Embodied Landscape Drawing
We had a wonderful experience with Rhae from Regenerative Communities, exploring Embodied Landscape drawing. The morning in May arrived: cool, crisp and sunny (that’s a typically wonderful Mallee day). As we ran around the circle checking in, it was clear that many of us didn’t know what to expect but were open to anything. That’s the recipe for a great day.
I’m sorry I cannot recreate the full day for you, but here are three practices I learnt that you can try at home to give you a taste:
Slow immersion in the landscape - Try standing in one spot in the bush. Rotate through 360 degrees, slowly, over eight minutes. As you rotate, open all your senses: listen, smell and see deeply into both the foreground and distance.
Become a camera - This one works best if you have a friend to position you. Close your eyes (the camera shutter) and direct your body and head to an object. A tap on your shoulder opens the camera shutter for a short or long exposure. These snapshots of nature immerse you in the detail.
Feel the landscape - Find a place where you are comfortable to go barefoot. For us this was in the sand dunes. With your eyes closed, walk, very slowly, centimeters at a time. Feel the changes in texture beneath your feet. Experiment with pressing deep into the sand, then more softly. Try crawling, adding the sensations from your hands as well. My favourite was rolling, slowly. Being so close allowed me to smell the earth.
I learnt that frottage means rubbings: obtaining an impression of the surface texture of a material, such as wood, by placing a piece of paper over it and rubbing it with a soft pencil or charcoal.
And I’m sure there is a “proper” definition of Embodied Landscape drawing as well. But for me it means feeling the landscape with all of your body and allowing that deeper connection to guide your art, or in my case nature doodlings. If, like me, art is not your preferred expression you can use this practice to just be in nature.
May 2024