Imaginary Landscapes

Shara Hughes often begins a composition with a mark or a color, then improvises around it. She said: “I dye the canvas a certain color and then it sparks something inside of me to then make another move.” This painting is part of a series of imaginary landscapes. In each of these scenes, Hughes includes a painted frame around the edge of the canvas, offering a window into another world.

Find a partner and make one drawing each, from your imagination. Use colored pencils or markers. Start by making a quick abstract mark on separate pieces of paper. It could be a wavy line, a rectangle, or a blob. Trade drawings and transform the mark your partner made into a fantasy landscape. Share your drawings with your family. Can you find the first mark you made?

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