Art – Page 41 – Ellis Hollow

Holiday decorations: Origami flower bulbs

You meant to start forcing some bulbs so that they’d be in flower for the holidays, but never got around to it. You could still visit the florist and buy a pot of bulbs in bud. But if you are the do-it-yourself type, you still have another option: Flower bulb origami.

And there’s only one place to go for that: Joost Langeveld’s Origami Page.

As you may have guessed by the name, Joost is from the Netherlands, and most of his origami subjects are flower bulb flowers. Browse his gallery. It’s amazing, but also somewhat intimidating. (Here’s a video introduction to his work.)

Fortunately, Joost has a page to help beginners get started, and the first subject is tulip flowers (see video below).

You’ll also find step-by-step instructions for many flowers and other subjects, including leaves, steps, vases and boxes, and even tips for making origami floral arrangements.

See also Joost’s collection of how-to videos on YouTube.

Brothers in craft

I’m a sucker for old images. One of my favorite blogs for getting my old-image fix is BibliOdyssey, which is like a browse through the stacks at a rare book library. The image at right comes from a post Brothers in Craft, from 15th or 16th century Germany.

Paul, BibliOdyssey’s curator, tells the story behind the nearly 30 pictures of elder craftsman he reproduces in that post. They are from the Twelve Brothers House Foundation in Nuremberg, where a “dozen elderly and unwell (but capable) citizens were (I assume) given a place to live in exchange for their performing work duties.”

The house served as a model for the commencement of similar charity foundations in other German cities.

… The practice [began] in the 15th century of having sketches made of each of the brothers engaged in their chosen employment together with detailed notes about the tools and practices relating to their work. The manuscripts were updated until (I think) the beginning of the 19th century, although portraits of craftsmen engaged in their work were only produced in the 15th and 16th centuries.

I sure wouldn’t mind being that gardener, weaving wattle fences and breaking up clods in my gray years.

More recent eye candy from other sites:

Stocking stuffers: Floral-themed picture frames

one of jessica's handpainted tables Last year about this time, I was at a loss for some simple, reasonably priced, mailable gifts. Then magically, I got a catalog via email from Jessica, the daughter of an old friend.

Jessica makes funky hand-painted picture frames, mirrors, cocktail trays and children’s furniture (seashore-themed tabletop, right). Many of the items have floral themes. Others are equally charming.

She came through in a pinch for me last year, painting right up until the last minute. (Thanks Jessica!) Check out Jessica’s catalog and see if there aren’t a couple items that will fill those hard-to-fill spots still open on your holiday gift list.

Art of Horticulture projects — Fall 2008

It’s always my favorite workday of the year, when I get to spend the afternoon shooting the final projects in my friend Marcia Eames-Sheavly’s Art of Horticulture class.