Land Art | Take Your Creativity Outdoors

Summer in New England offers endless places to explore. Beaches, rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests are abundant and accessible, and the weather is finally enjoyable.  I am less of a “crafter” in the summer because winters are long here– once spring arrives I’m ready to get outside!  That being said, I don’t let my desire to be outdoors get in the way of being crafty.  There are plenty of ways to express and unleash your creativity while exploring the great outdoors this summer!

Land Art is art that you create in a natural environment using materials on hand.  For example, if you go to the beach you can make art on the rocks or in the sand using shells, sea glass, driftwood, or rocks.  You could make a mandala in the sand like the one seen here:

Or assemble “beach rainbows” — find objects from each color of the rainbow and then arrange them for someone else to find:

Or you can gather rocks and create shapes with them:

Almost every time I walk on a trail in the woods or mountains I leave a word of inspiration behind using materials found on location.  And sometimes I just write words in the sand at the beach:

Regardless of what land art you create, it is temporary.  It’s possible that no one will ever see it.  And this is the intrigue of natural art– you create it for the moment.  But if you’re like me and you love to photograph your adventures and creations, then you can photograph your art and use the photographs for future crafting projects.  Land art photography is ideal for greeting cards, scrapbooking, and calendars.

There are many forms of land art and the possibilities are endless.  If it’s an art form that appeals to you, research more about it online–you will find yourself immersed in a whole new art form that will inspire you to head outdoors to create!

Bonnie Thomas

Bonnie Thomas works as a child and family therapist in southern Maine and is also an established artist and author. She has published several books with Jessica Kingsley Publishers, including Creative Coping Skills for Children: Emotional Support Through Arts and How to Get Kids Offline, Outdoors, and Connecting With Nature.

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