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an introductory to nature

Workshops

 

Leigh Tripathi has taught Earth friendly arts & crafts since 1985, when she began work as an arts & crafts counselor at a camp for inner city kids.  These kids in particular had few opportunities to connect to their Earth, so she used natural and found materials to help connect these 5 to 12 year olds by exposing them to opportunities where they might explore, create, wonder and dream.

From there she used nature as the classroom and art as a medium for teaching kids who had needs different than the average kid.

It is our preference to use high quality materials. Whenever possible the children will be given natural fibers to work with.  Materials we will be using will include wool, cotton fabrics, wool felt, mud, rocks, wood, silk, moss, clay and whatever else seems fitting to any given group! 

Earth Art Classes

Spring Classes for 4 to 6 year olds:

“FAIRIE FANTASY”

Four consecutive Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30am

Calling all Fairies…this is a time for your little Fairie to create all the necessary accessories needed to complete his/her Fairie wardrobe. 

Week1:  Create a fairie tambourine using vines, ribbons and bells.

Week2:  Make a magical wand of felt

Week3:  Create a fairie crown adorned with jewels

Week4:  what Fairie would be complete without a set of wings!

“EXPERIMENT & OBSERVE”

Four consecutive Fridays from 10:30-11:30 am

 In this series we will work with wet & dry, hot and cold, soft and hard.  We will use our hands to alter and manipulate materials to create beautiful art.

Week 1:  Let’s do the dance of the watercolors!  As we add colored water to silk we will explore how the colors dance unto one another.  Watch as each color finds its own path; each blending and changing in a unique way.  In the end, a beautiful silk piece will be created.

Week 2:  Build a Fairie home!  Using items from nature and a walk in the forest, a private little dwelling will reveal itself.

Week 3: Use clay, water and a variety of tools to sculpt and create as you wish  Pound it, soak it, smear it, or delicately shape it. 

Week 4:  We will learn how the sheep gets his springtime haircut and then shares with us that which warmed him all winter.  We will transform the fluffy wool into a beautiful pouch- fit for wearing!


Spring Classes for 7 to 10 year olds:

“Wee little dwellings and the folks that live in them”

Five consecutive Wednesdays from 4-5pm

Remember the little people who came to visit during childhood?  As we grew up somehow life got the best of us and these little folks stopped coming. In this class Kids will design and construct their own dwellings.  After all, they know best who needs a cozy place to live.  Materials here will include hammer and nails, twigs, moss, cones flowers, cut glass, stones, shells and whatever else one might feel they need to construct a comfy place for their wee friends to hang out.  Unfournately for some, these dwellings will never hit the real estate market though, because we will be creating our own inhabitants too! 

Summer classes for 4 to 6 year olds

“Earth, Water, Fire and Air”

Four consecutive Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30am

(June 4, 11, 18, 25)

Week1: Air beautiful air!  Bright and clear on a sunny summers day.  What is more fun than a good old game of catch?  In this class we will make our own balls to play with using beautiful brightly colored wool. 

Week2:  Who doesn’t love the water in the summer!  I remember throwing a piece of tree bark into a stream then following it as though on a secret mission.  A boat?  I guess so.  In this class we will construct very simple, but floatable boats. Using sticks and hand drills each child will build their own version of a South Seas outrigger-one of the first handcrafted boats!

Week 3:  Ode to Mother Earth.  The class will begin with a story by Shim Shimmel written in the form of a letter from Earth to her children.  This will serve as the inspiration for the sculptures that will follow.  Using mostly found objects from nature kids can sculpt, build and mold a three dimensional abstract sculpture.

Week4:  Fire.  No, we won’t build one.  But we will create our own candles.  Each child will dip into a pot of pure beeswax to create their own beautiful candle.  Time permitting, we will decorate these with colored beeswax, and other earthly treasures.

July and August for 4-6 year olds TBA- let us know what you would like!!


Summer Classes for 7 to 10 year olds:

“Earth, Water, Fire and Air”

Four consecutive Wednesdays from 4-5 pm

(June 4, 11, 18, 25)

Week 1: Aaah the wind!  How it feels on a hot summer day to have blow in your face. In this class we will dance with the wind and make a cattail to throw and catch.  Using wool, cotton and a needle and thread we can recreate an old time favorite for a sunny summer day. 

Week2:  Who doesn’t love the water in the summer!  I remember throwing a piece of tree bark into a stream then following it as though on a secret mission.  A boat?  I guess so.  In this class we will construct simple, but floatable boats. Using sticks and hand drills and some basic carving tools each child will build their own version of a South Seas outrigger-one of the first handcrafted boats!

Week 3: Mother Earth and her pull.  To hold us and keep us all present.  Let’s see about these little acrobats we will create!  Using marbles and felt we will evolve the acrobat.  But it would not be filling without a play space for them.  So we will provide that as well, using fabrics and heavy cardboard our little gymnasts can explore freely and try to defy gravity

Week4:  Fire.  No, we won’t build one.  But we will create our own candles.  Each child will dip into a pot of pure beeswax to create their own beautiful candle.  Time permitting, we will decorate these with colored beeswax, and other earthly treasures. 

July and August for 7 to 10 year olds TBA - let us know what you would like!!


For more details - Call Store 845 358-5670

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