Instructor: Dr. Madeline Rugh

Greening the Life Cycle: Art, Aging, and Nature

The material presented in this art and nature workshop is about recognizing the relationship between the biological metamorphosis of the aging body and the ecological principle that all life transforms and changes; that is the outer or physical dimension of greening the life cycle and aging. The inner dimension of greening the lifecycle and aging is equally if not more important to recognize…that is the way in which the natural world or more-than-human realm supports, embodies and guides the soulful experience of being human and becoming old. There are three primary ecological patterns we will address in this arts based exploration: everything transforms, everything is related, and everything is permeable.

Participants will experience nature based exercises related to the three ecological principles processed through art making in a relaxed and non-judgmental atmosphere. The major images we will be creating include; a clay container of soul, an aging mask and a Mandala for the Harvest of the Heart. We will use both natural and human-made materials with the goal of working toward healing our narrow perceptions of growing old as well as healing our disconnect from the natural world.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the workshop, participants will…

1. Have a deeper sense of the significance of growing old and tools for sharing this awareness with others.

Discover and demonstrate enhanced sensory and perceptual skills for reconnecting with the natural world
Understand and integrate the role of art, imagination and the heart in connecting with the natural world and in understanding the experience of aging.
Recognize the connections between our inner narratives about growing old and the outer storied land and her many residents.