nature arts

"We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say we have lost connection to nature , we have lost connection to ourselves"
Andy Goldsworthy, land artist

In recent years there has been a growing awareness that as individuals we have become increasingly distanced and disconnected from nature, the land we live upon and also from ourselves as unique creative creatures.

This is significantly the case with those of us who live in urban environments where we have limited access to spend quality time with nature. In consideration of today`s social and economic issues it is often the case that, in particular, adults and children from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds have little access to engage with nature. As human beings living often busy and stress heavy lives, we spend countless hours in front of screens, switched off from our senses, in need of recharging. More than ever we need to reconnect to our native landscapes ,creatively "play" with natural sensory materials and absorb the benefits of just "being" with nature.

Nature Art sessions aim to give participants the opportunity to take nature, in all its forms, as an inspirational starting point to art making.

This is achieved by using natural sensory materials such as clay, wood, leaves, earth, willow and stones to explore creativity and art-make either individually or collaboratively as a group.

A strong focus behind Wilder Being sessions relates to the main principles of Creative Therapy, that it is the process of art-making that contains therapeutic benefits rather than any specific artistic product.

This ethos makes activities more therapeutic and enjoyable as there is less pressure to create art to a high standard/quality ,although there is often surprising results! Participants are guided to take a creative journey with more emphasis given to exploring materials and imaginative responses. Spin spider webs, create clay creatures, weave with grasses and sew with leaves

Wilder Being can offer one-off sessions or a series of on-going workshops to adults and children of all ages and abilities. Nature art work can be made in-situ or indoors depending on the weather and the groups requirements and needs .

Please email for more details, fees and availability.

Calling all earth lovers, and creative souls !!

creative adventures, celebrations and collaborations

Wilder Being will be visiting music festivals and inner city spaces with creative eco therapy sessions. Sessions fuse both sensory art making and mindful nature connection practices.

Often ancient pagan traditions are intertwined, referenced and revered.

Wand making, hoodoo bags, tree dressing, witches ladders and sigils drawings and more......!

witches ladder	spell making with natural materials	Nature Crown
paper, leaves and chalk	silhouettes on turmeric painted paper	experiments with wet cynotype
Made on Eco Arts retreat in Derbyshire , tree effigy, left on a Beech tree	colour pallette collection during a forest bathing walk	sea bowls ceramics
winter solstice collage	Samhain traditional spell casting with nature	Goddess Deities made by participants at Open 70 exhibition
sigil drawings with water	clay mark making	Bird Deities Open 70 Exhibition
snails without shells , clay forms on rocks	flat lay composition of found objects	clay, seeds and cactus
group mandala with wood, cones and ivy	A beautiful oasis in the heart of Manchester	a range of wild flowers found in Collyhurst, 1mile form Manchester city centre!
summer wreath making with Buddleia	compositions with natural materials found in The Lalley Centre wellbeing garden in Collyhurst Manchester	Beltane Mandala May 22 made with sections created by women at Manchester Action on Street Health
flower mandala with Manchester Action on Street Health	spring art with natural materials	Outdoor altar making with natural materials as part of a project for DYCP ( professional development funding) from Arts Council England
Leesa using graphite and charcoal to explore natural forms	Collaborative petal mandala made at Hulme Garden Centre by learners on the Nature Arts course at Back on Track	exploring clay on bark
The Krampus, wild being in the woods by Patrick M	redesigning autumn, acrylics on London Plane tree leaves	Created by service users at Manchester Action on Street Health

Some of the photographs in the gallery above are examples of artwork created by participants at Manchester Action on Street Health and Back on Track, Manchester, an education charity for adults from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. A six week "Inspired by Nature" art course incorporated activities such as simple sketching skills, natural forms with clay, basic weaving, mandalas with sand or flowers, collaborative sculptures and mobile making. These activities can be tailored to the needs, ages and abilities of the group in both indoor and outdoor settings.

Sessions can last up to 2/3 hours and can also incorporate mindfulness exercises and simple creative writing exercises

Materials are provided and can be sourced depending on the season.

The workshops are covered with public liability and indemnity insurance supplied through Balens insurers.

A valid D.B.S certificate can be evidenced on request

In 2021 have been awarded professional development funding for my arts practice from Arts Council England. I have been exploring assemblage art with different natural materials. I embarked on a research trip to the Alpujarras in Southern Spain to shadow assemblage artist Nikki Bee Spectrum. The above image of the altar is an example of my creative explorations.

Please visit my other website https://rachelshorearts.wixsite.com/creative for more information

latest-projects

Have a look at our gallery for sample images of the artwork

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I was a guest facilitator at this years Manchester Festival of Nature in June 2022. People visited the Wilder Being space to get creative making mini mandalas with natural materials. It was a great opportunity to talk to people young and old about nature, wellbeing and mental health. Please check out the gallery

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nature arts

"We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say we have lost connection to nature , we have lost connection to ourselves" Andy Goldsworthy, land artist

witches ladder

spell making with natural materials

Nature Crown

paper, leaves and chalk

silhouettes on turmeric painted paper

experiments with wet cynotype

Made on Eco Arts retreat in Derbyshire , tree effigy, left on a Beech tree

colour pallette collection during a forest bathing walk

sea bowls ceramics

winter solstice collage

Samhain traditional spell casting with nature

Goddess Deities made by participants at Open 70 exhibition

sigil drawings with water

clay mark making

Bird Deities Open 70 Exhibition

snails without shells , clay forms on rocks

flat lay composition of found objects

clay, seeds and cactus

group mandala with wood, cones and ivy

A beautiful oasis in the heart of Manchester

a range of wild flowers found in Collyhurst, 1mile form Manchester city centre!

summer wreath making with Buddleia

compositions with natural materials found in The Lalley Centre wellbeing garden in Collyhurst Manchester

Beltane Mandala May 22 made with sections created by women at Manchester Action on Street Health

flower mandala with Manchester Action on Street Health

spring art with natural materials

Outdoor altar making with natural materials as part of a project for DYCP ( professional development funding) from Arts Council England

Leesa using graphite and charcoal to explore natural forms

Collaborative petal mandala made at Hulme Garden Centre by learners on the Nature Arts course at Back on Track

exploring clay on bark

The Krampus, wild being in the woods by Patrick M

redesigning autumn, acrylics on London Plane tree leaves

Created by service users at Manchester Action on Street Health

"We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say we have lost connection to nature , we have lost connection to ourselves"
Andy Goldsworthy, land artist