Explore, renew and create as we Spring into Art. Spring is the perfect time to explore nature and get out to create art with options ranging from our backyard, local parks, Audubon Center and Day trips. After a long isolating winter, the spring seems more vibrant, more alive and more promising than ever before. A perfect way to celebrate this is to get out and create art with nature as our inspiration. One of my favorite ways to do this with my kids and students is a simple yet elegant watercolor sketch project. Not much is needed other than a sketchbook and an inexpensive travel watercolor set, which you will see listed below. Drawing and photography are wonderful mediums but watercolors are a beautiful way of capturing the vibrance and newness of the spring environment.
With watercolor sketches keep it simple, don’t overwork the paper. Since you can only add and never subtract when using watercolors sometimes less is more and just a few areas of color mixed in with your drawn pencil sketches looks amazing. Work like this has become some of my favorite framed pieces of art and wonderful memories of the beautiful spring days.
Right now when we go outside our backyards are filled with endless bushes, shrubs and flowers coming into bloom. From dogwood trees, cherry blossoms, hawthorn and one of my favorites, forsythia, the land is filled with beautiful plants to inspire our creative endeavors. An easy way to start is to just go out of your house and sit down on the front lawn and draw any of the many flowering trees, bushes or plants you see in bloom. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful area so even if you don’t have a yard with these plants a quick walk to a local park is all you will need. Clippings from the foliage make great still life arrangements and a perfect way to do some observational drawing with watercolors. Have your child try closing their eyes a bit so the big shapes and lines come into focus while blurring out some of the details. Often just the suggestion of the form is enough to create a striking piece of art. Start with a simple pencil sketch and add your areas of watercoloring.
Venturing further than our backyards when all of our parks are in full bloom is the perfect place to have a picnic, take a walk and do some watercolor sketches. In particular one of my favorite places is the Greenwich Audubon center. The center is breathtaking any time of year but particularly beautiful right now as the trees and shrubs are starting to flower. From the parking lot, head down the hill and find your way to George’s pond and Pavilion which overlooks it. It’s an amazing place to sit and draw and for this “Spring into Art” project do some watercolor sketches. Remember to keep it simple with just a few splotches of color along with your drawing as you enjoy the day listening to the frogs and insects.
A bit further away and an amazing day trip, try the New York Botanical Gardens. It’s a gorgeous place but right now you have the added splendor of spring and making the environment even more spectacular an exhibition by world renowned artist Yayoi Kusama. Her brightly colored installations are magically set against the backdrop of the gardens. The work becomes part of the environment and makes me feel as if the art is blooming along with many plants surrounding it. Her work which draws on her childhood experiences on the greenhouses and fields of her family’s seed nursery and is a great example of letting nature inspire your creativity. It’s a wonderful adventure for the family and a beautiful way to surround yourself with nature and art.
A small sketchbook and pocket or travel watercolor set is all you will need. Both can be purchased for under $20 and provide hours of creative possibilities. Keeping it compact and easy to carry will make it simple, accessible and more casual. I’ve always found that if we had to drag around too much it becomes a production which can lessen the spontaneity and fun.
Send along work and post it with the hashtag #Sentinelspringintoart. We will be sure to share it on Social Media platforms Michael Manning, Red Shoe Studios and the Developing Artist program websites. We will select the top two watercolor sketches. The winning entries will be displayed virtually along with all entries and will receive a wonderful art supplies kit donated by the Lit Easel company. Lit Easel recently donated an amazing generous supply of art materials to the Boys & Girls Club and will be partnering with Redshoe Studios and the Developing Artist program in upcoming community arts events.
