This document provides instructions and materials for several art and photography assignments related to the natural environment. It includes tasks such as: 1. Collecting leaves, twigs, and other natural objects from the woods or allotment to use in a mixed media painting. 2. Attaching pens or pencils to trees or objects in the wind and leaving paper underneath to create drawings affected by the weather. 3. Creating an installation that responds to outdoor elements by looking at the works of artists like Andy Goldsworthy. 4. Using shredded materials, staples and glue to make a wall hanging inspired by artist Elana Herzog without using a pencil.

1. CLASS AND HOMEWORK TASKS

2. Woodland task Students will need a camera for this task
Go to Coldfall Woods or the
allotment.
ANSELM KEIFER
1. Collect leaves, dried grass twigs
etc
2. Take image of the woodland
floor or allotment close up angles
and ensure that there is plenty of
varied foliage and colour within
your images. Use reflections to
your advantage
3. BACK IN CLASS: Create a mixed
media painting. Use the objects
you have collected to build up
an interesting textures surface
Materials:
Camera
Bleach
Ink
Found earthy objects: sand, leaves, twigs etc
Paint
PVA
Card to work on
MICHAEL PORTER http://www.michael-porter.co.uk/

3. Related artists and links
http://www.tate.org.uk/artist-rooms/collection/theme-environment
ANSELM KIEFER
MARIO MERZ, Charcoal on
paper

4. Task – Map your own space
Jessica Rankin creates tangible spaces using information found by
documenting overheard conversations and gathered text.
Her works represent ‘landscapes of the mind’
The small sections of text represent thought clouds. Rankin visually
describes how she feels our thoughts present themselves.
Use one of the maps provided. Cover it with tracing paper, or tissue
paper.
Highlight specific areas of interest to you. use basic shapes to outline
these.
Create a word bank to annotate the work
The words could be used to link different areas on the map.
Some of you may want to stitch through the paper.
MATERIALS
Tracing paper
Tissue paper
Needle & thread
fineliners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUtOVW8W6CY

5. Related artist: Jessica Rankin
Jessica Rankin’s work might best be described as
mental maps. Working on a sheer fabric called
organdie, her images invoke cartography or
geographic diagrams. Made from thousands of
tiny embroidered stitches, Rankin delineates
shapes, boundaries, and contours,
interconnecting and locating them with miniscule
text. In Hour To Hour, which incorporates 4
gossamer swatches, Rankin’s constellation
appears to hover as gauzy illusion, with tiny green
islands anchoring fixed location in nowhere.
Labelled with poetic stream of consciousness text
such as IHEARDTHEMBUTWASNOLONGERTHERE and
COMPLETELYBYSURPP, Rankin’s map refutes
tangible space to chart the mystical terrains of
memory, the subconscious, fiction, and passing
time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C
UtOVW8W6CY&safe=active

6. TASK: TREE DRAWING
This task uses the wind as its motor
Attach pens or pencils to the branches of a tree, or to an object that is effected and moves in the wind.
Ensure that you have left your paper in a stable positions, and that the pens or pencils touch the paper.
Use varied colours over a longer period to monitor weather change
Film using a GoPro or stop motion camera
http://www.timknowles.co.uk/
MATERIALS:
Pencils / pens
Tape
Paper
Tree or object that moves in the wind
Time (leave for a day to see results

7. HOMEWORK: Installation that sits in an outside environment .
It can respond to the elements or sit within a space. Look at
the below ideas to help you
Photograph and present in book
Andy Goldsworthy
EMMA JEAN KEMP

8. If you enjoyed this task….
Wind walks: Tim Knowles:
http://www.timknowles.co.uk/tabid/502/Default.aspx

9. TASK – DRAWING WITHOUT A PENCIL
•
Use shredded material, staples and glue to create a wall hanging inspired by the artist
Elana Herzog.
•
Some of you may want to add text to the piece.
MATERIALS
Stapler
Textiles
Lettraset
Cardboard or mdf to work on

10. HOMEWORK – DRAWING WITH CANDLES
ENSURE YOU INFORM PARENTS?GUARDIANS OF THIS TASK
Steven Spazk uses the imprint of soot left on the surface of the
paper to draw with. He then adds highlights by gently scratching or
etching into the surface to reveal the finer details.
Watch this video before you attempt to complete this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z9dBZHwDm8&safe=active
USE CARDBOARD PAPER to create a drawing/series of
drawings, using images of your choice, that relates to the theme.
You must demonstrate the below techniques:
1. ETCHING: wire wool, needle or pin, soft bristle brush, hog hair
brush
2. Add colour
3. Melt wax onto the page, add soot and colour to create a mixed
media piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z9dBZHwDm8&safe=active

11. TASK: MELTING WAX INTO WATER
ALTERNATIVES: dropping inks into water and talking photos
Marbling paper and creating a collage
1. WORK IN PAIRS. Melt wax in the batik wax heater
2. Drop you wax into a bucket of water (option to colour water
and photograph
3. Take photos of your sculpture
4. Draw a full page tonal drawing from your work
MATERIALS
Batik wax heater
Wax
Buckets
Ink to die water
camera

12. TASK: SUBMERSE OBJECTS IN WATER AND
PHOTOGRAPH
This task will highlight the distortion that can occur when objects
are place in water
MATERIALS
Vary the water: create ripples
Small objects: Foil, Plastic, tissue paper
add colour
Camera
drop onto object
Photographs or images
Bucket
Water
http://inhabitat.com/found-objects-becomemagical-works-of-art-submerged-underwater-byforlane-6-studio/forlane-6-studio12-jpg/

13. IDEAS TO OBJECTS IN WATER
Recycling and waste: plastic in water, destryoing the
seas, create sea creattures out of plastic bottles etc.
WHEN MELTING PLASTIC ALWAYS
WEAR A MASK AND BE IN A WELL
VENTILATED AREA

14. HOMEWORK: Paint from a photo
Paint from a photo using watercolour.
Dip half the photo in water and let the paint run
See what the results are
JENS HESSE

15. TASKS
Erosion- bury, immerse, (burn), hang on a washing line- an image
for the last three weeks of the half term- document.