Take a Walk
“I started making holes in the back garden and realized I did not have to work in a studio. Out there is my studio.”
--Richard Long
Nasher Collection artist Richard Long takes walks that give him great ideas for his artworks. Sometimes these walks become works of art as Long creates outdoor sculptures along the way. Other times, he brings the outside in. Once he even painted mud on the walls of a gallery!
Assignment:
Create a work of art based on a walk that you take.
Bring:
An adult
A friend (stuffed, furry or human)
A journal or sketchbook,
A pencil
A camera
Snacks (best not the head anywhere without them)
On your walk…
What do you notice? What colors do you see? Can you spot any crazy shapes or silly lines? (Draw them in your sketchbook!) Do you hear cars or creatures?
Create a sculpture outside for others to enjoy.
Gather rocks, sticks and leaves (with adult permission).
How will you arrange your artwork? You could make a line or a path, create a shape (Richard Long loves circles) or sort your materials by size or color. The possibilities are endless.
Cloud Creatures
An artist can find inspiration anywhere. Some artists travel to see the world and others can see amazing things in their own backyards. How can be inspired by the world around you?
Assignment:
On a cloudy day head outside and find a good spot on the ground or in a comfy chair. Spend 5 minutes looking at the sky.
While you look…
What do you spy in the sky?
Do you see a unicorn?
A dinosaur?
A whale?
Make a sketch (on paper or with chalk on your sidewalk) or take a photo of your favorite clouds.
Make this:
In our celebration of all things clouds, create a CLOUD CREATURE. Gather cotton balls and glue. (If you have felt, fabric or polyfill add that to the materials mix.)
When Nasher collection artist Richard Serra created sculptures, he would make a list of verbs or action words that would give him good ideas for his artwork.
You could
stack,
stretch,
swirl or scatter the materials to construct your creature.
When you have arranged everything just right glue the pieces together and come up with a name for your CLOUD CREATURE.