New and unusual types of creativity are constantly appearing in the world. So, relatively recently they started talking about such a direction in art as leaf carving and it is associated with the name Lorenzo Duran.
Lorenzo Duran Manuel Silva was born in the town of Caceres, Spain, in 1969. After birth, he lived with his parents in Germany, when he was 8 years old, he moved to Madrid and lived there until he was 25, and in 2004 he returned to his homeland - Spain, only now to the city of Guadalajara.
Since childhood, the artist has been interested in different types arts such as sculpture, painting and others. He listened to his inner “I” in order to find what was closest to him - his life’s work, his favorite job. He had to deal with different professions. He also tried his hand at construction in order to have a means of living. But creativity did not leave him. Lorenzo began to take part in various competitions and there he managed to achieve certain results.
One day Durant noticed how a caterpillar was eating a leaf of a tree and it dawned on him interesting idea. This happened in 2006. He is, after all, a creative person, and where an ordinary citizen would not see anything surprising, special details were noticeable to Lorenzo, and an unusual idea was born in his creative head, which he implemented and now, finally, has found his place in art. The artist began working on carving tree leaves from 2008. His work appealed to the whole world. Now his “leaves” are very popular among collectors.
Lorenzo Duran believes that everything in the environment around us has its potential for creativity, everything can be considered a form of art: wood, mineral glass, etc. He says: “Always, as soon as I have an idea, I take a piece of paper. That's where it all starts."
Your own direction self made the artist calls naturayarte. He describes his work in such a way that it is directly related to ecology. Lorenzo admits that he loves nature and, using natural materials, thought that perhaps fate had given him a chance to express his respect for environment.
Lorenzo began to deeply study the Japanese techniques of paper carving (kirigami), the traditions of which are lost in the mists of time, and the tool used mainly was scissors. Switzerland and Germany also have ancient history paper cutting (scherenschnitte), where main feature are abbreviated symmetrical motifs. Such techniques were often used in the East, but very little was known about them in the West, so “... I thought about trying carving on a piece of wood,” says Durand. “I experiment a lot. And I concluded that some types of leaves are easier to cut, and some are difficult,” continues the artist. The thicker the sheet, the more pleasant it is to work with and the better the result in terms of artistic motif.
All work comes down to several stages: collecting leaves, washing them, drying, pressing and carving. The author uses a thin knife or scalpel as a tool for work. The work is very delicate and requires attention and caution: one twitch of the hand can destroy the fruits of many days’ work in a second. The author works on one work from 1 week to 3 months, on average.
Sources of photographs.
Artistic carving of leaves - this is exactly what the Chinese craftsmen of the Longal Craft Co., Ltd. company have been doing for several years. They perform unusual and unique works made on autumn fallen leaves, or rather they carve on dry leaves. The surface of the sheet is like a canvas for an artist, but before starting work it requires some processing. All leaves, which are mostly maple, according to the company's owners, are collected in environmentally friendly areas.
Leaves selected for further work are only symmetrical in shape, whole, without blemishes or damage, beautiful and bright, different colors and shades. Then they are processed by immersing them in boiling water to destroy all microbes and give the sheet elasticity and softness, then they are dried, removing excess moisture.
And this is where the most mysterious action begins - this is sheet carving, the subtleties of which are not disclosed by the company and are kept secret. Upon closer examination, it is clear that carving on the leaves is carried out only on the top layer of the leaf, leaving intact the frame itself, consisting of a “mesh” of leaf veins.
In this way, an extraordinary, weightless image is created, which seems to be supported by a thin and transparent mesh held by a fragile leaf stem. We must pay tribute to the patience and skill of the masters, because it is necessary not only to accurately convey all artistic value images, but also during work to maintain the integrity of the sheet frame itself. The work is actually very delicate and exquisite.
By the way, the company accepts orders from individuals and undertakes to produce any image of the customer, and then deliver the finished product intact and intact according to any requirement. specified address in the world. For the first time, a new direction in the art of leaf carving was demonstrated by Huang Tai Shang. This was in 1994, and at the same time he was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The work in this direction is very delicate, because the leaves are not cut through anywhere. When creating a picture, only part of the surface of the sheet is cut off. As a result, a very thin, almost invisible translucent layer remains.
The work of creating carved leaves takes place in several stages:
leaves without defects are selected only in autumn
the leaves are dried in the sun for ten months
then immerse them in boiling water for several hours to soften them and kill bacteria
when the final image is ready, the leaves are dried again
At first it may seem that the artists are using ordinary maple leaves. However, another tree is used - sycamore.
