Drawing Closer to Nature: Making Art in Dialogue with the Natural World

Making art, says Peter London, is a perfect vehicle for recovering our lost sense of unity with Nature. When we draw closer to Nature through art, we simultaneously draw closer to our Selves, and thereby enjoy a richer, more authentic creativity and a deeper, fuller life. Through exercises, theoretical reflections, poetic meditations, and stories, London presents an innovative approach to creativity that engages body, mind, and spirit. A series of guided "Encounters"—some to be done outdoors, some indoors in the presence of some natural objects, and some entirely in the imagination—invites the reader to investigate Nature's secrets and then to celebrate through making a work of art.



Topics and exercises include: the essentials of creative practice, such as time, space, media, and intention; cultivating a simple, firsthand way of seeing Nature in all its subtlety, mystery, and intimacy; creating a personal sanctuary in which to communicate directly with Nature; conducting a sacred conversation with archetypal forms of Nature encountered in the imagination; seeking forgiveness from Nature, with the intention of healing our broken primal relationship with the natural world and rediscovering our rightful place in it.

Peter London—painter, author, art educator, and art therapist—has taught the approach presented in this and other books to thousands of students, ranging from teens to octogenarians, from "art phobics" to professional artists. Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and a 2002 Distinguished Fellow at the National Art Education Association, he lives in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.