Bingalum 

Bio-Art Workshops for all Ages and Abilities 

Reconnecting with Nature; Appreciating Nature; Exploring sustainable creativity 

 Mandala created out of organic ‘litter’ from a school garden 

*Bio-Artist IRENA KOBALD finds Nature infinitely inspiring. She would like to share her passion for our natural environment through workshops which allow participants to reconnect with their creative talents. These talents are often dormant and neglected during our busy lives.

*Bio-Art is relaxing and therapeutic for all ages and is a cost-free alternative to ‘screen-time’.
*Bio-Art uses only what Nature offers, making this art-form sustainable, as well as teaching the aesthetic appreciation of Nature.

Most importantly though - 
*Bio-Art is ephemeral, leaves no ecological footprints and teaches detachment from ownership.

Workshops:

Bio-Art workshops are designed to allow participants to reflect and reconnect with Nature.
After participants explore suitable environments, resources are collected and then arranged on trays of sand either under guidance or self-directed, according to personal abilities and ideas.

Each workshop concludes with artworks being allowed to return to Nature, to its origin, a practice in ‘letting go’.

NB - All workshops can be tailored to cater for time, numbers, ages, special needs, rehabilitation etc.

Primary school students:

Time: Half-day work shops 
Suggested Group size: up to 8 children
Bio-Art is the artistic form of ‘Nature Play’ - exploring the natural environment, collecting natural ‘ingredients’, followed by simple identification and creating simple shapes and designs.
If desired, the designs can be photographed and used for fund-raising material for school.

Requirements:

containers for collecting resources,
sand,
sieves for sifting sand,
shallow trays,
tweezers.
Please take into account that seasonality will affect the availability of local resources.
Irena can provide additional resource material if required. (Contact Irena prior to the event.)

Upper Primary and High School students:

Time: Whole Day Workshops
Suggested Group size: up to 8 students 

Design Themes could include: patterns, shapes, contrast, texture, native vs imported species plus student-generated ideas.

Option 1: discussion of indigenous names of plants, their uses past and present.
Option 2: use of photography and IT can allow for the creative process to be documented by students.
Option 3: designs can be photographed and turned into calendars or cards for use by the school and parents.
Option 4: a combination of the above. 

 Adults: 

Time: Whole Day workshops
Group size: Groups of 8 
Bio-Art workshops provide a consciously meditative experience for participants.
The photographic documentation of the creative process with participants’ own devices is an option.

It is possible for photographed designs to be printed onto accessories such as scarves, tea-towels, mugs, etc.
Irena can provide contact details of suitable companies providing these services.

 For further examples see:

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 Workshop Reviews:

 “Bio-Art is a wonderful way to engage students’ senses as they create works of art using natural materials in their school’s ‘backyard’.” 

 “Irena opened the students’ eyes to the possibilities of creativity that Nature provides. Instead of seeing very little other than plants and trees, Irena led them through the journey of seeing what could be found in the leaf litter, often in abundance. These available items became the media pieces of bio-art. The creative ideas and processes, guided and developed, led to inspired pieces. The final part to the process, to walk away and leave the art work behind, was, perhaps, the biggest challenge to students; impermanence in a culture of ownership.” 

“Irena worked with the Art Teachers and students across Year 7 to 12 presenting her ideas about bio-art. She was able to take the students on a journey, discovering their local environment, enabling them to create art from found objects within school grounds; ie.flowers and leaves.
These art works were created in the school grounds and became ‘sacred spaces’ where other students could enjoy them.
As part of our NAIDOC celebrations, Irena and a group of students created a heart labyrinth made of camellia flowers. Nearly a week later, the labyrinth was still intact and students went to walk in it."

"Exploring techniques with flora from within the local environment, Irena engaged our students in the creation of wreaths to commemorate ANZAC Day.
Our students experimented with aesthetic design using buds seed pods, nuts and flowers while our teachers learnt how to enrich contexts and embed visual arts in and across the learning areas of the Australian Curriculum.