For this week’s #myCMAstudio challenge, we’re inviting you to harness the power of observation to discover wonder in the mundane by creating a field guide to someplace familiar (varying degrees of accuracy and whimsy encouraged). The location is up to you- it could be your living room, your backyard, a park, an alley or even someplace conceptual- an exciting dream or beloved memory, or someplace you’ve only visited through google maps.
Once you’ve chosen your site, spend some time there watching, listening and noticing. What kinds of plants do you see? What kinds of living creatures? You can look up scientific names OR invent your own. What sorts of non-living elements are there? Are there any smells or sounds that are particular to that place? Once you’ve spent some time noticing, collect some of those noticings in some way to share with others. Your field guide could be an epic, handbound tome, or a simple, pocket-sized pamphlet. You can organize the entries in your field guide by scientific class/genus, by color, by how much you would or would not want to eat them- it’s up to you!
As always, we encourage you to use whatever medium is your jam- draw, write, collage, photograph, choreograph, etc. Need Studio supplies? Pick up or let us ship to you directly our Studio in a Box with all the supplies and materials needed to aid you in our weekly challenges.
Find a CMA Studio Challenge that speaks to you and thanks to everyone who has participated. Share your creations on social media by tagging #myCMAstudio
–Cat Lynch is an artist educator at Columbus Museum of Art where she works with children 5 and under and their grown-ups. Cat is also an artist whose work focuses primarily on collage, story-telling, interaction and environment. She finds the two worlds support and complement each other beautifully.
