Last winter, I rediscovered branch weaving, a technique that an art teacher friend introduced me to years ago. I became obsessed, making beautiful weavings for myself and for others, each weaving inspiring ideas for the next. I relished both the centuries-old structure – the warp and the weft – and the endless possibilities for combining colors, textures, stitches, patterns, and embellishments.
Art teachers use the natural world as a stimulus for big ideas and enduring questions. Students create watercolor paintings inspired by Alma Thomas, research and sculpt insects in clay, collect materials to weave into personalized reed nests, use photo-editing skills to generate mythical beasts, participate in an outdoor art workshop, and more.
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