Balsa Wood Small Sculptures

Materials: Balsa Wood, Paper, Metal Straight Pins, Wood Glue, Masking Tape

Measurements:

     Wood: 11" x 11" x 11"

      Paper: 12" x 5" x 5"

For the balsa-focused sculpture, I focused on the element of symmetry to create a pyramid that would be relaxing to the viewer’s eye because of how symmetrical it was. In order to do this, I sanded down each angle of the pieces of wood in the woodshop to get a precise angle for each piece so that they would fit together like a glove. Once the main portion was assembled, I added the small circles of wood glue in each corner. These were made with the metal straight pins dried inside of them so that I could attach the pieces easily to the corners of the pyramid.

            For the paper sculpture, I wanted to challenge myself and only use one, uninterrupted piece of paper to show rhythm. To achieve this, I placed one large sheet in front of me and cut equal slits of the paper on either side, leaving about an inch in the center untouched. Once these slits were cut, I turned the paper sideways and rolled the slits in interchanging opposite directions to create the double looped shape. To keep the ends sturdy, I attached a small piece of balsa wood with trimmed straight pins which were reinforced by masking tape to ensure not to rip the paper.