Nicole McCauley

05/17/15
Breaking the mold: Nature-inspired art
https://www.pinterest.com/mccauley1350/youth-centered-nature-art/
http://mccauleyartjourney.com
The artworks I collected for my study were all created by children and all of the designs
were inspired by nature. The reason I chose to investigate nature-inspired art created by
children is to further my research concerning the incorporation of environmental sustainability
into an elementary art program. The artwork to the left was
made by a 2nd grade female student to express the simple beauty
of nature, something that I fear is becoming lost in our everchanging society and something I want to reintroduce to my
students. Proponents for progressive art education suggest that
we address real world issues in the classroom in order to prepare our students for meaningful
participation in contemporary society, and that is exactly what I intend to do (Blandy, 2011;
Eisner, 1984; and Gude, 2009).
One extremely pressing issue is the deteriorating state of the natural world. As Blandy
(2011) notes, the conversation around the environment is moving from needing to convince
people of the seriousness and significance of environmental challenges to a focus on what can,
and must, be done (p. 245). The artwork to the right,
entitled Botanic DNA, was created by an 8th grade male
student in response to his personal relationship with nature.
As an elementary art educator and steward of the earth, I

have begun to combine my passions and look for ways to teach my students about the
importance of having a balanced relationship with nature.
When I began researching images for my Pinterest board, I had the intention of finding
any artworks related to nature or environmental sustainability, but as I searched, a new intention
evolved. My goal became to find nature-inspired artworks that show personal voice, that were
not created through specific step-by-step directions (with an obvious end result in mind), and that
did not reflect the school-art style. I agree with Efland (1976) and his notion that the school art
style tells us a lot more about schools and less about students and whats on their minds (p. 43).
I want to know what my students think about nature, what their relationship is with it, and what
they can do to help preserve the planet.
I found the artwork examples for my research on
Artsonia, a world-wide digital sharing space for
childrens artwork grouped by schools or private
studios. The artworks are organized into collections
or exhibits, which are usually named after the given
lesson, such as, environmental art free-draw or
tissue nature art (artsonia.com). It seems that there is a tendency of many art teachers to
design a lesson with an end-product in mind, which is reflective of the school art style.
Contemporary-minded educators and theorists suggest that the end result is not as crucial for
reaching deeper understanding as the investigative process involved with expressing an idea
(Efland, 1976; Eisner, 1984; and Gude, 2013). For example, the artwork above was created by a
female high school student as a visual response to the importance of the environment. All of the

artworks in the same collection are completely different in subject matter, style, and medium,
showing a range of student-choice that I try to mirror in my
own classroom.
One of my personal favorite environmental artists is
Andy Goldsworthy and showing his work to my students is
a great way to get them inspired about the beauties found in
nature. I found quite a few collections based on Goldsworthys work, some that I even
recognized as his own designs, so I tried to find examples that showed originality in design and
execution. The collection where I found the most diverse examples was from the Bermudian
Springs High School in York Springs, Pennsylvania. It was apparent to me that the teacher did
not encourage students to copy Goldsworthys work or the work of their peers, but instead
guided them towards finding their own niche in nature; guiding them
to appreciate its design, its mystery, and to discover the lessons it has
to offer.
The artwork above and the artwork to the left were both created
on the same day in the same art class, but show completely different
interpretations of the project. The artwork above was created by a
12th grade male and shows a reflection of the mathematical perfection
found in nature, with a spiral in the center and a symmetrical border. It shows the order and
diversity of nature in one beautiful swoop. The artwork to the left was created by an 11th grade
female student and depicts a miniature natural abode. The attention to detail, down to the
landscaping and rock path leading to the front door, shows the artists playful imagination,

almost as if she could actually picture herself as a super-small being

choosing which plants and flowers to decorate the yard with.
I did not find very many ceramic artworks, but came across
one collection entitled nature-inspired ceramic bowl and was not
surprised to find that each bowl was very similar, with one
exception (artsonia.com). The artwork created by a 5th grade female
student broke the mold and pushed the boundaries of the assignment. I caught myself wondering
if the teacher was initially upset that the student didnt follow the step-by-step directions or if the
teacher was pleasantly surprised at the students individualized interpretation of the lesson
(hopefully, the latter). No other student that completed the same project thought to actually
transform the bowl into a natural design, a tree in this example, but instead added the nature
element with painted designs of flowers and rainbows. If this students artistic response didnt
change the way the teacher approaches this project in the future, I dont know what would.
One thing I could not easily find within Artsonia was a collection with examples of
recycled art or sustainable art. Perhaps I need to refine my search words or perhaps there are not
many examples of projects that fall into those categories yet. I plan to register with Artsonia
next year, at least with my 3rd and 4th grade students, and would like to share the recycled art
projects my students create to fill the current void. All in all, it is apparent to me that there is
still much to be done to get rid of the one-size-fits-all-cookie-cutter art that seems to dominate
elementary art education and I believe that our students hold the key.
References
Blandy, D. (2011). Sustainability, participatory culture, and the performance of democracy:
Ascendant sites of theory and practice in art education. Studies in Art Education, 52(3),

243-255.
Efland, A. (1976). The school art style: A functional analysis. Studies in Art Education, 17(2),
37-44.
Eisner, E. (1984). Alternative approaches to curriculum development in art education. Studies in
Art Education, 25(4), 259-264.
Gude, O. (2009). The 2009 Lowenfeld lecture: 2009 NAEA national convention/Minneapolis,
Minnesota: Art education for democratic life. Art Education, 62(6), 6-11.
Gude, O. (2013). New school art styles: The project of art education. Art Education, 66(1), 6-15.
Strauch-Nelson, W. (2012). Reuniting art and nature in the life of the child. Art Education,
65(3), 33-38.
Taylor, P. (1997). It all started with the trash: Taking steps toward sustainable art education.
Art Education, 50(2), 13-18.