It is very difficult to cut a design on a thin piece of paper. What will save Chinese craftsmen here is the long tradition of paper cutting and the corresponding experience. But even extensive experience does not save those 60% of works that are torn during the production process
Lorenzo Duran's approach to this species creativity is considered original, since the author uses a thin knife or scalpel as a tool, instead of the usual scissors.
The author himself calls this direction of handcraft naturayarte. To practice this kind of art, you need to be extremely careful and attentive. One trembling of the hand is enough to destroy the painstaking fruits of activity in an instant. Such refined, filigree work can take on average from one week to three months. Imagine now what an “accidental mistake” could cost?
The idea of such carving itself is not new. Lorenzo says that he carefully studied kirigami (a Chinese paper-carving technique whose roots go back centuries) and scherenschnitte (a Swiss and German paper-cutting technique characterized by abbreviated symmetrical motifs).
According to Durand, paper carving has a more oriental character; in the Western world they practically did not know about it... Ultimately, the machinations led the artist to the idea - “Why not try carving on tree leaves?” I think we can safely say that the experiment was a great success and, even more than that, it led Lorenzo to a new line of work.
Since childhood, Lorenzo Duran has been interested in art. He was interested in sculpture and painting. He was not afraid to listen to his inner feelings, look for a muse, and experiment. He wanted art to enter his life both as a hobby and as a job at the same time. But life is such that it often has its own plans for how to dispose of human destiny. Lorenzo had to try his hand at various professions to earn a living. However, he did not effectively give up bearing cherished dream by taking part in thematic competitions.
On one of those wonderful sunny days, which do not pass without a trace, Lorenzo was surprised how an ordinary caterpillar, without denying itself anything, voraciously eats a leaf of a tree. It seemed like nothing special was happening, but the artist’s creative thinking and tendency to distinguish details prevailed over the ordinariness of the situation, opting for an interesting idea with future bizarre patterns on the foliage of trees.
Thus, the caterpillar became a kind of weather vane for the artist’s further realization in his new niche. Lorenzo first started working on leaf carvings in 2008. Today, his works have already found their audience; they are appreciated by both individuals and collectors different corners land.
Prices for Lorenzo Silva's creations vary depending on the complexity of the design and the type of sheet. The most expensive sheet sold by the master cost the buyer £2,400. Sales are carried out through a personal blog Spanish artist.
Lorenzo Duran Manuel Silva believes that nature is an inspirational source for creativity. According to the artist, almost any form of art can be created from wood, metal, mineral glass and the like. Nature lover Lorenzo Duran believes that fate has given him the opportunity to express his love for the environment through its fruits - natural materials.
Lorenzo reduced all the work to the following stages: Collecting leaves, Washing, Drying, Pressing, Carving leaves. In principle, the same as with Chinese masters and amateurs.
While the leaves are under the press (it is curious that the press is “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne, and this is not a coincidence, but Lorenzo’s favorite book), the artist, without wasting time, creates a sketch of the future pattern, and then applies the resulting drawing onto the sheet and proceeds to the final stage of cutting according to the stencil principle.
Cutting is done using a small knife. At the very end, the final touches are applied with the help of a magnifying glass, turning the sketch into a completely finished work. This is responsible and the hard part work because the material is very fragile. To ruin it is the same as wasting weeks of painstaking work.
January 13th, 2017
I told you once, and we sorted it out. And here is another area of their application.
Artistic carving of leaves - this is exactly what the Chinese craftsmen of the Longal Craft Co., Ltd. company have been doing for several years. They perform unusual and unique works made on autumn fallen leaves, or rather they carve on dry leaves.
The surface of the sheet is like a canvas for an artist, but before starting work it requires some processing. All leaves, which are mostly maple, according to the company's owners, are collected in ecologically clean areas.
Leaves selected for further work are only symmetrical in shape, whole, without flaws or damage, beautiful and bright, of different colors and shades.
Then they are processed by immersing them in boiling water to destroy all microbes and give the sheet elasticity and softness, then they are dried, removing excess moisture.
And this is where the most mysterious action begins - this is carving on a sheet, the subtleties of which are not disclosed by the company and are kept secret.
Upon closer examination, it is clear that carving on the leaves is carried out only on the top layer of the leaf, leaving intact the frame itself, consisting of a “mesh” of leaf veins.
