Paper Flower Magic
Paper Flower Magic
Techniques & Projects to Sculpt Your Own Garden of Realistic Blooms
Sofia Vusir Jansson
I was home taught as a child and one of the crafts my own mother passed onto me, was the art of making paper flowers. We had such fun, but it was always left at the childhood moment which has since been left at that. So when I received this book, I smiled and was so happy to think about returning to a skill I lost. Now as an adult, does it have the same appeal?
The authors take
Given the realistic nature of the beautiful flowers described in this method, you would think that Sofia was of the green fingered - according to her - not! I loved the Preface and how she believes in the beauty found within not the perfect. This is a woman who has so much more to give than the fibres she crafts, she is a photographer, well known for many roles in the arts, led design projects…. If you would like to find out more about her and her work, please visit her website: Here you go.
Her take is the real view, yet with the magic of the medium applied - this is not about a photograph look outcome, this is clever, endearing and is quite obviously studious work.
I loved her encouragement of personal expression - she keeps this an authentic part of herself via not trying to be something she is not, in the earlier parts of this book she lays her cards on the table, telling us what we will see, why and a little background.
The books format
This is what I would deem to be a complicated book made possible. This is no baby book on playing with tissue paper, this is about an art type that we can only practice and practice to get anything like her results. But looking at the outcomes, it is worth it.
The format is: The flower projects begin from page fifty, the earlier section is all about the techniques, she even covers tissue paper dying to get the exact colour and markings found on the flower petals and leaves. Then the flower templates are illustrated. So really, it is all there, all we need, we just have to follow the process.
What did I feel I came away remembering post-read?
Magic? Yes. This book would work in so many circles, I am imagining weddings, lifestyle stores, florists, high end shops…..garden events such as the big shows….it has so much potential outside of the usual craft/art category and should be housed in so many more places than the usual bookshops.
I will leave its covers remembering this craft as an art, not as a hobby, something you may try with children, this is adult and mature, for the discerning eye. It is timeless - these flowers will never die or age, lose their shape and value. We really can capture the beauty of the flowers we admire - all we need is the confidence to try.
Link to purchase
Here you go.
