtists begin to consider how to be an environmentally friendly artist - working with biodegradable materials, learning where their materials come from, and considering local wildlife, and water systems.
Featured Project: Van Gogh-inspired sunflower collage
Over three sessions, students examined their sunflower specimens closely, drew and painted from life, and discussed perspective, proportion, form, and colour. We dissected, named, and pressed sunflower parts, created a textural resist, painted with tea, and collaged with our pressed plant materials. The stunning results certainly show off their hard work and newfound expertise!