Leaf Rubbings
“Broken Leaf” shows the complicated, delicate designs of different leaves. Nancy Azara created this work of art by printing the raised parts of leaves, like the veins and the edges. All of her art, including many big, carved sculptures, is made from different parts of trees. Trees inspire Azara because they remind her of people. Trees grow, change and transform throughout their lives, just like us.
What do you notice about the leaves in this work of art? Take a look outside. How are the leaves on the ground different from the leaves that are still in the trees? How do leaves change over time?
In this activity, you will make leaf rubbings using crayons. Think about how you can arrange the leaves and use color in your work of art to tell a story about nature. Do leaves remind you of something? It could be a season, a memory or even a scene from a TV show. How can you re-create that memory?
For this activity you will need:
- Crayons
- Paper
- Interesting leaves from outside
To make your leaf rubbings:
- Search for leaves with interesting shapes.
- Lay the leaves down with their bumpy side facing up. Cover the leaves with your paper.
- Choose a crayon. Peel the paper off of the crayon a bit so that it doesn’t get in the way. Turn the crayon on its side and color over the leaves. What appears on the paper?
- Rearrange your leaves so that you can make another rubbing. Try using different colors and layering your rubbings. What happens when you overlap different colors or parts of the leaf design?
- Bonus: Once you have created your leaf rubbings, you can add more color by filling in details.