This Delicate Artwork Is Made Using Nothing But Fallen Leaves

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Sometimes, you take things for granted. You don’t mean to, but it happens. And sometimes, it takes someone with a unique perspective on things to make you see the beauty you might have been missing.

One such artist is Omid Asadi. One day, he realized that fallen autumn leaves were truly beautiful and fascinating, but it seemed that no one else had noticed this, and continued walking right over them.

So he decided to make people notice these fragile pieces of nature.

Turning natural objects into art helps us see them in a new way. Instead of just seeing them as leaves, we can appreciate their colors, shapes, and textures when their context is changed.

While some artists use leaves and flowers to build incredible scenes, Omid uses his leaves the way anotherartist might use a canvas.

And instead of building up an image, he actually creates by carving away. Using an X-Acto knife and a delicate touch, he creates cut-out artwork right out of the leaf. And it’s amazing!

Take a look at some of the leaves he’s embellished below, and you might start seeing leaves a little differently!

[H/T: BoredPanda]

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Using a sharp blade and steady hands, Omid creates images using the leaves, as well as the negative space he creates. He also uses cut-out pieces as part of the finished image, like these tiny birds.

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Sometimes he cuts completely through the leaves, but other times, like with this one, he leaves the network of veins intact for a lacy look.

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And sometimes he cuts large portions off to create a more dramatic effect.

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He really started exploring leaf carving again after seeing an art exhibit that featured cut paper pieces. He remembered how much he’d loved carving those tiny images as a kid, and knew he needed to start up again.

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Omid has been creating art on leaves and flower petals since he was a child in Iran. He says he used to use a needle to carve tiny pictures into them, but as he grew older, he fell out of the habit and nearly forgot about it.

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It wasn’t until he was an adult and had moved to England, where he lives now, that inspiration struck and he picked up the practice again.

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He says he was inspired by the lovely autumn leaves in his hometown of Manchester, and by his wife, who is also an artist and who encouraged his creativity.

After collecting, drying, and pressing the leaves, he begins carving. A single leaf can take up to two months to complete.

As you can imagine, it’s precise, delicate, and labor-intensive work. One slip-up, and the leaf would have to be scrapped.

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But with all the practice he’s had, Omid has managed to create dozens of these carved leaves, and has gained attention for them from all over the world.

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He can create images of just about anything, from plants and animals to abstract, conceptual pieces.

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And he’s always experimenting with the balance of positive and negative space and how the leaf can be reimagined and reinterpreted.

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And he’s covered classic works of art…

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…as well as figures from popular culture.

You can see more of Omid’s work on his Facebook and ArtWeb site, and if you know someone who likes truly unexpected art, be sure to SHARE his work with them!

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