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AQUiLA MAGAZINE
MANGA
Sakura so good !
Did you enjoy all the arty activities in this month ’ s Manga issue of AQUILA ? Did you enjoy learning all about the artist Hokusai and his wondrous woodblock prints ? Then this is the mission for you !
POLLY ’ S mISSION
Did you know that , in Japan , sakura ( or cherry blossom ) is kind of a big deal ? For a start , it ’ s the country ’ s national flower , an important symbol of hope , renewal and the fleeting beauty of life ( whoa , that got deep pre� y fast ! Ed ). There are even festivals dedicated to the special time of year when cherry blossoms fall from the trees . At this time , people like to gather under the trees to celebrate hanami , which literally means ‘ blossom watching ’. Doesn ’ t that sound like a lovely way to spend some time ? And once you ’ re done partying with the wonders of nature , why not using recycled packaging materials to create a gorgeous print ? Your mission is to make like Hokusai and create a block print inspired by charming cherry blossom !
GET STARTED
STEP 1 :
Study some pictures of cherry blossom and draw your flowers and petal shapes onto your foam with a pen . You ’ re going to need a few different shapes – a large flower shape , a smaller flower shape , a single petal and a bud shape .
STEP 2 :
Carefully , with adult help if needed , cut out your shapes with scissors . Take your time over this step and do watch your fingers !
STEP 3 :
Spread out your brown packing paper onto a protected work surface . Try
to find a long strip of brown paper if you want to create a Japanese scrolllike effect . If you don ’ t have brown paper , any other type will do . o o
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ACTIVITY SKILLS
DIFFICULTY
YOU WILL NEED
Helpful adult
Brown packing paper ( the type you find in a delivery box )
Pen Scissors
1 hour +
Thick foam packaging ( the type you get in the packaging for an electrical item )
Acrylic paint
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