How to create simple land art.

This post is all about how to create simple land art and easing yourself into the many benefits. Creating art outside is a great introduction for anyone, adult or child, to learn to connect or re-connect with nature.

It is late in the evening as I settle down with a hot brew and begin to write. I can still smell the salt on my skin from the previous couple of hours creating land art on the beach with my two boys.

After a busy few days, I really needed to unwind and to connect with nature and my kids. I find that nature’s surroundings provide the perfect space to detangle. To ease back into myself, to find my rhythm. I love seeing my kids unwind too, immersing into their own ebb and flow.

And what better way to spend a couple of hours connecting with yourself or family and nature than to create land art. You can be as adventurous as you like, there really are no limits. You can plan for a few days prior and make a very special project, or be spontaneous and create something in the moment, working with the environment you are in. If you find that you are feeling a bit stuck in life, then I would suggest sitting in a peaceful spot in nature and being in the adventure of right now. Look around you, gather things that interest you and arrange them in a playful way, remove the mind and play with your heart.

What exactly is land art?

Land art, also known as earth art or earthworks, is a fascinating movement that carved its presence within the broader realm of contemporary art.

It emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and is characterized by its use of natural landscapes to create large-scale artworks. These creations often involve manipulating the land itself—through the arrangement of rocks, soil, plants, and other natural materials—to transform the environment into a work of art. What I love about land art the most is the relationship it creates between human creativity and the natural world.

Nothing lasts forever, like life itself, the beauty of it, is in its impermanence and is often echoed in land art.

Many land art pieces are subject to the forces of nature. Erosion, weather, and the changing seasons can all impact these works, making them dynamic and ever-evolving. It makes me think of the one consistency in life that effects us all- change! When we embrace it and see it as something to rely on, our view of it begins to soften, and maybe becomes comforting? (I trailed off slightly there but for good reason;)

Artists like Robert Smithson, with his iconic “Spiral Jetty,” and Andy Goldsworthy( my absolute favourite land artist), known for his intricate natural sculptures, have inspired countless others to view the earth itself as a medium for artistic expression. Feel free to research theses artists and many more, let them inspire you to see the world as a big canvas! CLICK HERE to see more of Andy Goldsworthy’s work.

Getting started with land art is one of the easiest things to do. It’s a bit like doodling on the corner of a page! It doesn’t have to be a big statement piece, it can be small and intimate to you and the moment you are in. If you happen to have kids in tow, it can be made really simple and can be child led too. It’s actually a wonderful way to bring a sense awareness to their environment. By drawing attention to the beauty and fragility of natural landscapes, the artworks they create can help them to consider their own impact on the environment and the importance of preserving and nurturing it. Nothing develops that sense of compassion for the world like digging our hands into the good dirt!

Nurturing that bond with nature

Land art reminds us that art is not confined to the walls of a building. It can be found in the very ground we walk on, urging us to see the world around us with fresh eyes and a renewed sense of wonder. In this way, land art is not just a visual experience but a deeply emotional and spiritual one. It also really helps to develop mindfulness and encourages us, in a very gentle and natural way, to be present in the moment. It is an open invitation to nurture that innate bond we have with this earth.

Providing this space for ourselves can be very therapeutic. Many times, we can feel stuck or even paralysed within our minds, unable to even comprehend doing something creative. This is why, being outside, somewhere quiet and away from your own environment can allow your mind to breathe a little. Creating small movements, even in a tiny moment, on a tiny patch of sand, we can begin to awaken. I am constantly reminded to remember the power of creativity and its necessity for human development.

It begins to feel like a sweet interaction with a childhood memory. That playfulness is so very healing.

Getting started

How to create simple land art? We can create from looking around, gathering little pieces of information, making sense of it in our own way, without words, just texture, movement, colour ….and the list goes on!

It’s fun, soul nourishing and super engaging! As an artist, I experience creative blocks from time to time. It can feel overwhelming, like you have maxed out your credit card and you are completely empty. Empty of ideas and inspiration…and the scariest one…motivation! This is actually a great opportunity to use the void, to fill the empty space with, well, space! When we create a little distance from something, this is where growth happens.

You are not neglecting your needs but the exact opposite. I used to find it really daunting to let go and give into this space, to lean into solitude because quietness, emptiness, your inner wild can seem like a strange place to be. This is only because we are surrounded by noise and bombarded with information constantly. We forget that we have a great intelligence that is within us, waiting for us to tune into. We cannot get there when we are surrounded by distractions. So…put it all away, walk, drive…just get there, get into the depths of the forest, walk alone and long. Sit, be still, look around you, observe, breathe..

To sum up how to create simple land art

• Get outside, find a place that is quiet and that brings you a sense of peace.
• Stand or sit, find stillness within by breathing, long deep breaths. I find that box breathing really helps me to slow down and become present. Simply, close your eyes and breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4 and hold for 4. Repeat this a few times.
• Open your eyes and look around you, find some natural things to forage, depending on where you are, this could be leaves, twigs, sand, stones, or it could be that you might want to dig into, remove, stack, draw etc.
• Being to create simple land art! Drawing lines in the sand, creating concentric circles with stones. Placing the brightest red leaves around the base of a tree. Filling cracks in rocks with twigs broken to size. Stacking stones! The list is endless, but just begin and see where it takes you. You can see that some of the ones I have created are very simple in their design. Those were days where I was low on energy and feeling empty. But those were also the days where I chose to lean into nature, to play and interact with it. I left each experience feeling peaceful, grateful energised and…..inspired!
• Lastly, enjoy the playfulness, remember if you can, a time when you, as a child, sat in nature, not needed a later moment to arrive, but were fully present, fully immersed in your surroundings.

As always, thank you for stopping by. Sign up to my newsletter, where I share updates on my own journey as an artist, my love of nature, mind and soul and how I connect all three to harness a natural creative flow. When you sign up (below) you will receive one of my paintings in the format of wallpaper for your phone!

Until next time,

Be Wild. Be Free.

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