What's your thing?

This week's bounty. Leaves as canvas.

Artwork by Sam Larson

I've got two passions: the great outdoors and creativity. Both I am hoping to instil in the kids. When the two meet, my head, heart and body go into a trance-dance and I am in danger of breaking out into Montell Jordan's '95 hit, "This is how we do it..." If I'm really excited, I may even add some soulful shaky butt-moves. I had a moment just like that this week when I stumbled across Portland-based artist Sam Larson's work. The word DUDE in capitals doesn't cover it. We're talking H to the E to the R to the O. 

The guy, who is clearly also wilderness obsessed (kindred spirits?) takes a leaf and creates an entire microcosm on it. He's got mountain-scapes, bison, cabins, trees and more on there. Whatever he draws, I want to go there. His intricate creations lure you into a whole new world where some might have just seen a dead leaf. 

I am officially declaring this week "Sam Larson Week". Why? Because right now the ground is carpeted in autumnal amazingness. And it won't last. You've got yellow, brown, red, orange, green. Big, small, wet, dry, crispy. It's all there for the picking. And the scent is 100% forest floor. Who needs the stationary shop, when you've got an entire canvas as soon as you step outside? Go forth, collect and draw.

And remember, as my absolute guru of creative thinking Sir Ken Robinson says, "We don't grow into creativity, but out of creativity." So let your kids be kids. Their leaf worlds won't look like Sam Larson's. But they'll be perfectly perfect because they grew out of their imagination - pure and unfiltered.

What you need:

• Autumn leaves
• A fine-nib permanent marker pen

Top tip: If you've got a little one, you might want to hand them a felt-tip pen instead. Just saying. 
Top quote: "A drawing is simply a line going for a walk." Paul Klee

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Why is it that kids know when you are duping them? I gave Annie an entire box of felt-tip pens, but she held out for the black permanent marker...

What does your secret world look like Bobby? Bobby started by drawing a bunch of clouds...

"I'm not copying!" exclaimed Minu when she started drawing some... clouds. Older brothers are just sort of sacred and holy, aren't they? What they do is gospel. So clouds it is.

Bobby said, "I'm drawing the Land of Love (leaf on right). There are shops there where people can go and get hugs if they're feeling sad, and the birds are hearts with wings..." Meltos meltos heartos. (Remember Boutros Boutros Ghali of the UN? I always liked the rhythm of his name. But I digress) In Bobby's first world (left) there are mountains, Lego football players, and beneath the earth: forks, spoons, a toothbrush and diamonds. Gotta love how a kid's mind works. Course there are spoons buried in the ground. You got a problem with that, you speak to me.

Don't know about you but I'd really like to go to Minu's microcosm. Minu says, "The animal in the middle is a mountain goat (obv), and those on the left are wolves (you knew that right?)." And there are two suns because, as Minu says, "the one on the left is the shadow of the one on the right". Did I miss something in Science? Also, I always scatter tulip leaves around the kids' artwork.

Minu holding her finished work. Annie, reclining, drinking a bop bop. Tulip, doing it's droopy tulip thing. That might have been the one that got away. Annie pretty much plucked them all bare during our drawing session. Next time I'll hand her a chicken.

You know I love an aerial still life. Check out leaf on the far left, it's got the London Eye and Big Ben on it. Whoop. Whoop. I guess you can't take the city out of the girl just yet. Plus, desecrated tulips, courtesy of Annie...

More of Sam Larson's work. By the way Sam, I'll come.

Bison on leaf by Sam Larson. Sam is that your hand? You've got a small thumb.

More wild ideas:

Got wood?

Feed the bi-ird

The bling-bling tree

Lost your marbles?