Virtual Art Party #5: Relate Yourself To Nature

Virtual Art Party #5: Relate Yourself To Nature

#virtualartparty, #wereallinthistogether

To prepare for the Saturday, April 18 virtual art party:
1. Any time between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm CST, on the device or computer of your choice, access the live stream through:

Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.hasenfratz
or
Skype - https://join.skype.com/CLBFEUglQbqY

You can have the session on in the background while you work on something, or just watch and chat. Tom will be monitoring the chat on a computer some of the time while I'll be streaming from my phone. He'll occasionally read out comments or questions to me while I do my art thing and I'll respond if I can. Whatever I can't respond to during the art party, I'll follow up with text answers after the session is over.
2. If you have links to anything you are working on or photos, please post it on the event page discussion or in the chat if you can and if you need help figuring out where to post it please contact me and I'll help you.
3. If you want me to post your work for you, send it to me any way it's convenient either before or after the event and I'll upload it to the Virtual Art Pary photo album - https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.hasenfratz/media_set?set=a.10222446629578794&type=3.
4. You don't have to work on the same project I'll be working on, but if you want to make this week's project, here is what you will need:
a. 8.5 x 11 inch piece of white card stock or paper
b. Scissors
c. Glue stick
d. Scrap paper
e. Assorted collage papers (old magazines, old catalogs, any interesting found papers)
f. Assorted drawing, coloring or painting supplies
g. Something to make circles with - circular objects to trace around, circle template, or compass.
5. Invite any friends who might be interested!
Tom and I will see you on April 18th!

Introduction:
Ths project is inspired by "Body as Nature" from "The Expressive Arts Activity Book: A Resource for Professionals" by Suzanne Darley and Wende Heath, as well as various projects I've done over the years. I've been interested images of microrganisms, cells, atoms, spores, mold, lichens and moss for many years. I've been exploring the similarities between these small natural structures in nature and mid century modern abstract art in my creative output for over 30 years now. The project in the book urges participants to think about the substances that are both in nature and our blood, in animals and humans, in the earth and the living things on it through a guided meditation and a painting project. I'll read from the book for those who want to be contemplative before they start, and then I'll demonstrate a more concrete project involving collage and drawing on a two page spread of art journal pages.

Instructions:
Fold your 8.5 x 11 inch piece of card stock in half.
Look for images of nature and glue them to the left side of the card stock.
Look for images of humans and glue them to the right side of the card stock.
Use whatever you have chosen as a circle drawing tool or tools and cut circles out of plain scrap paper or drawing paper.
Imagine that these circles are views through a microscope into parts of the human body or one of the natural earth materials, plants or animals. Place the circle or circles over areas in your two page spread that you would like to show a microscopic view of. You might want to imagine a connection between the right and left sides of your collage as you draw.
Draw what the microscope would see in the circles. Here are some images for inspiration.https://www.pinterest.com/chasenfratz/design-inspiration/cells-and-microscopic-stuff/
Glue the circles in place on your collage.