Sunday, February 13, 2011

Paper Filigree

Rolling paper and folding paper have always been nervous habits of mine. Whenever I would go to church or a concert I'd always end up mutilating my program by the time the show was over. 
I never really got into origami, probably because I'm not great at following directions, but now, I've found a new direction to take my nervous habits. The practice of rolling strips of paper, shaping them, and gluing them together is know as Quilling, or paper filigree, and it sure is beautiful. Here are some pieces by Iron Maiden on Deviant Art. I can't wait to try this out!






Quilling can also be taken in a more functional direction as seen in these chairs by Fernando & Humberto Campana
As with most art, quilling began with nuns and monks as a way to decorate books and religious artifacts. The art form originated in France and Italy during the Renaissance. In the 18th century, upper class "ladies of leisure" practiced the art as it was deemed a pastime not too taxing for women. If you're as interested in this as I am, here is a site with all the basic shapes of quilling so you can get started!

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