YOU (the parent) has to love nature. Actually love is pushing it, but you should at least like nature, talk about nature, get out into nature yourself, and be invested in keeping the earth healthy. This is the hard part for may parents. Especially busy parents who find it difficult to find the time to get outside. Still, difficult or not, your child will mimic you as he grows, both the good and bad so keep this in mind.

Jump in puddles. Playing outside is not just a sunny day activity. Get your child the gear he needs to tackle the outdoors no matter the weather. Let him jump in puddles, slide in the snow, stomp through hot beach sand and more. Experience nature in all seasons.

Observe and discuss. When outside observe the surroundings. Is there nature? If so what’s good about it? Is there mostly concrete and buildings near you? If so what sucks about that. Your observations help form your child’s opinion about nature so speak up.

Add to the fun. Nature alone is pretty darn fun – just ask an eight-year old skipping rocks in the lake or a toddler with a stick and a daisy. Still you can add to the fun with items like an outdoor tent, a skateboard, some garden seeds, and more. Make being outside just as much fun or more so as sitting inside.

Your house your rules! I rarely pull rank as a parent when it comes to activity. I believe I should respect my son’s decisions about what he wants to play and learn about. That said, nature time is not up for discussion. Kids who get outside regularly are healthier, more fit, and green-minded. I know parents who allow their kids to whine about, “Having to go outside” and then worse let the kids win so no one gets outside and it’s annoying. Most of these kids are overweight and addicted to sitting activities like TV and video games which yeah have their place but not at the expense of your child’s health. If you want a healthy kid, this is one issue you should pull rank on. Kids DO need to get outside and the more you push the issue from an early age the more they’ll learn to enjoy it.

[image via stock.xchng]

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Five simple ways to raise a nature kid

Image: sxc.hu

 Patti also utilizes the colors of nature with browns, bronzes, beige, cream and white with some green.  Her work is calming and relaxing, yet, to me, eye-catching.  Most of those on display used bird images, then found items in nature…leaves, sticks, pebbles and more.

This artist doesn’t have a web site, but if you see her name on the Internet as participating in a show or have an opportunity to take a class or view her art, take advantage of it.  My daughter has been to her NH studio and taken a class from her in a different type of art.

I did find one announcement about Patti’s exhibit at the local Gilford, New Hampshire library, but no pictures.  (Scroll down the blog to the August exhibit news.)

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Utilizing Nature’s Supplies in Art

Image: sxc.hu

You may work in nature related themes in your fabric art.  Share with us something you’ve done in this area, whether it’s an original pattern or a traditional one.

1. Butterfly Quilt
2. Dresden Flowers
3. Blazing Star
4. English Flower Garden
5. Grandmother’s Flower Garden
6. Honey Bee
7. Maple Leaf
8. Ocean Wave
9. Palm Leaf
10. Spider Web
11. Strawberry
12. Sunbeam
13. Wild Goose Chase

What else can you think of?

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Thursday Thirteen -13 Nature Quilt Patterns

Image: sxc.hu

• Take walks around your neighborhood and find natural objects you can learn about.
• Pick up trash as you take your walks…you’re helping keep your environment green and clean.
• Collect objects you can use for nature crafts…stones, shells, fallen leaves, acorns, unusual sticks, and more.
• Listen to the birds and try to identify them by sound and sight.  Keep a list and add to it.  Mother taught me to take time to listen to the birds living around us and looking for new ones.
• Identify trees and leaves.  My dad, who worked in the woods as a youth, was forever pointing out trees and leaves to me.
• Take longer hikes as a family…to areas around you and places you encounter on your travels. 
• Learn about the geology and geography of your local area and other places.
• Expand your horizons!

What do you do as a family that’s nature related and allows you to enjoy the out-of-doors?

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Nature Theme Week

A garter snake slithered through the greenery and among the stones.  “He’s so long,” Alex said.  He didn’t want to pick up the snake, but watched until it disappeared.

Image: sxc.hu

He has the same fascination with salamanders and will pick them up.  He and his cousins spend a vast amount of time looking for these under stones in the area around our house.  The turn over stones and look beneath fallen logs.  (We don’t have a lawn of grass around our house, but simply “tamed” woodland.)  This has given, first our daughter and now her children, ample area for nature explorations.

What curiosities of nature can children find around your home?  Even in urban areas with sidewalks and concrete, there are ants and birds, and occasional flowers.  We lived in the city when my daughter was two-years old.  I was amazed at the curiosities of nature the toddler could find as we walked from our apartment to various shops.  She made me aware that there was more than concrete and buildings in this area.

Take time to look at your surroundings through the eyes of a child.

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A Boy’s Fascination with Snakes & Creepies

Image: sxc.hu

States,

 Encourage youngsters to go outdoors if there are safe areas around your home.  If not, see about taking them to a park , a nearby hiking area or national forest.

 Take walks around the neighborhood.  See how everything around you is changing with the seasons.  This also is an activity to engage in other seasons; compare and contrast what you find in each.

