June 19 Family Friday

Great Outdoors

Nature has been the inspiration for many generations of artists. Join us this week as we get out and about to observe nature and create works of art that celebrate the great outdoors!

Activity One:

The Natural World Around You

Get outside and explore nature, either in your neighborhood, or on a trail at the Sibley Nature Center or I-20 Wildlife Preserve.

Mark what you find on your scavenger hunt and draw pictures of your favorite finds in a journal or notebook.

Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Click on the image to go to our online scavenger hunt. Take the scavenger hunt with you around your neighborhood or to your favorite nature trail.

Would you like to print a copy? Please click to the next two slides to download the scavenger hunts from the Sibley Nature Center and the Museum of the Southwest.

Download the Sibley Nature Center Scavenger Hunt

Click the image to download and print a copy.

Download the MSW Scavenger Hunt

Click the image to download and print a copy.

Activity Two:

The Art of Andy Goldsworthy

Art can be created using just about anything, like pencils, markers, paint, clay, charcoal, and ink.

Some artists like Andy Goldsworthy use materials that are a little more unexpected, yet are totally natural.

Click through the slides to learn more about Mr. Goldsworthy's art and create some of your own!

The Artist and His Work

Click on the video clip to meet the artist and see his work.

Time to Create!

Explore the outdoors. What can you find to use in your natrual artwork?

Need more ideas? Click through the next slides to see natural work made by kids like you!

Take a Picture of Your Work!

Don't forget to take a picture of your artwork and share it with us on social media. Tag the Museum of the Southwest (@MuseumSW on facebook or @MuseumoftheSouthwest on Instagram)

Activity Three:

Bringing Nature Indoors

Are you inspired by nature? Many artists use art to showcase the natural world. Take a look at the work of the Museum of the Southwest artist Danville Chadbourne and get some ideas for how you can bring the art of nature inside!

The Artwork of Danville Chadbourne

Click on the video clip to explore the natural influences behind Danville Chadbourne's artwork.

Step One:

Gather twigs and/or rocks to use in your sculpture. Look for interesting shapes!

Step Two:

Gather any supplies you might need to add color and support to your sculpture.

We suggest Model Magic or Play Dough to give your sculpture support. Want to add color? Use string, beads, sharpie markers, or paint.

If you are using twigs and clay...

Step One:

Roll your model magic into a ball to form a base for your sculpture. You can also try out different shapes like a square or a triangle.

Step Two:

Arrange your twigs in the clay to make an interesting design or shape.

Step Three:

Decorate your sculpture. Use anything you can find around the house: beads, string, cardboard, markers, aluminum foil, or paint.

Step Four:

Display your artwork!

If you are using rocks...

Step One:

Decorate your rocks using paint or sharpies. Try to keep the shapes and colors simple.

Step Two:

Build a base for your rocks. Use cardboard, wood, tissue boxes, or anything else that might support your rock. Decorate your base.

Step Three:

Display your artwork!

Activity Four:

Capturing the Sun

Cyanotype printing or sun printing, is a technique that dates back to 1842. Botanist Anna Atkins used this simple process to document plant life.

You will need light-sensitive paper like Sun Art Paper Kit, a tray or piece of cardboard to put underneath the paper, and objects to place on top of your paper like plant life or toys from your closet. Don't have the right paper? Click through to the end to see another way to create art with shadows.

Step One:

Put a piece of cyanotype paper on top of a tray or piece of cardboard. Arrange your objects on top of the cyanotype paper. The objects will create shadows once out in the sun, so get creative with how they are arranged. If you need something to hold your objects in place you can place a clear piece of acrylic or the glass from a picture frame on top of your composition.

Step Two:

Take your prints outside to a safe, sunny spot. Expose to the sunlight until SunArt Paper turns a very light blue. Approximately 1-5 minutes, depending on sunlight. Stay away from shadows.

Step Three

Quickly rinse your paper with water for about one minute. The image will turn lighter during this process. To obtain darker, more intense blue tones, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to a tray of water.

Step Four:

Place your print on paper towels to dry.

Shadow Art Without Cyanotype:

There are many ways that you can create art with light, even without cyanotype paper. Find a nice sunny spot, either inside or outside. Set up toys or objects so that they cast a shadow on top of drawing paper. Use a pencil, marker, or crayon to trace the shadows the objects make. Use different colors and see if you can get the shadows to overlap to create a unique work of art!

Activity Five:

It's Written in the Stars

Do you enjoy looking at the stars at night? Do you ever try to make shapes out of the starts by connecting the dots?

Learn more about the constellations you can find in the night sky, make a constellation view finder, and explore what constellations you can find in the night sky right now in your own backyard.

What are Constellations?

For a long time, people have seen pictures among the stars -- just like connect the dots! Learn all about constellations, including someone of the easiest ones to spot, and what some people thought they looked like. Click on the image to watch a short clip from SciShow Kids to learn more.

Step One

Click here to download and print the constellations.

Step Two:

Cut out the circles and glue them to black paper, tissue paper, or cupcake liners.

Step Three:

Use a pen or pencil to gently poke holes through both the constellation circle and the paper it is glued to.

Step Four:

Wrap the paper, tissue paper, or cupcake liner around a cardboard tube and attach it with a rubber band or tape.

Step Five:

Shine a light through your tube to project the constellation on the wall or simply look through the tube towards a light source to see your stars.

Take it outside:

Download one of these apps for Apple or Android to find the constellations as you look at the night sky in your own backyard.

Parents' section

Have you enjoyed exploring the great outdoors with your kids? Here are some more opportunities in the Permian Basin to get out and explore nature.

The Sibley Nature Center:

The Sibley Nature Center celebrates the nature and history of our region through a broad range of educational programs and personal experience. Through programs given at its site of 49 acres in Hogan Park in Midland, Texas, and at schools, meeting rooms, ranches, and private gatherings throughout the region, the Sibley Nature Center seeks to encourage community members to be knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, and history of the region.

I-20 Wildlife Preserve:

The I-20 Wildlife Preserve is a 100-acre riparian forest campus in Midland, Texas. It is a wild space – not a park – managed by a nonprofit organization. The 86-acre urban playa lake is the highlight of the wetlands, floodplain thickets, and prairie grasslands – providing abundant avian, wildlife, and aquatic habitat. The urban playa at the Preserve is a treasured ecotourism destination of regional significance and a science education resource of the Permian Basin.