MAHINA HAWLEY | VISUAL NATURE ARTIST
NATURE-BASED ART, SEASONAL CYCLES & OUTDOOR CREATIVE PRACTICE
Mahina Hawley transforms the natural landscape into a vibrant, ever-changing art studio. Based in Port Angeles, WA, she earned a degree in Studio Arts from the University of New Mexico in 2010 and has spent years integrating art into outdoor education. Her work uses leaves, rocks, sticks, cones, flowers, shells, and water to create ephemeral pieces that change with the seasons, drawing inspiration from the colors, textures, and cycles of the natural world. Conversant in Spanish, Mahina can work with bilingual classrooms or integrate language learning into her sessions. Her teaching blends hands-on creativity with environmental awareness, encouraging students to see themselves as part of the landscapes they inhabit.
GRADE LEVELS
Pairs well with elementary, middle school, and high school, including after-school art clubs.
ART FORMS
Nature Art • Visual Arts
ARTS INTEGRATION & CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Mahina’s programs support Washington State Learning Standards by integrating visual arts with other core subjects:
- Visual Arts Standards (VA): Students develop skills in observation, composition, and working with natural forms (VA:Cr1–Cr3).
- Science (NGSS): Connections to ecology, life cycles, seasons, and natural materials science (NGSS: LS1, ESS2).
- English Language Arts (ELA): Opportunities for descriptive writing, storytelling, and reflective journaling about the creative process (ELA:SL, W).
- Social Studies: Cultural connections to traditions and artmaking practices that use natural materials (SS: C1, H1).
Pairs well with:
- Science units on ecosystems, seasons, and natural resources
- Creative writing and storytelling projects
- School gardens or outdoor classroom programs
- Cultural studies focused on art and the environment
- Earth Day or seasonal celebrations
WHY TEACHERS CHOOSE MAHINA
- Gets students learning outdoors in all seasons, connecting creativity to seasonal cycles and natural rhythms
- Uses sustainable, found materials to spark environmental awareness and respect for the land
- Encourages collaboration, observation, and problem-solving through hands-on projects in nature
- Adapts to a wide range of ages, abilities, and class sizes
- Conversant in Spanish, able to work with bilingual classrooms or weave language into lessons
- Flexible structure fits into single sessions, multi-day residencies, or seasonal art programs
MAHINA HAWLEY'S PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Gathering – Making Art in Nature
Students create ephemeral artworks using natural materials such as leaves, rocks, pinecones, and twigs. The session begins with visual inspiration and discussion, followed by guided gathering of materials and hands-on artmaking in small groups. Completed works are photographed before returning to nature, sparking reflection on the beauty of impermanence. Projects may include flower crowns, ground collages, or bird nests. Minimum: 1 class period.
Seasonal Installation Project
Students work together to create an outdoor artwork inspired by the current season’s colors, textures, and forms. Depending on the time of year, this might involve arranging leaves into patterns, weaving grasses and twigs, or creating small site-specific pieces that interact with their surroundings. The process emphasizes observation, collaboration, and responding to the natural materials available at that time of year, resulting in a temporary work that reflects the rhythms of the season. Minimum: 2 class periods.