In this way, an extraordinary, weightless image is created, which seems to be supported by a thin and transparent mesh held by a fragile leaf stem.
We must pay tribute to the patience and skill of the craftsmen, because it is necessary not only to accurately convey the entire artistic value of the image, but also to maintain the integrity of the sheet frame itself during work. The work is actually very delicate and exquisite.
By the way, the company accepts orders from individuals and undertakes to produce any image of the customer, and then deliver the finished product intact and safe to any specified address in the world.
For the first time, a new direction in the art of leaf carving was demonstrated by Huang Tai Shang. This was in 1994, and at the same time he was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The work in this direction is very delicate, because the leaves are not cut through anywhere. When creating a picture, only part of the surface of the sheet is cut off. As a result, a very thin, almost invisible translucent layer remains.
The work of creating carved leaves takes place in several stages:
leaves without defects are selected only in autumn
the leaves are dried in the sun for ten months
then immerse them in boiling water for several hours to soften them and kill bacteria
when the final image is ready, the leaves are dried again
At first it may seem that the artists are using ordinary maple leaves. However, another tree is used - sycamore.
It is very difficult to cut a design on a thin piece of paper. What will save Chinese craftsmen here is the long tradition of paper cutting and the corresponding experience. But even extensive experience does not save those 60% of works that are torn during the production process
Lorenzo Duran's approach to this type of creativity is considered original, since the author uses a thin knife or scalpel as a tool, instead of the usual scissors.
The author himself calls this direction of handcraft naturayarte. To practice this kind of art, you need to be extremely careful and attentive. One trembling of the hand is enough to destroy the painstaking fruits of activity in an instant. Such refined, filigree work can take on average from one week to three months. Imagine now what an “accidental mistake” could cost?
The idea of such carving itself is not new. Lorenzo says that he carefully studied kirigami (a Chinese paper-carving technique whose roots go back centuries) and scherenschnitte (a Swiss and German paper-cutting technique characterized by abbreviated symmetrical motifs).
According to Durand, paper carving has a more oriental character; in the Western world they practically did not know about it... Ultimately, the machinations led the artist to the idea - “Why not try carving on tree leaves?” I think we can safely say that the experiment was a great success and, even more than that, it led Lorenzo to a new type of activity.
Since childhood, Lorenzo Duran has been interested in art. He was interested in sculpture and painting. He was not afraid to listen to his inner feelings, look for a muse, and experiment. He wanted art to enter his life both as a hobby and as a job at the same time. But life is such that it often has its own plans for how to dispose of human destiny. Lorenzo had to try his hand at various professions to earn a living. However, he did not actively give up nurturing his cherished dream, taking part in thematic competitions.
On one of those beautiful sunny days that do not pass without a trace, Lorenzo was surprised how an ordinary caterpillar, without denying itself anything, voraciously eats a leaf of a tree. It seemed like nothing special was happening, but the artist’s creative thinking and tendency to distinguish details prevailed over the ordinariness of the situation, choosing in favor of an interesting idea with future bizarre patterns on the foliage of trees.
Thus, the caterpillar became a kind of weather vane for the artist’s further realization in his new niche. Lorenzo first started working on leaf carvings in 2008. Today, his works have already found their audience; they are appreciated by both individuals and collectors from different parts of the world.
Prices for Lorenzo Silva's creations vary depending on the complexity of the design and the type of sheet. The most expensive sheet sold by the master cost the buyer £2,400. Sales are carried out through the personal blog of the Spanish artist.
Lorenzo Duran Manuel Silva believes that nature is an inspirational source for creativity. According to the artist, almost any form of art can be created from wood, metal, mineral glass and the like. Nature lover Lorenzo Duran believes that fate has given him the opportunity to express his love for the environment through its fruits - natural materials.
Lorenzo reduced all the work to the following stages:
- Collecting leaves
- Washing
- Drying
- Press
- Leaf carving
While the leaves are under the press (it is curious that the press is “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne, and this is not a coincidence, but Lorenzo’s favorite book), the artist, without wasting time, creates a sketch of the future pattern, and then applies the resulting drawing onto the sheet and proceeds to the final stage of cutting according to the stencil principle.
Cutting is done using a small knife. At the very end, the final touches are applied with the help of a magnifying glass, turning the sketch into a completely finished work. This is the most important and difficult part of the work, since the material is very fragile. To spoil it is the same as wasting a week of painstaking work.
