Spring is here down under and my front garden is a mass of pink and purple flowers. Perfect for a spring mandala!
A run of cold nights has brought out some brilliant autumn colour in my garden. My Japanese maple is looking spectacular, and the different shades inspired this pretty spiral. This type of nature craft, when laid out on the ground is sometimes called Land Art. It’s easy, satisfying, free and fun to do with kids!
My new book has arrived! The cover features some of my favorite creations, some owls made from Liquidamber pods, with acorn cap eyes and Golden Rain tree wings. These materials are featured in the second half of the book, along with lots of other common plants, many of which are street trees found in cities around the world.
The book is available now from Yourbooksonline and will gradually make its way to other retailers.
A sandy beach is the perfect canvas for some fun ephemeral land art. Use seaweed, shells, pebbles and any other bits and pieces you can find on the ground nearby. Create a mermaid or other sea creature. Take a photograph, then leave the pieces on the ground to be returned to the sea or for someone else to use.
Encourage children to pick some flowers and leaves and arrange them on the ground to create their own unique little character.
Explain that sometimes the most beautiful things aren’t permanent, eg. flowers and sunsets, but if we want to, we can capture them with photographs.
Sometimes called ephemeral art, this style of using natural materials has been used by famous British artist and sculptor Andy Goldsworthy.