 Take weather observations from your home and keep a chart.  Research different types of weather, how clouds form, what causes the weather you’re experiencing, and even find some weather experiments to do.

 See if there is a nature center within easy distance from your home.  Plan a visit there and make it a half or full day’s outing, complete with picnic lunch.

 Do you have hiking trails near you?  Perhaps you live in the country and have places to hike right on your own property or the neighborhood.  We live on the edge of town, and the area around our home is wooded with trails over abandoned, overgrown  roads. These provide perfect places to hike and explore.

 Build a fort or shelter in your yard or on your property.  We live on 3 wooded acres.  The grandchildren have, for years, built forts or hiding places there, by themselves and with their friends.

 Children often enjoy camping out in the yard, or even on a porch, when the weather is welcoming.  My grandson pitched a tent on the deck last year.  He often used it as his get-away during the day, as well as sleeping there at night.

 What spring and summer activities do you engage in with the youngsters in your life?

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Spring and Summer Parenting

Image: sxc.hu

If you’re involved in any crafts that include the green of nature, you’ll find it fascinating to study the different shades.

• trees
• bushes
• grass
• flower leaves
• fields of grain
• pastures & meadows
• swamps & marshes

Sometimes your green variations will be very realiztic and follow nature’s course.  For other occasions, you might be more dramatic.  Much depends on the effect you want to achieve and the medium and materials you’re working with, such as:

• painting
• crewel work
• knitting & crochet
• quilting & fabric art
• beading
• mosaic

How have you incorporated the greens of nature into your arts and crafts?  How would you interpret the picture above into art…or poetry?

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Check Out “Greens” of Nature for Crafts

The Fennell Residence is a floating house in Portland, Oregon, that was designed beautifully to match the floating aspect. Curved glue lam beams, huge glass facade and curved lines are perfectly suited to life on the water. When I first saw this, I had no idea it was even a floating home it was a neat surprise. What I did notice were the tear drop like sides and just fell in awe with this house.

How great is this house? Seriously. Look at the nighttime view…

Sigh. To see more make the jump.

Great light.

I love this photo of the house. I don’t know why, it’s like silk, how it flows. I love it, even the red doesn’t ruin it, and red anything usually ruins visuals for me.

To see more of this lovely floating home visit here. To see many more amazing structures visit the entire website of Robert Harvey Oshatz – it’s one of those don’t miss events. There’s even a movie – oh yes, there is.

[All photos courtesy of Robert Harvey Oshatz]

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Robert Harvey Oshatz – The Fennell Residence

Oshatz has designed many an amazing structure in my home state – Oregon and in other areas as well, as far reaching as Japan. His work is a mix of commercial, residential, religious, and more. What I love is how his work is entirely unique yet somehow manages to fit into the landscape so well – which is crucial I think if we want to preserve the natural environment. We really need to see more often that landscape and structure can ease together.

His design philosophy is really bold. Here’s a clip:

“Except for the basic elements of design composition, dominance, transition, and identity; I stay away from design theories. They seem to be too transitory and irrelevant to my work. Design theories tend to outshine their author’s performance, becoming limiting concepts, prejudicing the mind while tying one’s hands behind one’s back. They are roadblocks to new ideas. While subscribing to a particular theory of design an architect must solve problems within the parameters of that theory; this is limiting at best…

The requirements of architecture are such that I must go beyond what the client understands. There must be surprise, mystery, beauty and delight, elements that make architecture rewarding to its users for a lifetime. This is one of the primary differences between architecture and building. It is the architect’s responsibility to go beyond the mere program and into the realm of what I call the spiritual.”

You should really read Oshatz’s entire design approach though, not simply the clip above. It’s great, very interesting when combined with his work.

I ran into some issues deciding which homes to show. I’ll show two houses today, but narrowing it down to two was very difficult. I love many of his residential works a lot. Being a fan of Oregon in general, I did decide to go with two Oregon homes, which narrowed it down a little.

First up the Wilkinson Residence. This is not a house easily captured in photos. However, it’s lovely and offbeat all the same. Located in Portland the home’s lot is a fast sloping grade which according to Oshatz’s site, “Provided the opportunity to bring the main level of the house into the tree canopy to evoke the feeling of being in a tree house.” The client wanted a home that flowed with the natural environment, and I’m thinking that said client got their wish. Take a look:

It sort of makes you gasp, no? I almost can’t stop looking at it. This next photo is my favorite picture of the home. It’s the entryway, but it resembles a kaleidescope somewhat – like the flow keeps going when you look right at the circles. Very slick.

Make the jump to see a few more photos.

Look at this door.

It does really seem like a treehouse from the inside. Out the windows all you see is green. I bet it’s amazing in the autumn though as well.

Cool interior view.

Now, there are many more photos of this home at Oshatz’s site, including, some really neat exterior curves and windows. Later today, we’ll see one more home by this amazing architect.

[All photos courtesy of Robert Harvey Oshatz]

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Outstanding Offbeat Organic Beauty – the Work of Robert Harvey Oshatz