Fall leaf prints, pastel close-ups of insects and butterflies and miniature watercolor paintings of Westwood wildflowers will be among the pieces of art on display tomorrow at the second annual "Capturing Nature in Westwood" art exhibit at the high school.
The exhibit, sponsored by the Westwood Land Trust, is intended to raise awareness of and appreciation for Westwood's natural environment.
"Artists help us to see what's around us, and the exhibit is a wonderful way for Westwood residents to view nature through artists' eyes," said Westwood Land Trust President Nancy Dempze.
A free reception will be held Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the theater lobby of Westwood High School.
Karen Manor Metzold, Westwood Land Trust vice president, said students from the public schools have created artwork for the show as part of their fall art curriculum. One highlight is the "Nature's coil pots" made by high school ceramics students. Those pots were made more natural by adding touches such as leaf prints, Manor Metzold said.
Seventh-graders produced collages and dioramas, while eighth-graders' mini-watercolors will be framed inside small boxes and shown with paintings of autumn leaves.
In line with the mission of the Land Trust - which works to preserve open space, forests and habitat in town - the student and adult submissions on display will have a nature theme, ranging from tree drawings by fifth-graders to what's called a falling leaf vase made by an adult.
Among the adult submissions are photographs of Hale Reservation, quilts and a ceramic "Westwood bowl," Manor Metzold said.
She added that this year's show will also feature the work of artist and land conservationist Crystal Woodward, a Belmont native.
"She feels that art is an extension of nature, and she does a lot of landscapes," Manor Metzold said.
Woodward will show six pieces at the exhibit, mostly landscapes. She is teaching a course at The Landscape Institute of the Arnold Arboretum, part of Harvard University.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
