Patricia Leighton creates outdoor, temporary sculptures that relate to their location and the environment. To connect her sculptures to their sites, Leighton uses the natural materials of the area, like soil, stones and plants, to create works of art. Her sculptures connect the people looking at them to nature. “Terra Verte #1” is one of six growing cubes she installed in the Georgia Museum of Art’s sculpture garden for an exhibition in 2014 – 15. What do you notice about the natural materials she uses for this sculpture? Check out our virtual Gallery Gumshoes scavenger hunt or visit the museum to discover more about “Terra Verte #1” and other outdoor sculptures.
In this activity, you’ll use the natural world around you to create your own outdoor sculpture.
For this activity you will need:
- A stick
- Leaves
- Yarn or beads
To make your outdoor sculpture:
- Go on a leaf hunt! Gather 10 to 20 interesting leaves. How many different colors, patterns and shapes can you collect?
- Find a long, thin stick. If it has twigs or branches that come out of its sides, break them off. This will make it easier to add the leaves.
- Thread leaves onto the stick. Fold a leaf in half and push the stick through it, creating two holes. Slide the leaf up the stick. Add as many leaves as you like. Try varying their size, shapes and colors.
- Wrap yarn around some parts of the stick. What color yarn will complement your leaves? You can also try adding beads or other decorations.
- Plant your sculpture outside. Press one end of the stick into the ground so it stands straight up. Check out your sculpture at different times of the day. How does sunlight change the sculpture?