The January challenge “Oro parece plata no es” at Up & Scrap, is one of the most interesting challenges that I’ve seen and I didn’t want to miss it. We were asked to make a trompe l’oeil with scrapbook material. In other words, to create an optical illusion or a way of fooling the spectator.
Here’s my project and part of the conversation that I had with my 8-year old daughter while we were watching pictures of it on the computer:
Me: No.
Iris: Is it a layout?
Me: No.
Iris: Is it patchwork?
Me: No, how do you know that word?
Iris: The blanket that grandma Gitta has on her couch is patchwork… she told me.
Iris It’s pretty! Can I have it for my room? Is it a drawing?
Me: Not exactly. Check it out, it’s on the wall behind you.
Iris turns around and quietly observes it while I explain that it´s a mandala, a spiritual and ritual representation of the macrocosmos and the microcosmos, used in budism and hinduism.
Iris: Aaagh, that’s scary! There are four clowns with open mouths. I can also see four green moustaches…
Me: You might see the four turquoise moustaches in the center of the mandala, but can you find the other four? Can you also see the 16 skulls and 16 bats?
I had no idea how to write this post, so I decided to include my daughter’s reactions and questions…
I used more than 300 die cut pieces, stickers and enamel dots to create this 40cm x 40cm mandala, including Halloween-themed or “masculine”shapes. The die cuts loose their individual shape and become part of a whole in which everyone sees what she or he wants to see… a true trompe l’oeil.
Thank you for this fun challenge, Up & Scrap. Catch you soon!
This post is also available in: Español
