Artist Prompt: Home-Nature

Home-Nature
Designed by Bel Falleiros

Materials
You will need paper and a pencil or pen (colors are great, but not mandatory).

Tip: Play some music that makes you feel good. The suggested soundtrack for this week is instrumental music from Philip Glass. You can listen to it on your smartphone or any other device. It is a family-friendly exercise; everyone is invited to join.


Warm-Up/Meditation

-  Sit in a comfortable position (in a calm place, if possible).

-  Let’s breathe together with nature. For that we will connect with the four elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind (three breaths each). We will travel both inside our body and into nature 

• Earth: Take a deep breath and feel the earth inside you. It is your presence; it is in you, being here. Deep inhale and exhale. Pause and listen to your body. Now as you breathe in, nourish your body, and exhale what is extra. Feel your body sink into the ground, connected to the earth beneath it. Feel the earth's gravity that connects you to your house, your block, your city. 

• Water: Take a deep breath down into the water that is your emotions. Deep inhale and, when you exhale, say “OOOOOOOO.” Use this breath to feel the river flowing through your body, clearing and bringing fresh life. Let unwanted emotions flow from you, into other forms of water, like the creek close to the school, the river, and all the way into the ocean.

• Fire: Take a deep breath and breathe in the fire that is in your heart. Deep inhale and, when you exhale, say “AAAAAAAA.” Let this air feed the fire within, giving energy and light to your heart, fanning the flames larger. Connect with other forms of fire in nature, like the force of a volcano or the warmth and comfort from a fireplace that warms us and can cook s’mores.

• Air: Take a deep breath to connect to the air that is in your mind and thoughts. Deep inhale and, when you exhale, say “EEEEEEEE.” Let this wave of fresh air bring life to you and your thoughts. Use this air to connect with the other beings that are in direct relationship with air: a bird that floats alone in the air or in a flock, riding the wind. A sailing boat cruising in the ocean. Feel that expansiveness and freedom found in the air. Fly!

Take one last deep breath and bring the color of the clear sky, this beautiful blue, into your whole body. Fill it up. Exhale. Now, like a bird that goes back home, come back to your heart, your center. Feel its warmth. Put your hands on your heart. Deep breaths, in and out.

Artists and Nature
Many artists have worked in dialogue with nature to learn more about themselves and their connection with the natural world. Today, we will use the works of Nancy Holt and Ana Mendieta as inspiration to create our own artworks. Just as they found a home in nature, we will find one, too. (If you want to find more specific inspirations check out the series Buried Poems by Holt and Esculturas Rupestres [Rupestrian Sculptures] by Mendieta).

Exercise 1
-  Close your eyes. Think about a place outside in nature that you really like. It could be somewhere close like your backyard, the garden of your school, the riverfront, or somewhere far, like a beach that you visited summers ago, a forest, the mountains. . . . If no place comes to mind, then imagine a place in nature that you would like to visit.

-  We are going to make an offering to this place, something that you want to gift to it. It will take the form of a drawing, a representation of a part of you to become closer to this place. 

-  Think about the meditation exercise that you just did. Maybe you want to gift a drawing of your fiery heart, your flying wings, drops of the pure water of your emotions, or perhaps a drawing of some part of your earthly body, like your feet. Choose something that you feel strongly about. 

-  Take a piece of paper and a pencil and draw it with all the love that you have for this place. This is a gift of love in honor of nature, telling her that you see her, miss her, and are here for her.

Exercise 2
-  Now think about what you would like to say to this place. Why is it special? What do you like about it? Choose the words that represent the way that you feel.

-  Write these words on your drawing or, if you are feeling inspired, you can write a whole love letter to the place. You can use a new piece of paper or the back of the drawing to write it.

-  Read the words out loud and let them sink into your body. 


Go Further
-  Fold your artwork love letter and chose somewhere special or secret to hide it. 

-  It can be somewhere in your house or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can find a place outside, maybe bury it in the earth, put it under a stone, or offer it to a tree.

We would like to see your creations and add a selection of them to the blog. Please share images of your work by emailing submissions@diaart.org.

Bel Falleiros is a Brazilian artist whose artistic research focuses on land identity. Starting with her hometown of São Paulo, she has worked to understand how contemporary landscapes, city tissue, and monuments (mis)represent the diverse layers of presence that constitute a place. Falleiros is an artist educator at Dia Beacon, where she works with the Arts Education Program. She currently lives and works in upstate New York, rural Virginia, and São Paulo.