Part 2: Layers of Life – Abstracting Species and Systems in Acadia

Description

Part 2: Layers of Life – Abstracting Species and Systems in Acadia Ages 12 and older (younger children may attend with an adult) Maximum 12 participants | Duration: 2 hours This second session expands on the first workshop by focusing on living systems within Acadia’s ecosystem, again using found natural objects and visual references rather than field observation. Participants will examine materials such as feathers, shells, pine needles, lichen, and seaweed forms, discussing how these elements reveal patterns of adaptation, resilience, and interconnection. We will examine some of the indigenous species unique to Acadia National Park, with attention to their habitats. Through sketching and material exploration, participants will learn how to abstract organic forms—translating botanical and ecological structures into simplified marks, layered shapes, and repeated motifs. The workshop will emphasize how abstraction can communicate biodiversity and ecological relationships without literal depiction. Participants who attended Program 1 may integrate these new abstracted forms into their existing collage landscapes, adding complexity and narrative. New participants will be guided through the same techniques and will create their own layered abstract compositions that celebrate Acadia’s ecology through texture, color, and form.