Documenting the Wild: A Field Study

An Artist's Workshop at Monte Sano State Park

Friday, October 3rd from 8:00-11:00am

Join us for a hands-on exploration of the Alabama wilderness as both inspiration and material source. This unique workshop combines traditional observation with innovative techniques to help you build a deeper artistic relationship with the natural world.

What You'll Learn:

● Quick-Setting Silicone Molding - Master the technique of capturing three-dimensional textures from bark, leaves, fungi, and rock formations. Create portable impressions that translate nature's intricate surfaces into reusable tools for your studio practice.

● Color Collection & Seasonal Documentation - Develop your eye for the subtle and dramatic color shifts happening in Northern Alabama’s October landscape. Learn systematic approaches to gathering, organizing, and preserving natural color palettes that reflect this specific moment in the season.

The Experience: We'll spend our morning exploring a trail in Monte Sano State Park, moving slowly and observing closely. You'll work with professional-grade silicone compounds to capture compelling textures while building a curated collection of natural materials in the colors that speak to you. These aren't just souvenirs—they're functional studio resources and visual records of place and time.

Led by April Terra Livingston

As a practicing sculptor, photographer, and Alabama Master Naturalist, April integrates these field techniques into her daily studio practice. She has developed these methods as ways to establish deeper connections with places she explores while creating portable resources for continued investigation back in the studio. Learn from an artist who lives and works with these approaches.

This workshop is designed for artists working in any medium who want to expand their material vocabulary and deepen their observational practice. Whether you're a painter seeking new texture techniques, a sculptor interested in natural forms, or simply an artist curious about working more directly with your environment, you'll leave with both tangible materials and new approaches to engage with landscape.

What to Bring: Comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and a willingness to get your hands dirty. All molding materials and collection supplies provided.

When: Friday, October 3rd, 2025 / 8-11am

Where: Monte Sano State Park, Huntsville, Alabama

Investment: $60

Limited to 20 participants to ensure personalized attention and optimal group dynamics on the trail.

Learn more about April's work: aprilterralivingston.com

 UAH Alien Invasion: Scrap Sculpture Showdown

Friday, October 3rd from 1:00-3:00pm

The year is 2025, and the UAH campus has become ground zero for an alien invasion! Strange signals have been detected from space, and unidentified objects have landed across Huntsville. Humanity’s fate rests in the hands of… you and your team.

In this 2–3 hour workshop, teams of four will battle against the clock to design and build sculptures from donated rebar, aluminum, scrap metal, and lumber. Your mission: create structures, creatures, or defenses that can protect campus—or welcome our new extraterrestrial neighbors.

Each team must decide:

• Will you build an alien creature to make first contact?

• A defensive structure or weapon to hold back the invasion?

• Or perhaps a monument of peace to show Huntsville is ready to coexist?

At the end, the sculptures will be presented to the “UAH Alien Council” (a panel of judges and peers), who will evaluate the creations for creativity, structural strength, and originality.

Awards may include:

• Best Alien Lifeform

• Strongest Defense

• Most Creative Use of Materials

• Galactic Crowd Favorite

Expect sparks of imagination, laughter, a little chaos, and some very strange structures appearing across campus. The invasion is coming—how will you respond?

Led by Andy Denton