Posted: Monday 9th November 2015 by EveryChildWild
Part of the Every Child Wild series.
Richard Shilling is a environmental artist from the North West of England who specialises in making ephemeral sculptures from natural materials gathered from the place in which they are made. He is co-founder along with Julia Chick of LandArtforKids.com, a website full of ideas to help children to create their own land art sculptures.
In order to ensure future generations will love wildlife we need to help anyone and everyone to appreciate the richness and diversity of the natural world. Quality time spent in natural places will foster a life-long love affair with mother nature.
How can we do that? How would I help people appreciate the natural world for all its magic and wonder?
I would encourage anyone of any age to spend time in natural places making land art sculptures.
By going through the intuitive process involved in making earth art sculptures the senses open to what is there in the environment, more colours are seen, the infinite variety and diversity in the materials you find will inspire and as the mind quietens you start to feel at one with the place you are in, at one with nature, returning to your true self, you are not separate from nature, you are part of it too.
What's more I've had many wonderful wildlife encounters myself when out creating land art, being quiet and still and out somewhere is all that is needed.
The process:-
Explore: Simply visit an outside space and explore. Walk around, jump in a puddle, climb a tree, leave the rest of the world behind.
Collect: Did you see some materials that inspired you? Perhaps some coloured leaves or different shaped pebbles? Collect and examine those things that you like, notice their beauty and variety, let your senses open more and more to what is there.
Where: Did you notice a place that attracted you, that looked interesting, somewhere you can sit? Choose a place that you like and get ready to make something with the materials you collected.
What: What are you going to make? There are so many different things you could make: spirals, circles, or fill in a hole in a tree, balance some rocks on top of each other and much, much more. Let the things that you've found and the place that you are in inspire and guide you in your creation.
How: How are you going to create your sculpture? Notice the elements and bring the conditions into what you are making. Is it windy? Do you need thorns to fix leaves to the ground? Is it raining so will leaves stick because they are wet? Adapt with nature and use the conditions you find to help you create.
If you follow this creation process you will soon find that you are drawn deeply into the place you are in and will feel and see things that you would not without spending that time there.
You don't need a plan, you don't need to be artistic, just go outside somewhere and start at the beginning. All will become clear as you progress :-)
Check out Land Art for Kids for more information - LandArtforKids.com
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