Making art, says Peter London, is a perfect vehicle for recovering our lost sense of unity with Nature. When we draw closer to Nature through art, we simultaneously draw closer to our Selves, and thereby enjoy a richer, more authentic creativity and a deeper, fuller life. Through exercises, theoretical reflections, poetic meditations, and stories, London presents an innovative approach to creativity that engages body, mind, and spirit. A series of guided "Encounters"-some to be done outdoors, some indoors in the presence of some natural objects, and some entirely in the imagination-invites the reader to investigate Nature's secrets and then to celebrate through making a work of art. Topics and exercises include: the essentials of creative practice, such as time, space, media, and intention; cultivating a simple, firsthand way of seeing Nature in all its subtlety, mystery, and intimacy; creating a personal sanctuary in which to communicate directly with Nature; conducting a sacred conversation with archetypal forms of Nature encountered in the imagination; seeking forgiveness from Nature, with the intention of healing our broken primal relationship with the natural world and rediscovering our rightful place in it.

Peter London–painter, author, art educator, and art therapist–has taught the approach presented in this and other books to thousands of students, ranging from teens to octogenarians, from “art phobics” to professional artists. Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and a 2002 Distinguished Fellow at the National Art Education Association, he lives in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

Prologue: See For Yourself

xi

Introduction

1

(1)

The Perspective

1

(2)

Reading This Book

3

(2)

A Note on Vocabulary

5

(1)

On the Illustrations

6

(1)

Different Voices

7

(1)

Listen to This

8

(5)

Part One Personal Encounters with Nature

On Horseneck Beach: First Sight of Drawing Closer to Nature

13

(22)

Eden Revisited

35

(8)

Do Not Be Afraid

43

(4)

I Awoke from This Dream

47

(7)

I Was Thinking about Death

54

(5)

Part Two Notes to an Artist

General Considerations

59

(46)

On Seeing

59

(7)

Beyond Creativity: Authenticity

66

(9)

All There Is, Is Creativity

75

(2)

Art As a Sacred Conversation

77

(3)

Sensory and Imaginative Seriousness

80

(7)

Metamorphoses

87

(9)

Burning Saplings and Juniper

96

(5)

Later That Evening

101

(4)

Forensics

105

(14)

Materials

107

(1)

Space

108

(2)

Time

110

(1)

Frequency

111

(2)

Setting Up Your Studio

113

(1)

Nature and the Studio

114

(2)

Settings Sights

116

(3)

The Process

119

(14)

Initiating the Project

119

(2)

The First Move

121

(3)

The Pursuit

124

(2)

When the Fruit Is Ripe

126

(3)

Closing In

129

(1)

Snatching the Prize

130

(1)

It's Over, Almost

131

(2)

Further Reflections

133

(28)

Talking with Nature

133

(6)

Tricks

139

(3)

Masquerade

142

(4)

In Art, to Win Is Nothing

146

(4)

I Had Just Completed

150

(1)

Synchronicity?

150

(5)

Hope for Everything, Expect Nothing

155

(6)

Part Three The Structure of an Encounter

The Purpose of an Encounter

161

(2)

Participants

163

(10)

A Ready Student

163

(1)

A Trustworthy Teacher

164

(1)

Worthy Companions

165

(8)

Structure

173

(6)

The Setting

173

(1)

The Covenant

174

(1)

Of Space and Time

175

(4)

Matters of Perspective

179

(18)

Orientation

179

(3)

Disorientation

182

(1)

What's the Most Terrible Thing?

183

(3)

Proferring the Invitation

186

(2)

One on One

188

(9)

Part Four Encounters with Nature

Encounters with the Prime Elements

197

(14)

Aligning Your Self with the Cardinal Points

211

(8)

Balance: Finding your Still Point

219

(10)

My Self As Landscape

229

(8)

Loving Subtle Things

237

(4)

A Glade, a Tree, a Rock

241

(12)

A Blind Walk

253

(8)

A Natural Sanctuary

261

(6)

Forgiveness

267

(10)

Part Five Media and Technique

Media

277

(8)

Crystallization, Sedimentation, Erosion

285

(12)

What about Technique?

297

(6)

Part Six Notes to a Teacher

A Holistic Paradigm

303

(10)

Empathic Listening

313

(4)

Who Gets to Draw

317

(6)

You Can't Go Home Again, but Homeward You Must Go

323

(4)

Not Necessarily a Bad Day

327

(4)

Epilogue: Drawing Together

331

(8)

Everybody Is Always Waiting for a Miracle

335

(4)

Notes

339

(4)

Works Cited

343

(4)

Acknowledgments

347

(2)

Credits

349

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