Digital Genetics

An awe inspiring collection of some of the most creative examples of paper art! what can you make with paper?

For the full post, visit: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/masters-of-paper-art-and-paper-sculptures/

Looking for something fun and inexpensive to do with the kids? salt dough is the answer. The dough itself is very easy to make – the hard part is deciding what to make with it.

With christmas fast approaching, and a tree sorely needing decorating, salt dough provided an fantastic opportunity to make some homemade decorations and presents.

The recipe is simple:

• 2 Cup Plain Flour
• 1 Cup Table Salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 120°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix table salt and flour together. Gradually add 1/2 cup of water and mix to desired consistency. Knead the dough on a flat surface, adding a few more drops of water as needed (but not making it too moist).  Bake decorations for 2 1/2 hours or until firm and dry. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips:

• You can store prepared salt dough in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a day or two before using.
• You can add color to the dough by mixing food coloring or paint into the water before adding it to the flour/salt mix. Alternatively, you can paint the finished baked dough with acrylic paint.
• Painted objects should be sealed on all sides with polyurethane spray or clear varnish to make them lasting gifts or keepsakes.
• After baking, smooth any rough edges with fine sandpaper. An emery board will also do the trick.
• When adding small molded pieces, always put a dab of water in the spot where the piece is going to be added. baking will “cement” the piece in place.

More Resources

To help you with your own salt dough creations, I found the following resources quite useful:

• How to make a salt-dough sunflower
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjU6PxSOD9k&nofeather=True
• The Little Experience: Salt Dough
  http://www.the-little-experience.com/web_site/pdfs/free_pages/salt_dough.pdf
  

My fruit bowl experiment prior to baking in the oven

Post-oven fruit bowl

“In 1987 Peter had the idea of growing a chair. In 1995 Peter and Becky became life partners. One year later Pooktre was born. Together they have mastered the art of Tree shaping. Pooktre has perfected a Gradual shaping method, which is the shaping of trees as they grow along predetermined designs. Designing and setting up the supporting framework are fundamental to the success of a tree. Some are intended for harvest to be high quality indoor furniture and others will remain living art.”

For more information about Pooktre and this wonderfully creative team, please visit their website: http://www.pooktre.com/

Pete in the living garden chair

What an inspirational and beautiful example of art. Not only will art like this drive further tourism dollars, but has the more important side effect of creating further awareness about our sensitive oceanic diversity and our need to protect it. Well done Jason!

“The first 200 sculptures are ready to be deployed in Cancun, Mexico in what will soon be the largest underwater museum in the world. The Museum of Underwater Art, created by internationally renowned sculpture and installation artist Jason deCaires Taylor, will feature more than 400 statues of real people when completed, forming a monumental artificial reef designed to promote marine life, increase bio-diversity and draw Cancun visitors gently away from existing reef habitats.” (GreenMuze 15 June, 2010. Retreived from http://www.greenmuze.com/nature/oceans/2742-cancun-underwater-sculpture-museum.html)