Other times, I come across things that cause me to stop thinking altogether -- because it would take too much processing power to do so without my head exploding -- and simply content myself with basking in the amazement and pure awe of whatever it is that's making me speechless.
This is one of those other times.
Natural leaf cutting is the delicate art of creating an image on a leaf by gently slicing off pieces of its surface while leaving the veins and thin fibers intact. Although it looks like a maple leaf, the leaves are harvested from the Chinar tree, native to Pakistan, India, and China. The art itself originated in Hong Kong.
We learned in class that nature isn't design. Design has a human aspect that maintains some level of artificiality.. but why can't we have the best of both worlds? The delicate balance between natural and man-made is well-kept in these equally delicate leaves. The artwork itself is a beautiful example of precision and skill; one slip of the knife, and the entire leaf is transformed from a masterpiece into a broken piece of rubbish.
The time and effort that goes into learning this art to the point of professionalism are definitely qualities to respect. Although the price for such a treasure ranges from about $5 to $50, an artist with such abilities is comparable to those that make millions for each abstract painting displayed in the Museum of Modern Art. Their canvases may be smaller, but the margin of error is restricted to mere fractions of a percent. And if that isn't skill.. what is?
Check out some other amazing illustrations at their website:
http://www.longal-craft.com/leaf-carving-art.html
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