For my upcycling project I decided to go with a mosaic aesthetic and replicate ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ , a Japanese inspired woodblock print. I chose this aesthetic because I think it would fit well with the materials I will be using which are paper, cardboard, glue, and acrylic paint. I like how the mosaic aesthetic can be formed into more than just lines and the use of rigid edges from the smaller pieces provide character to the art.
The project will start from the woodblock print and I will scale it to the proper size of my carboard canvas. From here I will sketch the print onto the cardboard in order to give me an outline for the rolled paper pieces I will later glue into place on the canvas. The outline won’t be as detailed as the original print to allow for the rigid shapes of the paper beads to fit together. I want it to come together organically to show it’s fluidity and life from the recycled material.
The paper pieces will be recycled from computer paper I’ve used in the past and be cut into certain lengths so I can achieve the width of the paper bead. These beads will be painted, respectively to the pastel colors inspired by the woodblock print The aesthetic I’m trying to achieve are the subtle curves of the waves and the presence it has over the boat in the picture. I want it to tell a story but I’m not entirely sure what the storyline will be yet.
Here is the original art piece bellow which will be transformed into a mosaic of little paper beads:
Cited work:
The inspiration for this piece really came from the 1st post about research into an aesthetic with the combination of materials I had readily available at my apartment and from researched ideas about how to upcycle paper. In my memory bank from back in grade school, the bead then reminded me of the mosaic creation of a flower using construction paper. The story of the aesthetic still has room for growth and is what I would like for this project to be inspired by, growth.
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=171dd60bbbb03aa4&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1023US1023&q=mosaic&udm=2&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWpA-dk4wpBWOGsoR7DG5zJBsxayPSIAqObp_AgjkUGqel8VwMQFMOBYskRuItxBMvLE3_-YiswxklttH5l-WxN6QlfOUwaM4lB1_FbGv7EbTp2jzM2jDwgWm7G095LQvzTAXBAxSYvjoU4bMyetOsOhBry1HOnWn_5jxxzAm6jZ1b_oHSPrp2MjDhQwi76avlfEGgk2g&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwzZ2Xz5yLAxUSmokEHfyANFoQtKgLegQIExAB&cshid=1738211707370358&biw=956&bih=475&dpr=2.68
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa
4 Comments. Leave new
This is such a creative approach to mosaics!I have never come across something like this before..Love how you’re blending upcycling with such an iconic artwork,excited to see how it turns out!
I appreciate the comment and admiration of the mosaic approach! I can’t wait to show you all the final piece!
I really like the concept of this project! This seems like an easy way to recycle paper that never crossed my mind when planning for my upcycle project. One aspect of mosaics that I really like about them is the mix of textures and depth that a tradition tile and mortar can provide. Have you thought about stacking the layers of paper to give the canvas that varied texture and depth? I really like your project and hope it turns out just as you envision.
I haven’t thought about stacking layers of paper to give it more texture but I will definitely consider! Thank you!