Relatively recently a new leaf carving technique, at the origins of which lies the Spanish artist Lorenzo Duran. The founder of leaf carving is considered to be the Chinese artist Huang Tai Shan, who in 1994, thanks to the innovative decorative arts, got into the Guinness Book of Records. However, Lorenzo Duran's approach to this type of creativity is considered original, since the author uses a thin knife or scalpel as a tool, instead of the usual scissors.
The author himself calls this naturayarte. To practice this kind of art, you need to be extremely careful and attentive. One trembling of the hand is enough to destroy the painstaking fruits of activity in an instant. Such refined, filigree work can take on average from one week to three months. Imagine now what an “accidental mistake” could cost?
The idea of such carving itself is not new. Lorenzo says that he carefully studied kirigami (a Chinese paper-carving technique whose roots go back centuries) and scherenschnitte (a Swiss and German paper-cutting technique characterized by abbreviated symmetrical motifs). According to Durand, paper carving has a more oriental character; in the Western world they practically did not know about it... Ultimately, the machinations led the artist to the idea - “Why not try carvings on tree leaves? I think we can safely say that the experiment was a great success and, even more than that, it led Lorenzo to a new line of work.
Since childhood, Lorenzo Duran has been interested in art. He was also interested in painting. He was not afraid to listen to his inner feelings, look for a muse, and experiment. He wanted art to enter his life both as a hobby and as a job at the same time. But life is such that it often has its own plans for how to dispose of human destiny. Lorenzo had to try his hand at various professions to earn a living. However, he did not actively give up nurturing his cherished dream, taking part in thematic competitions.
On one of those beautiful sunny days that do not pass without a trace, Lorenzo was surprised how an ordinary caterpillar, without denying itself anything, voraciously eats a leaf of a tree. It seemed like nothing special was happening, but the artist’s creative thinking and tendency to distinguish details prevailed over the ordinariness of the situation, choosing in favor of an interesting idea with future bizarre patterns on the foliage of trees. Thus, the caterpillar became a kind of weather vane for the artist’s further realization in his new niche. For the first time Lorenzo began work on leaf carving in 2008. Today, his works have already found their audience; they are appreciated by both individuals and collectors from different parts of the world. Prices for Lorenzo Silva's creations vary depending on the complexity of the design and the type of sheet. The most expensive sheet sold by the master cost the buyer £2,400. Sales are carried out through the personal blog of the Spanish artist.
Lorenzo Duran Manuel Silva believes that nature is an inspirational source for creativity. According to the artist, almost any form of art can be created from wood, metal, mineral glass and the like. Nature lover Lorenzo Duran believes that fate has given him the opportunity to express his love for the environment through its fruits - natural materials.
The main thing about the process of carving leaves
All work can be reduced to the following steps:Collecting leaves
Washing
Drying
Press
While the leaves are under the press (it is curious that the press is “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne, and this is not a coincidence, but Lorenzo’s favorite book), the artist, without wasting time, creates a sketch of the future pattern, and then applies the resulting drawing onto the sheet and proceeds to the final stage of cutting according to the stencil principle. Cutting is done using a small knife. At the very end, the final touches are applied with the help of a magnifying glass, turning the sketch into a completely finished work. This is the most important and difficult part of the work, since the material is very fragile. To ruin it is the same as wasting weeks of painstaking work.
Artistic carving of leaves - this is exactly what the Chinese craftsmen of the Longal Craft Co., Ltd. company have been doing for several years. They perform unusual and unique works made on autumn fallen leaves, or rather they carve on dry leaves.
The surface of the sheet is like a canvas for an artist, but before starting work it requires some processing. All leaves, which are mostly maple, according to the company's owners, are collected in ecologically clean areas.
Leaves selected for further work are only symmetrical in shape, whole, without flaws or damage, beautiful and bright, of different colors and shades.
Then they are processed by immersing them in boiling water to destroy all microbes and give the sheet elasticity and softness, then they are dried, removing excess moisture.
And this is where the most mysterious action begins - this is carving on a sheet, the subtleties of which are not disclosed by the company and are kept secret.
Upon closer examination, it is clear that carving on the leaves is carried out only on the top layer of the leaf, leaving intact the frame itself, consisting of a “mesh” of leaf veins.
In this way, an extraordinary, weightless image is created, which seems to be supported by a thin and transparent mesh held by a fragile leaf stem.
