Drawing Closer to Nature: Making Art in Dialogue with the Natural World

Making art, says Peter London, is a perfect vehicle for recovering our lost sense of unity with Nature. When we draw closer to Nature through art, we simultaneously draw closer to our Selves, and thereby enjoy a richer, more authentic creativity and a deeper, fuller life. Through exercises, theoretical reflections, poetic meditations, and stories, London presents an innovative approach to creativity that engages body, mind, and spirit. A series of guided "Encounters"—some to be done outdoors, some indoors in the presence of some natural objects, and some entirely in the imagination—invites the reader to investigate Nature's secrets and then to celebrate through making a work of art.

Topics and exercises include: the essentials of creative practice, such as time, space, media, and intention; cultivating a simple, firsthand way of seeing Nature in all its subtlety, mystery, and intimacy; creating a personal sanctuary in which to communicate directly with Nature; conducting a sacred conversation with archetypal forms of Nature encountered in the imagination; seeking forgiveness from Nature, with the intention of healing our broken primal relationship with the natural world and rediscovering our rightful place in it.

Educator and art therapist Peter London uses stories, poetic meditations, and guided exercises to show us how making art in nature can enhance our self-knowledge and creativity. To "draw closer to nature, " London shows us, all we need is our imaginations and the simplest of art media. This book shows the way, in an innovative approach to art-making that engages body, mind, and spirit.

London presents a series of guided "creative encounters" with nature, some to be done outdoors, some indoors in the presence of natural objects, and some entirely in the imagination. These exercises invite the reader to investigate nature's secrets of creativity and to explore essential questions through making a work of art:

-- What can the form and energy of a cascading stream teach me about overcoming obstacles in my life?

-- How can I find the "true north" within?

-- What can the ebb and flow of the sea teach me about holding and releasing, permanence and impermanence?

-- When am I most on fire? What exactly is warmed by my inner fire? What fuel does that fire consume? How can I keep it alive?

Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-345).

Peter London—painter, author, art educator, and art therapist—has taught the approach presented in this and other books to thousands of students, ranging from teens to octogenarians, from "art phobics" to professional artists. Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and a 2002 Distinguished Fellow at the National Art Education Association, he lives in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.