When Dry Leaves Become Artwork Masterpieces
Susanna Bauer is a German-born artist currently working in Cornwall, England. She loves to choose random natural materials such as leaves, wood or stone pieces to create works of art. Susan confides that she hopes people can rediscover the connection between humans and Mother Nature through her works.
Susanna expressed her interest in crocheting and knitting from an early age. She has a great interest in handmade art forms that require exceptional skills. "Those who don't love nature are not true artists," Susan added: "Mother Nature has given me an endless source of inspiration, helping me to improve myself even more."
Susanna came up with an idea to combine crocheting with materials like dry leaves, twigs and even rocks. Susanna knows that crocheting is a traditional craft, however, through each of her works, she always seeks to turn this conventional technique into a "sculptural" method.
Crocheting becomes a means for Susanna to express ideas and feelings. Thereby, it bridges the gap between craft and fine art.
Her works are created from skillfully crocheted leaves and cotton yarn, each of which is always balanced by both soft and rigid factors.
To Susanna, each leaf is not simply a "leaf", instead, it is a precious treasure. She spends hours “communicating” with her dry leaves, feeling every vein of them, and even listening to them. Then, Susanna carefully uses a crochet hook to create each simple but equally delicate pattern.
In addition to stitching dry leaves together to create 2D works, Susan also skillfully combined the fragile things with cotton fibers, tree branches, etc. to bring them into the 3D world.
Susanna frankly admitted that these dried leaves have not been given special treatment, and there have been concerns whether these works can be preserved for a longer period. She also commented on her pages that Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London also preserves some plant samples that have existed for over 200 years, thanks to standard drying techniques, which she and many botanists worldwide have applied.
Susanna also said that these dried leaves have been washed and dried out completely, before being put into production, and that they were all done using standard conservation drying techniques.
Leaves decompose due to exposure to weather, insects, microorganisms and the UV, so all of her works are placed behind glass or preserved acrylic to remove more than 99 % UV rays, though it is inevitable that the leaf color will be slightly changed.
Belows are some of her artworks.
Susanna expressed her interest in crocheting and knitting from an early age. She has a great interest in handmade art forms that require exceptional skills. "Those who don't love nature are not true artists," Susan added: "Mother Nature has given me an endless source of inspiration, helping me to improve myself even more."
Susanna came up with an idea to combine crocheting with materials like dry leaves, twigs and even rocks. Susanna knows that crocheting is a traditional craft, however, through each of her works, she always seeks to turn this conventional technique into a "sculptural" method.
Crocheting becomes a means for Susanna to express ideas and feelings. Thereby, it bridges the gap between craft and fine art.
Her works are created from skillfully crocheted leaves and cotton yarn, each of which is always balanced by both soft and rigid factors.
To Susanna, each leaf is not simply a "leaf", instead, it is a precious treasure. She spends hours “communicating” with her dry leaves, feeling every vein of them, and even listening to them. Then, Susanna carefully uses a crochet hook to create each simple but equally delicate pattern.
In addition to stitching dry leaves together to create 2D works, Susan also skillfully combined the fragile things with cotton fibers, tree branches, etc. to bring them into the 3D world.
Susanna frankly admitted that these dried leaves have not been given special treatment, and there have been concerns whether these works can be preserved for a longer period. She also commented on her pages that Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London also preserves some plant samples that have existed for over 200 years, thanks to standard drying techniques, which she and many botanists worldwide have applied.
Susanna also said that these dried leaves have been washed and dried out completely, before being put into production, and that they were all done using standard conservation drying techniques.
Leaves decompose due to exposure to weather, insects, microorganisms and the UV, so all of her works are placed behind glass or preserved acrylic to remove more than 99 % UV rays, though it is inevitable that the leaf color will be slightly changed.
Belows are some of her artworks.
For What Binds Us
Source: Instagram
Path II
Source: Instagram
Highs and Lows
Source: Instagram
Keep V
Source: Instagram
Breathing
Source: Instagram
Everything That Surrounds Us
Source: Instagram
Navigation
Source: Instagram
Thrive
Source: Instagram
9 Circles
Source: Instagram
Stream
Source: Instagram
Breathing
Source: Instagram
Found
Source: Instagram
Cube Tree No.7
Source: Instagram
Drawn Together
Source: Instagram
Path V
Source: Instagram
Halves ll
Source: Instagram
Common Ground
Source: Instagram
Repose
Source: Instagram
Trans-Plant No.19
Source: Instagram
One
Source: Instagram
Together
Source: Instagram
Web V
Source: Instagram
Internal Workings
Source: Instagram
Contained
Source: Instagram
Collection
Source: Instagram
Suspended
Source: Instagram
Resurgence l
Source: Instagram
Reverence
Source: Instagram
Patchwork
Source: Instagram
Aligning
Source: Instagram
Share this article
Advertisement