We must pay tribute to the patience and skill of the craftsmen, because it is necessary not only to accurately convey the entire artistic value of the image, but also to maintain the integrity of the sheet frame itself during work. The work is actually very delicate and exquisite.
By the way, the company accepts orders from individuals and undertakes to produce any image of the customer, and then deliver the finished product intact and safe to any specified address in the world.
For the first time, a new direction in the art of leaf carving was demonstrated by Huang Tai Shang. This was in 1994, and at the same time he was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The work in this direction is very delicate, because the leaves are not cut through anywhere. When creating a picture, only part of the surface of the sheet is cut off. As a result, a very thin, almost invisible translucent layer remains.
The work of creating carved leaves takes place in several stages:
- leaves without defects are selected only in autumn;
- the leaves are dried in the sun for ten months;
- then they are immersed in boiling water for several hours in order to make them softer and kill bacteria;
- then the leaves are cleaned again and carving begins;
- When the final image is ready, the leaves are dried again.
At first it may seem that the artists are using ordinary maple leaves. However, another tree is used - sycamore.
It is very difficult to cut a design on a thin piece of paper. What will save Chinese craftsmen here is the long tradition of paper cutting and the corresponding experience. But even extensive experience does not save those 60% of works that are torn during the production process
Lorenzo Duran's approach to this type of creativity is considered original, since the author uses a thin knife or scalpel as a tool, instead of the usual scissors.
The author himself calls this direction of handcraft naturayarte. To practice this kind of art, you need to be extremely careful and attentive. One trembling of the hand is enough to destroy the painstaking fruits of activity in an instant. Such refined, filigree work can take on average from one week to three months. Imagine now what an “accidental mistake” could cost?
The idea of such carving itself is not new. Lorenzo says that he carefully studied kirigami (a Chinese paper-carving technique whose roots go back centuries) and scherenschnitte (a Swiss and German paper-cutting technique characterized by abbreviated symmetrical motifs).
According to Durand, paper carving has a more oriental character; in the Western world they practically did not know about it... Ultimately, the machinations led the artist to the idea - “Why not try carving on tree leaves?” I think we can safely say that the experiment was a great success and, even more than that, it led Lorenzo to a new type of activity.
Since childhood, Lorenzo Duran has been interested in art. He was interested in sculpture and painting. He was not afraid to listen to his inner feelings, look for a muse, and experiment. He wanted art to enter his life both as a hobby and as a job at the same time. But life is such that it often has its own plans for how to dispose of human destiny. Lorenzo had to try his hand at various professions to earn a living. However, he did not actively give up nurturing his cherished dream, taking part in thematic competitions.
On one of those beautiful sunny days that do not pass without a trace, Lorenzo was surprised how an ordinary caterpillar, without denying itself anything, voraciously eats a leaf of a tree. It seemed like nothing special was happening, but the artist’s creative thinking and tendency to distinguish details prevailed over the ordinariness of the situation, choosing in favor of an interesting idea with future bizarre patterns on the foliage of trees.
Thus, the caterpillar became a kind of weather vane for the artist’s further realization in his new niche. Lorenzo first started working on leaf carvings in 2008. Today, his works have already found their audience; they are appreciated by both individuals and collectors from different parts of the world.
Prices for Lorenzo Silva's creations vary depending on the complexity of the design and the type of sheet. The most expensive sheet sold by the master cost the buyer £2,400. Sales are carried out through the personal blog of the Spanish artist.
Lorenzo Duran Manuel Silva believes that nature is an inspirational source for creativity. According to the artist, almost any form of art can be created from wood, metal, mineral glass and the like. Nature lover Lorenzo Duran believes that fate has given him the opportunity to express his love for the environment through its fruits - natural materials.
Lorenzo reduced all the work to the following stages:
- Collecting leaves
- Washing
- Drying
- Press
- Leaf carving
In principle, the same as with Chinese masters and amateurs.
While the leaves are under the press (it is curious that the press is “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne, and this is not a coincidence, but Lorenzo’s favorite book), the artist, without wasting time, creates a sketch of the future pattern, and then applies the resulting drawing onto the sheet and proceeds to the final stage of cutting according to the stencil principle.
Cutting is done using a small knife. At the very end, the final touches are applied with the help of a magnifying glass, turning the sketch into a completely finished work. This is the most important and difficult part of the work, since the material is very fragile. To ruin it is the same as wasting a week of painstaking work.
