A tree is a perennial woody plant...

.. BUT today it is a perennial PAPER plant!

The first thing I tried is just a simple 'cartoon' style tree, which is a very straight forward way.. I believe this is how I used to draw trees when I was younger!

This, of course, is a tree with leaves! However, I think there is something wonderful about branches of a tree. I find it fascinating how they grow out of the trunk of the tree, and wonder what it is that makes them take the form that they do...

So I tried cutting out a tree with branches, that wasn't too complicated! I actually quite like this one, although I think I would cut it so that the trunk was straight, so it would slot into my globe better.

 I took a photo of the paper I had cut the tree out of as well as I thought it looked really good as a negative too! Of course, not really helpful or relevant for my project.. But still good.

Bit of Peter Callesen stylieeee! Seeing them next to each other on the cutting mat, I just wanted to move them like this, very much like Callesens work indeed! I like!

Now back to the work in hand...

I found this in google images, after typing in 'paper trees'. This is one of the ways I am considering doing my trees.. making them more three dimensional. This is done by having two identical, or un-identical as a matter of fact, cut outs which have slits in the trunk so that they slot together..

Like this! One slit has to come from the top, and the other at the bottom, so they can slot together nicely...

... Like so.

I did not make little bits coming out at the bottom so it would stand, so I just propped it up with pens on my desk to take this photo, as it would be slotted into my globe so it wouldn't need to stand up by itself.
I'm not sure if I like this or not, I think I like the idea but because this was just a little test and I didn't take time and care with it and it's slightly messy really.

Trees are an important component of the natural landscape...

'... because of their prevention of erosion and the provision of a weather-sheltered ecosystem in and under their foliage. They also play an important role in producing oxygen and reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as well as moderating ground temperatures. ' Wikipedia. 


To start off my research for making the trees, I took some photos of trees. 

This one is right outside my house and is rather large!

These trees have A LOT of branches, that overlap and tangle and create a massive sort of bush of branches... So many branches would be hard to cut out on a small scale and repeated lots of times!

After looking at these trees, I decided I need to look at some smaller, simpler trees that would be less  complicated to produce repeatedly out of paper on a small scale... Like this: 

Although this photo isn't very good, as it was taken on my phone, you can see that these trees have a lot less branches and much smaller... this kind of tree would be better for my project. I think I need to look at some more like this to refer to. 

With all this thinking about trees.. I remembered ANOTHER Peter Callesen piece! 

.. And while looking for that image, I also found this one! The image below is AMAZING there is so much tiny detail in the tree and the branches! I feel like it would be impossible for me to do something as intricate as that for mine..

I find Peter Callesen's work so inspiring! ALL OF IT!