“This spiral lies at that very point where inanimate matter is transformed into life.”
“I am convinced that the act of creation took place in form of a spiral. Our whole life proceeds in spirals.”
“The Spiral Is The Symbol Of Life And Death” - Friedensreich Hundertwasser
We’ve been spotting spirals all week, and maybe you, like me, have been mesmerised by how magical they are. This weekend, let’s make some magic and create our own spirals.
Creating spirals using mixed media
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, The Big Way, Belvedere Museum, 1955, Belvedere Museum Vienna
The easiest way to start is to create spiral doodles. Get a small piece of paper and a pen, and fill the page with small two-dimensional spirals.
Like to think big? Then get out a paint brush and paint large spirals - a rather zen exercise in itself.
If you prefer to work with paper, why not create your own spiral collage? Take Matisse’s snail as your inspiration, and see what kind of colour spirals you can create.
Want to co-create with kids? Why not hypnotise them (and yourself) by creating colourful paper twirls to suspend from the ceiling. Get some poster board, or other solid paper, and draw a spiral on it. Decorate it with crazy colours, cut it out, make a small hole on top so you can suspend it from the ceiling. This blog has some beautiful instructions and inspiring photos to do just that.
Creating spirals with your camera
Get some tin foil and carefully pin prick a spiral pattern in it so the light can come through in a spiral shape. Experiment which scale, size and distance from your lens works best.
Work in the dark (your bathroom if you can’t wait until nightfall) and create your own spiral light paintings, setting your shutter speed to bulb and drawing spirals using a small torchlight.
Creating your own land art
And, seeing that it’s Spring, why not combine your weekend walk with some land art and create spirals on the beach, or in the woods, using found objects like shells, acorns, small twigs, etc.
Have lots of fun and do share your creative spirals using the hashtag #kramerseye on Twitter or Instagram.