Squam Art Workshops :: On Creating
September 29, 2009[The first creation: Clay and small stones attached to a large boulder.]
In between the two days I taught at Squam Art Workshops, I took a class called "Sticks and Stones" with the talented and foxy (did I say that out loud?) Christopher Frost. The class description said:
"Using sticks, leaves, rocks, mud, etc. we will learn construction techniques, the importance of site location, aspects of composition and documentation of ephemeral (made to disappear or transform) environmental artworks."
I am a huge fan of the work of Andy Goldsworthy and had never tried anything like this before, so basically, he had me at "sticks". We worked on two small projects in the morning – one of which is shown above – and in the afternoon we devoted ourselves to one larger project. On a walk through the woods before lunch, I spotted this:
…a lichen covered tree broken in half over a boulder. The instant I saw it I had a vision, where I imagined something spilling out from within the tree. When I came back from lunch, I went to work:
I decided to continue with the theme I started in my very first exercise, working with clay and smaller rocks.
I worked with the grooves and slants of the rock so that the flow of the smaller pieces followed the same path. In other words, however something like water would have flowed out from the tree and over the rock was the pattern I tried to create with the clay and stones.
I had worked for about an hour before it hit me – I can use different sized stones! And I ended up pulling out some pieces I had already laid down in order to incorporate larger and smaller stones. This gave the entire piece more fluidity.
And I just kept going, getting lost in the process…
Spilling, spilling, spilling, and then:
TaDa!
The best part about the day was being outside and listening to the wind. We even got some light rain in the afternoon, and I loved the way the drops changed the look of the piece. It was also a special treat to be in the woods creating, lost in my own world, but being able to look up from time to time to see the other students in their own world as well, creating their own stories with branches, mica flakes, pine cones, acorns, rocks, and leaves. That part of the campground became our own outdoor gallery by the time the class was over.
>>>>TUESDAY GIVE AWAY: An Ordinary Sparkling Moments Postcard Set! Enter a comment and the winner will be announced tomorrow.
Yesterday's winner is the lovely Violetkey. Please email me Violet (christine@swirlygirl.com) so I can send you your PRIZE!
Oo, this is beautiful, Christine! It looks a bit like crochet, or maybe the two trees are actually mother nature’s knitting needles!
Hi Christine, Found your comment through a retweet on twitter. What a great post about process art and land art! I am a huge Andy Goldsworthy fan, too. One of my first blog posts ever was about the process of myself and my son making a land art piece. You can find it here http://jaimelyerly.blogspot.com/2009/01/process-pictures-of-offering-suburban.html
Personally, I am amazed that you actually found someone who is conducting workshops on this subject. That made it worth my time to check out the artist link (although no picture to check out his “foxiness”). I just think that people learn of Andy Goldsworthy or see “Rivers and Tides” and go wander into nature to make something of their own. Thanks for correcting me.
Anyway, lovely post about process and the piece itself is very cool. I love the idea of stumbling across during a walk. I build little pieces of land art outside my work and wonder if anyone stops by to see them. I still check on my first piece to see how it is deteriorating.
Happy creating!
Jaime Lyerly
http://jaimelyerly.blogspot.com
nature surely offers unique inspiration
Ohhh! i love those postcards Swirlygirl! Good luck to all of you……and me
Aw, I totally didn’t see this one!! We took a walk that night to look at all of the creations. It was sort of like a scavenger hunt for us
I took pictures of all, but didn’t see this one. I wonder how many others we missed? SO cool…
i LOVE this!
and it makes me wanna run out and make sweet art to nature.
xoxo
when i first saw the into to this class, of course i didn’t get it. but seeing the progression here – you know i am drooling all over it! your talent never ceases to amaze me.
What a beautiful creation Christine!
Hello, cute teacher!!
OK, with that out of the way, I loved seeing all of the nature inspired creations from this class. I love yours!
what a cool class!! I loved your second piece..what an incredible experience!
Your words are so inspirational… I have one of your wall hangings in my great room and it moves me every time I read it… Thanks
that’s awesome. that class is one of the ones i definitely wanted to take when i was browsing through what was being offered at squam. i love the variety, i’m already starting to save for next year!
xo
How absolutely beautiful, Swirly… I just love what you created! Those images are spectacular. I wanted to comment anyway, and seeing as I already have some of your gorgeous cards, (thank you again so much!) rather give them to another lucky commenter. Just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE this. xx
I just love how you have made the rock seem fluid—in a way, it is like a little lava birth rock—a meteor exploding–a surge of new!
the postcards are beautiful! i’d love to win them
Wow, so inspiring and such beautiful artwork!
I love Andy Goldsworthy’s work, too, big time!
Thanks for sharing!
it looks like a gigantic heart !
x0
Oh wow, that is awesome! i can just feel the energy flowing out of the tree. Very lovely.
This class reminds me of a workshop my children and I went to this summer where we made fairy houses in the woods behind our local library. Now we create them in our friends’ yards. It is so fun!
Art and nature are a perfect combination!
Great meeting you at the Squam Artfair!
i loved the stuff you created that day – specially the big piece in the afternoon – wow.
Christine! that is so awesome! I love your book! I haven’t put it down! Love it!
~Forrest~
no prize please…just wanted to gasp & oogle at your creation! fabu, my friend! Linda
I love it! Your imagination is so wonderful and the execution is fantastic. I would love to stumble across that in the woods!
Lovely! Thanks for making me think…and smile.
I adore this piece that you made!! The fluidity reminds me of sea creatures. And now I want to run out of doors and make something.
Thank you for sharing your process and thinking with us. It was very inspiring to see how your thoughts unfolded as you worked.
Cheery Smiles, Laura
Totally beautiful.
Wow, that is a totally cool!
Oh my gosh. That is just BEAUTIFUL!! I know what I want to do next time we head into the northwoods!! I can just imagine someone else stumbling upon such a masterpiece!!
love the project! and then you just left it? letting go of what you create is sometimes hard, but good for the soul. happy wednesday! ciao!
I sure hope cute teacher is at SAW next year…I think I need to take this class. Love what you created…but I usually do
Ooh, count me in! I love your work.
your nature art is amazing. i have a friend, prairie girl, who is going to just love this too. she sent me this link to the world beach project… i thought you may enjoy it too… perhaps you have already discovered it… if not, enjoy! http://bit.ly/17ZWHG
thanks for sharing your squam experience….
Kim
This is great to see for me , love your art !
Love from the Netherlands , RINI