Land art or earth art is art that is made directly in the landscape,
sculpting the land itself into earthworks or making structures in the
landscape using natural materials such as rocks or twigs.
Well known artists who work within the land art movement include Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy a British artist whose work is pictured below.
Many of us will have spent the weekend in the garden pruning and tidying and in the current sitution it is difficult to dispose of the waste. Do not dispair, you can use it to create you owm piece of land art and a home for nature for the same time!
You Will Need:
Step One
Start by choosing where your land art will go. I chose a place in my garden that was dry and shady where no plants would grow. You will need space to comfortably construct your art work.
Step two
Dig a circular shallow trench, this will be the circumference of the base of your sculpture.
Step Three:
If you have any bricks or blocks, place these in the trench leaving gaps, big enough for wildlife to pass through - depending on the space you have this could be a hedgehog or a sparrow.
Step Four:
Insert your stake into the center of your circle, this will help you to shape your sculpture later on - the height of the stake will be the minimum height of the sculpture.
Step Five
Process your prunnings. You need to cut the leaves away from the stems, so you have a pile of twigs/branches and a pile of leaves.
Step Six
Pile the leaves into the center of you circle around the stake, this will provide shelter to animals and insects.
Step Seven
Build your sculpture. Start with the heavist and larges branches and place them with the bottom in your circular trench and the top resting on your stake, a bit like a wigwam. Slowly build up the sculpture untill it starts feeling more stable. You can use thinner more flexible twigs to weave in and out of the large twings to give a better shape.
This sculpture is a great way to recycle nature materials and provide shelter to wildlife - you can change the shape to suit your garden and space. The first one I made in my garden is very popular with sparrows and small birds who forage for insects in between the branches. - we would love to see what you have made so please share in with us.
Well known artists who work within the land art movement include Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy a British artist whose work is pictured below.
Many of us will have spent the weekend in the garden pruning and tidying and in the current sitution it is difficult to dispose of the waste. Do not dispair, you can use it to create you owm piece of land art and a home for nature for the same time!
You Will Need:
- Pruning sheers/loppers
- gardening gloves
- a spade
- Optional: bricks or blocks
- your garden pruning waste
- A stake or bamboo canes
- A hammer
Step One
Start by choosing where your land art will go. I chose a place in my garden that was dry and shady where no plants would grow. You will need space to comfortably construct your art work.
Step two
Dig a circular shallow trench, this will be the circumference of the base of your sculpture.
Step Three:
If you have any bricks or blocks, place these in the trench leaving gaps, big enough for wildlife to pass through - depending on the space you have this could be a hedgehog or a sparrow.
Insert your stake into the center of your circle, this will help you to shape your sculpture later on - the height of the stake will be the minimum height of the sculpture.
Process your prunnings. You need to cut the leaves away from the stems, so you have a pile of twigs/branches and a pile of leaves.
Pile the leaves into the center of you circle around the stake, this will provide shelter to animals and insects.
Build your sculpture. Start with the heavist and larges branches and place them with the bottom in your circular trench and the top resting on your stake, a bit like a wigwam. Slowly build up the sculpture untill it starts feeling more stable. You can use thinner more flexible twigs to weave in and out of the large twings to give a better shape.
This sculpture is a great way to recycle nature materials and provide shelter to wildlife - you can change the shape to suit your garden and space. The first one I made in my garden is very popular with sparrows and small birds who forage for insects in between the branches. - we would love to see what you have made so please share in with us.
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