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Oct

Artistic Expression That’s a Cut Above

by Janine Boylan on October 14, 2013

Karen Bit Vejle, showing the artistic expression of cut paper art (Image © Marjaana Malkamäki)

Karen Bit Vejle
Image © Marjaana Malkamäk

The Cut Paper Art of Karen Bit Vejle

Until just a few years ago, Karen Bit Vejle had a secret hidden under her rugs.

Like many in her home country of Denmark, Vejle grew up making gækkebrev, cut paper holiday cards. She discovered that she was rather talented at cutting out the little greetings.

For years, Vejle reserved her paper cutting for the holidays. But the summer she turned 16, she had an “Oh, I see!” moment:

. . . I saw a man who was sitting in the sun cutting out paper silhouettes with motifs I had never before seen. I was enraptured, and stood there staring for a long time, watching the man as he maneuvered his scissors to bring forth the most beautiful little paper cutting. I was so taken with the idea that I went right home and got my mother’s sewing scissors, and I have never let them out of my sight since. Read more...

Janine Boylan 10 Comments

Denmark/The World's Art & Design

Sep

What’s Napoleon Doing in a Japanese Rice Paddy?

by Sheron Long on September 26, 2013

Japanese rice paddy art of Napoleon on his white horse (2009), showing creative inspiration by the villagers of Inakadate (Image by Captain76)

Across the summer of 2009, this image of Napoleon emerged in a rice field in Inakadate—
a slow reveal for an emperor used to making a grand entrance!
(Image by Captain76)

He’s Growing from Creative Inspiration and Some Seeds!

In fact, Napoleon grew from several different kinds of seeds that sprouted in different colors. They became the “paint” on this giant canvas depicting the French emperor.

Origins of Tanbo Art

Known as tanbo (rice paddy) art, or tambo art, the idea originated in 1993 with Japanese villagers in Inakadate. They had a creative inspiration—grow a huge image in the rice paddy behind town hall. Read more...

Sheron Long 1 Comment

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/France/Japan/The World's Art & Design

Sep

Creative Expression with People as Pixels

by Meredith Mullins on September 5, 2013

Marilyn Monroe portrait with people as pixels, showing an artist's creative expression (Image © Craig Alan)

Portraits of People . . . A Thousand Points of Life

Perceptions change as we look at the world from different perspectives. Such variations in viewpoints are what make life interesting.

What we see at a distance affects us one way. When we move in closer, we may experience something else. This evolution is the spice of creative expression.

What do you see in the image above at first glance? Read more...

Meredith Mullins Comments

The World's Art & Design

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