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Bring Art and Nature Study Together with These Easy Ideas!
Looking to add an artsy spin to your nature study plans? I’ve got good news for you: we’re sharing easy ways to bring art and nature study together along with some great resources to help make it happen.
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Before we jump into these suggestions for combining art with nature study, keep in mind that you don’t have to do them all for your kids to reap the benefits of this fun pairing. While these suggestions all work together nicely, they can also serve as stand-alone approaches for bringing art and nature study together.
Easy Ways to Combine Art and Nature Study
Documenting your time outside through nature journaling is a quick and easy way to regularly combine art and nature study. To get started, simply bring along your nature journals and some colored pencils or a watercolor set and sketch or paint what you see. (Be sure you keep a journal along with your kids. It’s a beneficial experience for you and them!)
Not interested in bringing art supplies along on your outside adventures? Consider snapping photos of your observations and save the sketching and painting for when you return home.
Need help getting started with nature journaling? Be sure to check out the Nature Journaling courses included in your Masterpiece Society Studio membership.
Including nature books in your homeschool plans also makes it easy to combine art and nature study, especially when you don’t have much time to spend outside. The best part about this approach is that these books can serve to teach, inspire curiosity, or simply be used for reference.
Not sure what to look for when it comes to nature books? These are all wonderful sources of inspiration for seeing art in nature:
- Julia Rothman’s Nature Anatomy and Ocean Anatomy are great to have on hand. Presented in the reference format, her sketches make these nature books a go-to resource both for informational purposes and art instruction.
- Outside Your Window – We love how this sweet book goes season by season and explores nature through stunning illustrations and poetry.
- Drawn to Nature – This one features Clare Walker Leslie’s nature journals and explores nature through watercolors, notes, and field sketches.
In addition to reference-style books, titles like The Girl Who Drew Butterflies (about Maria Merian) and The Boy Who Drew Birds (about James Audubon) also provide wonderful examples of ways art can integrate into nature study. Helen Ahpornsiri’s Drawn from Nature is another book that does this beautifully. She uses leaves, petals, and seeds to create all the illustrations in this lovely book.
Nature Art
Lastly, you can bring art and nature study together through nature-themed art projects. From quick and easy projects like our seashell art to our Backyard Nature Mixed Media and Watercolor Whimsies courses, we’ve got plenty of nature-inspired art ideas for you!
And if you’re not looking for exclusively nature-themed courses, but want to sprinkle it in here and there? These seasonal mixed media courses provide a great mix of just-for-fun art and nature-inspired project ideas:
- The Art of Fall
- Winter Wonderland
- Springtime Splendor
- Celebrate Summer
In conclusion, be encouraged! Bringing nature study and art together isn’t a fussy or complicated process. It’s just a matter of helping your kids see the beauty that’s there and celebrating it through art.
Acrylic Nature Painting
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Realistic Nature Painting
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Watercolor Nature Painting
- Photorealistic paintings. In the field of photorealism, it covers a vast array of subjects. Nature can also be its subject matter. In this case, a photograph of a certain natural view is used by the painter to mimic it and express it in his or her paintings. The outcome of the painting is more closer to reality. An example would be our realistic painting designs.
- Abstract nature paintings. It may be absurd to think why abstract themes apply to nature paintings. There is no room for absurdity because abstract paintings also take their reference and visual cue from the actual and real forms found in nature.
- Watercolor nature paintings. They are usually very attractive and popular. The application of watercolor with various color schemes give more life to the nature painting.
These are just some of the interconnections between nature and art. Mother Nature offers the entire world as your subject. Why don’t you start with simple oil paintings?
Frequently Asked Questions
A. If you have windows in your space, using white paint on interior walls reflects natural light and bounces it around a space. Hanging a mirror across from a window is another go-to for maximizing natural light.
Subtle AF-310, Antique White OC-83 and Soft Satin 2164-60 are all bright, light-enhancing Benjamin Moore paint colors we love for opening up smaller spaces and reflecting natural light.
Q. What are natural materials I can use for my home?
A. Bamboo, sisal, stone, pearlescent seashells, raw or reclaimed wood. there is no shortage of natural materials that synchronize your indoor space to the outdoors. Whether you opt for live potted plants or high-quality faux greenery, indoor plants are always a great idea. Use green, taupe, brown and blue paint colors to highlight your natural home accents.
A. Many Benjamin Moore paint colors can help contribute to a neutral theme in your home. Calming neutral paint colors create a relaxing, soothing vibe. From white and off-white hues to gray and greige, neutral design themes are easily updated with pillows, throws, lighting fixtures and other home accessories.
Q. How do I make my home feel like I’m outside?
A. The right paint color selection tops our list of ways to bring outdoor energy into your home. Learn more about decorating with blues and greens, color families that bring nature’s timeless palette inside. We love mixing fresh flowers and potted plants with high-quality faux plants—against any wall paint color, an abundance of flora and fauna always delivers bucolic vibes.
A. White paint reflects natural light and bounces it around a space, so white hues are always a top recommendation for bringing the outdoors in. Colors that literally come from nature include rich browns, sandy taupes, mossy greens, seaside blues, and buttery yellows.
