Monthly Archives: March 2013

Origami Flower

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Years ago, we had a visitor from Japan who gave us a kusudama flower she had been discreetly making during her stay here. It was simply beautiful. Over a period of several months, she had been quietly cutting, folding and assembling pieces of newspaper in her room whenever she had some spare time. That meant folding 60 petals, assembled into twelve flowers, to create a ball-like shape referred to as kusudama. She also added a touch of watercolour paint to the edges, using one of those cool Japanese water brushes. You can see a photo of the flower at the end of this post.

This project involves making just one component with 5 petals, as pictured above. However, if you’re feeling inspired…

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ArtsBeat: Punk And Patti

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Punk…because a new show will be opening this May at the MET called Punk: Chaos To Couture. From punk’s origins in New York and London, to its ongoing influence on high-end fashion, the show promises to take us on an interesting journey through these two worlds.

Patti…because “the patron saint of punk”, Patti Smith, came to town recently to promote her exhibition Camera Solo at the AGO.  The legendary musician, artist, and poet also gave a concert to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the death of her friend Robert Mapplethorpe. It was Continue reading

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Punk Rocks

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I couldn’t help myself.

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Scratch-Foam Printmaking

P1160272Scratch-foam boards are an amazing, safe way for younger children to experience printmaking. No special tools are required, and the results are soooo cool.

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Linocut Printmaking

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I’ve loved Marimekko fabrics since highschool, when I purchased a wonderful black and white striped fabric to make pillows for my room. Their bright, bold graphics were stunning, and unlike anything I had seen. So of course I was thrilled to see Marimekko, With Love, currently on at The Textile Museum Of Canada. Room after room of fabrics, products and images tell the story of the company’s history and its recent revival, teaming up with the likes of Crate and Barrel, Converse, and Finnair planes, where their iconic poppy can be seen flying through the sky. There’s a wonderful simplicity to their designs, which makes them ideal for exploring the linocut printmaking technique.

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