Home Is Where the Art Is

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. What hand did you throw during this childhood game? Our favorite choice is the scissors—a quick victory over paper that fills any lucky winner with well-deserved glee. Simple contests like this remind us that fun can be found even when there’s seemingly so little of it around.

Creativity is ignited by necessity—with all of us cooped up inside looking for a little excitement, it’s never been more important to find imaginative ways to pass the time. With Mother’s Day around the corner, this is the perfect time to let the Center’s collection of cut paper works inspire you to get crafty. And remember, with scissors and paper at hand, there’s no need to look beyond your homes for future masterpieces well worth framing.

This paper cut collage was created around 1835. It is part of an album made up of twenty-three cut paper flower collages, all unsigned, save the first blank leaf. That sheet bears a hand-cut wreath encircling the name “Ellen W”—the same figure, last name left unstated, mentioned as the artist on its gilt-stamped cover. Though seemingly unique, it’s a piece clearly influenced by the intricate work of the artist Mary Delany (1700–1788). At the age of 72, Delany began to create botanically accurate “paper mosaicks” in hand-colored tissue paper. In her earlier works, minute petals of paper (sometimes more than 200) were stuck to a solid black background in order to build up the specimen from scratch. Smaller pieces were layered over larger ones to create shading and depth, and sometimes watercolors were used to spruce up the palette.

In lieu of a traditional bouquet of blooms on this Mother’s Day, why not take inspiration from these works and arrange your own paper bouquet for a special mother figure in your life? What materials in your home can you repurpose and upcycle? Junk drawer finds, old receipts, backyard bric-a-brac? Anything, and everything, will do. This is the perfect activity for adults and children alike! Home is—literally—where the “art” is.

Share your lovingly made creations with your mother first, then consider us, by tagging #YCBARareBooks or email ycba.info@yale.edu. We can’t wait to see and share what you make!

Written by Anissa Pellegrino, Assistant Shop Manager, Yale Center for British Art