Have you ever gone on a nature walk in your own backyard? I use to do that often while living in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I could wander countless hours through the tall Pines and Cedars surrounding our home, gathering all kinds of organic materials.
Recently I have been blessed to cross paths with Artist Roxanne Stout. I fell in love with her work immediately and signed up for a class with her in New York City in March. Meanwhile, waiting with anticipation for her live workshop, I purchased her online workshop, "A Thread That Weaves". I am enjoying everything about it, now on week two. (I believe there is still time to sign up if you so desire). Roxanne is a wonderful soul and teacher.
What I am enjoying with this workshop of Roxanne's, are the exercises she has us do. One of the exercises this week is to walk around your yard or neighborhood and collect organic materials. My first thought was that I now live in Arizona, in a desert, on less than a half of acre...if only I still lived in the woods. To my surprise, I found some very interesting materials just feet from my door. That is what you are seeing in these photos and I want to share some more with you.
What inspiration I found just taking my finds and sorting them into some kind of composition. I honestly could have spent hours on end doing this exercise and shooting photos.
Kind of looks like a Tribal Mask???
I never looked at dead Palm Tree branches through the eyes I did today, so much potential,
or dried up Oranges fallen from our tree,
or this textured bark just lying on the ground.
My collection seemed endless. I was like a little girl at a candy store.
Who would have thought you could find pine cones in the desert!
This bundle looks pretty just sitting on a table but I plan to use it in my soon to be created "Nature Books". Some other exercises Roxanne had us do was to create some quick collages. Here are the few I did.
Thank you for coming along with me on my backyard nature hunt. Will be sharing the progression of my book as it comes together, discovering The Thread that Weaves Through My Art. Also have been obsessed ordering beautiful handmade papers lately. When I lived in the woods, I use to make my own. Always drawn to things organic and natural and it is time to truly follow my heart using just that in my art making. A huge thank you to Roxanne for giving me the inspiration I needed this January month.
