Category Archives: Inspiration

Things that inspire me to create art and write about it.

The Evolved Snowflake

The sun is so generous to share her afternoon beams of joy with me. At the end of the school day, when my teacher work is done, the lighting in my art studio inspires many clever photo shoots of freshly made works of art. Showcased below are images of kirigami snowflakes.

kirigami snowflake

Kirigami is the art cutting paper to create intricate symmetrical designs. Does the term remind you of origami? If so, it is because they both end in “gami” and when translated in Japanese, “kami” means paper. Origami is the art of paper folding. “Ori” means folding + “kami” means paper = folding paper. Can you guess what “kiri” means? That’s right: “kiri” means cutting. Therefore kirigami = cutting paper. Typically, kirigami begins with a folded base, which is then cut and opened offering a magically surprise in the end.

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These snowflakes were created using a tri-fold technique which produces a 12-sided snowflake. To read through an informative snowflake tutorial, visit Michele Made Me. And take the time to snoop around her beautiful website, it is one of my favorite places to spend free time!

Have you made your holiday decorations this year?
Or maybe a clever advent calendar?
If so, please share your creations!

Have a lovely first day of December! -MJ

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Filed under Creating Art, Inspiration

JOY of TODAY

I just have to share this image with you. It illustrates the JOY of my Friday.

How stunning is this selection of contour ink paintings? I can’t get over the way each piece is unique yet they work together as a unified whole. Harmony.

The photo itself offers so much to the collection of artworks. The way the sun’s rays kiss the floor so calmly. The shadow of the afternoon light.

Just in case you were eager to zoom in, two close-ups await you below. All images are of observational ink paintings of African masks created by my fourth grade artists.

Happy Friday! -MJ

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Filed under Inspiration, Teaching Art to Children

Gratitude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am grateful for colors and textures. Nature is home to so much beauty and I feel fortunate for the ability to savor it.

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Filed under Inspiration