Creating with nature

Over the summer I did a series of posts focused on creating with nature.  I really enjoyed looking at the creativity that had been inspired by nature.

land art 1I’d like to introduce you to an artist who has mastered the art of creating with nature.   Walter Mason is a land-artist from Germany.

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Click the link for more examples of Walter’s ingenious art installations.

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Beach Stones, Driftwood, Blue Skies

weaving color wayIn my studio recently, I have found myself being drawn to raw, natural fibers that are sturdy, strong, and coarse.  My hands have been reaching for hemp, silk, and fibrous handmade papers.  Inspiration has been drawing from my beach stones, drift wood, and bright blue skies.

It’s April, my children are on Spring Break, and the weather has been warming.

In response to these early stirrings of spring, we packed up for the day and drove to my most favorite place on this Earth – the Lake!

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dunesI love coming to this place anytime of year. The summer, of coarse, is fantastic with the soft, sandy beaches, and cool water.  The cooler weather of fall makes hiking the sand dunes MUCH more enjoyable, and in the winter, there are amazing ice flows. Springtime, however, has come to surprise me.  In recent years, I have found myself spending more and more time here in the spring.  The beaches are,for the most part, empty of human beings. There is sand EVERYWHERE.  Every year, I am amazed at the amount of sand that the winter winds bring.  If you come early enough in the year, the park is almost unrecognizable and half buried in sand. It is this phenomenon that I can’t get enough of, because along with the sand comes all sorts of treasures. I could spend days combing the beach for colorful stones, driftwood, beach glass, and bones.

beach rocksAs I walk the shores, my mind just swims with ideas of things to make. “This could be an awesome necklace”, “These should be tied into a dream catcher”, “This is so straight, it could be added to a weaving”.  I collected quite a pile of colorful goodies before my kids were done.

day camp

Their hungry bellies were grumbling, and  they informed me, the beach just isn’t fun if you can not go swimming. So after 4 hrs of beach combing, we went to go hike the dunes.  I guess 4 hrs is long enough.  Although, I am secretly plotting another trip someday soon while these guys are in school. shhh!   4 hrs is not really enough for this momma.