Aimee Van Wagenen Report

Section 1: Summary
July 24-27 2023: I attended a 4 day art-making workshop at the Truro Center for the Arts on Cape Cod taught by the delightful Amy Wynne entitled, “Simplifying the Landscape.” I chose this workshop for several reasons: first, the word “simplifying” in the title gave me hope that I (a very beginner art maker) could have a toe hold in the class. I also hoped I would learn some techniques for building my own and my students’ confidence in art-making by learning how to simplify drawing and painting. The second reason I was intrigued by Amy’s class is that she included in her course description a love for the Outer Xape land and integrating mindfulness meditation in the natural world as an integral part of the process of landscape drawing and painting. Her class did not disappoint. We went for several beautiful Outer Cape walks (to Bearberry Hill overlooking the Atlantic in Truro, to the Pamet Area trails, to Pamet harbor in Turo, and to Great Island in Wellfleet) and sat in the elements. After a brief “lecture” on drawing or painting techniques for the day, we meditated, taking notice of things we saw, smelled, felt, and heard. Then we drew and painted in nature. Finally we ended the day sharing what we made with one another.
A few weeks later, August 14-18, I attended a 5 day workshop at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown taught by the talented Mark Adams entitled “Thoreau on the Beach.” Mark combined perspectives: environmental scientific, geological, literary, mindfulness, and of course visual art. Less technical in nature, Mark’s class similarly got us out for walks on the Outer Cape and specifically in Provincetown (the Provincetown Harbor, the Dune Shacks Trail on Snail Road, Long Point and the Moors, the Beech Forest, and on a particularly rainy day, the Pilgrim Monument) meditating and art-making in nature. Additionally, Mark created space for us to engage in reflective writing combined with drawing and painting – this was one of the unique elements of his class that I was intrigued by and hoped to learn how to do with students. I noticed such stark differences in the landscape in Provincetown as compared to neighboring Truro and Wellfleet, and learned that Truro and Wellfleet are made from glacial terrain, while Provincetown is entirely different and made from ocean sand dunes pushed out and around Truro by the waves and wind. This fascinated me. We didn’t learn much about Thoreau, and this was one of the disappointments of the class.
In between and after, I did a lot of practicing what I learned in the workshops on my own, as well as reading books by and about Thoreau.
I have been deeply affected by the experience. In the short term, I have delighted in slowing down and making art in nature. I renewed my own love of being in nature. I recharged from a very difficult school year. In the long term, those short term effects continue. Additionally and unexpectedly, I have sharpened my observational skills so that now when I walk outdoors, I take in all kinds of information (color, shape, light, geology, dirt, etc.) Also unexpectedly, given that I engaged in most of the PD by the ocean, I focused much of my time on observations of and artmaking about trees! I have been able to continue this focus in my home of Boston and with my students.


Sketchbook page from Amy Wynne’s class, “Simplifying the Landscape.” This page includes a line drawing of the same landscape view from Image #1, a value study that indicates gradations of light and dark in the landscape, and a color study.
To see more of Aimee's amazing work, please click here.
Section 3: Questions
How have your knowledge, skills, and capabilities grown?
I have grown knowledge about the history and writing of Thoreau, including the ways in which Thoreau’s environmental concerns are intimately tied with his concerns for humanity. I have grown knowledge of art-making principles, especially including color theory, composition, drawing, and ideal usage of various materials. I have improved my skills in drawing, observation in the natural environment, mindfulness meditation in the natural environment, and writing in relation to the natural environment. I am a more capable (amateur) artist and writer, especially in art-making and writing interactions with the natural environment.
As a result, in what ways will your instructional (or other) practice change?
My personal practices have changed in that I have honed a meditative practice in relation to nature that includes more careful observation, drawing/painting, and writing. I plan to continue that practice for life. I believe that this practice of observation and finding beauty enables me (and I hope a larger “us”) to take notice of impacts of climate change while also appreciating beauty and feeling closer to nature. I believe we desperately need to have that appreciation of beauty and closeness to nature in order to counter the dread of facing global catastrophe. Climate anxiety is real, and if we are not to turn away in resignation, we must look and see beauty. Or, to come back to that Niezsche quote, “We have art in order not to die from the truth.”
I plan to revise my curriculum to include selections from Thoreau’s “Walden” and perhaps also from “Cape Cod,” Previously I concluded that my urban students of color would not connect with Thoreau’s work and this PD has given me insight into the many ways that I can help my students make connections.
I also plan to use several of the art-making and writing techniques that I learned that I think will work really well with students of all abilities.
What is the greatest personal accomplishment of your fellowship?
I created some pieces of art and writing that I am proud of! I was not at all sure that would happen, as I feel that the process of art-making and writing is an end in itself and because I am such an amateur I didn’t imagine that I’d be able to create work that I could step back and actually think, “that is good!”
I learned that in creating art, one of the biggest hurdles is trying to create something that looks or feels the way you think it does instead of actually observing and letting go of your previously-held schemas. I feel really proud of being able to “see” differently.
How will your experience positively impact student learning in new ways?
I am hopeful that I can design units of study in which students can practice a new way of “seeing” too in dialogue with Thoreau’s texts. I am excited to have students experience this discovery in new ways outside of the traditional modes of English Language Arts instruction. I also love that I have the possibility to create a unit that deeply connects with the green mission of our school. As of yet in my 8 years at BGA, I have struggled to create “green” units in ELA.
What are your plans to work collaboratively with colleagues?
Unexpectedly, I found many connections with scientific observation in the exercises and PD work that I did. I am looking forward to talking to my science team colleagues. I am considering designing a Project Week exploration that combines hiking and walking with art-making and would be working with colleagues on that as well. Finally, there are many resonances of the mindfulness meditation work with student support and counseling and I would love to collaborate with folks on that team to design some experiences with students.
Are there issues or challenges in your school, community or the world that you feel better prepared to address with your students?
The main issue that I hope to address is anxiety and climate anxiety and resignation. So many of my students feel the world will end in their lifetime and this deeply affects their psyches and outlook. I believe this will be an issue for all teachers in all schools in the coming years. One important way to combat this is to recharge your spirit in the natural environment to be in touch with a positive connection with the natural world. Hopefulness is a key ingredient in fighting climate change.
How would you describe to a friend the most fundamental ways in which your fellowship has changed your personal and/or professional perspective?
I might talk about how I previously understood well the process of close reading of a text, and the pleasures and insights that can arise from that practice. This fellowship has opened up to me my ability (and our human ability) to “close read the natural landscape.” (I am inventing this term!) I think of close reading of the landscape to mean sitting with, observing using all of your senses, and engaging your brain’s motor cortex in the process of observation by drawing. Close reading of the landscape is something anyone can do and I think we might be encouraged to do it for several purposes: for a grounding meditative practice, to experience appreciation for and wonder of our mother earth, to create visual and literary art, and to make observations of the impact of climate change, among others.