Papercutting : Geometric Designs Inspired by Nature

25 projects help paper artists create amazing effects by using natural forms and the rules of mathematics.

These 25 projects show how ammonites, lichen rosettes, honeycomb, and other natural forms can help you apply the rules of mathematics to create complexly beautiful works. Clear, paper-art-focused explanations teach you the principles of mathematics we see in nature, including the Golden Angle and Golden Spiral, Fibonacci numbers, and symmetry. Learn about using flaps and piercings with various projects, including “A Murmuration of Starlings.” Benefit from lessons in the Japanese art of kirigami and geometric principles, with projects such as “Falling Water” and “Sunflower.” Tesselations and 2-D weaving, 3-D form assembly, woven 3-D forms, and stacked layers come into play for “Radiolarian” and “Sea Urchin.” The role that display plays in your work is covered too, including flexagons in the “Undersea Frieze,” black light in “UV Jellyfish,” and lightbox effects in “Diatoms.”Art really does mirror nature, as these fascinating cut-paper sculptures show.