it was a Simple Night of Basic Pinecones, Black Powder, and Nature's Spirals

Pinecones-- Charcoal Style!!

My two pinecone examples for the girls

Yesterday evening I had the immense pleasure to teach Art to the the girls for our Wednesday night church activity. It was a quick decision to do art-- luckily I always have a few things in mind in case we need a last minute Art Class. So last night was Charcoal Pinecones. Of course, when I do Art, the girls know we get dirty. We do new and exciting things. And we always learn. I love teaching Art!

Our supplies for the night

I adore charcoal. Getting messy-- hands, arms, face, clothes- they all seem to get messy. There's something so satisfying about getting a near black soot-like substance on you while you scrape, smudge, rub, scratch, smooth or whiff it on or away from the paper!

Kneaded erasers don’t actually erase everything off the paper every time- but they do clean your hands, clean the table, and absorb an enormous amount of charcoal with no detriment to the eraser or the papers. I always wonder at how the substance can absorb so much residue and still function perfectly

The Most Amazing Eraser Ever!

I love using charcoal to draw pinecones because you can really see the changing of the deep inset darkness of the cavity of the pinecone while the lightness of the far-outreaching spindles bring back a delicate balance. --- Because of the nature of the internet and the safety of children's privacy, none of their beautiful works are displayed. However, I have the work of my partner in crime last night, Alison, here to show off! I love her pinecones! One quite literal- so detailed and exact. Another abstract- jokingly said by she that it was a dragonfruit instead of a pinecone! Another is the hint of a shadow of a cone- and then a spindel of a cone. Have I told you how much I love teaching Art?!!

Alison Ashley's Pinecone Party!

The beauty and simplicity of the pinecone is quite marvelous. Pinecones are mathematically correct. They are spirals. All of them. It's amazing! Have you ever heard of the Fibonacci Sequence? It’s all about the growth sequence found in nature. This is a short video The Fibonacci Sequence showing just how intricate this nature’s sequence really is!

Well, it was a simple night of basic pinecones, black powder, and nature's spirals. An incredible Delight!

'Til next time!

Arla