My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.39 with 18 ratings (as of 5/25/2020)

These 25 projects show how ammonites, lichen rosettes, honeycomb, and other natural forms can help you apply the rules of mathematics to create complexly beautiful works. Clear, paper-art-focused explanations teach you the principles of mathematics we see in nature, including the Golden Angle and Golden Spiral, Fibonacci numbers, and symmetry. Learn about using flaps and piercings with various projects, including “A Murmuration of Starlings.” Benefit from lessons in the Japanese art of kirigami and geometric principles, with projects such as “Falling Water” and “Sunflower.” Tesselations and 2-D weaving, 3-D form assembly, woven 3-D forms, and stacked layers come into play for “Radiolarian” and “Sea Urchin.” The role that display plays in your work is covered too, including flexagons in the “Undersea Frieze,” black light in “UV Jellyfish,” and lightbox effects in “Diatoms.”Art really does mirror nature, as these fascinating cut-paper sculptures show. …Synopsis from Goodreads

200 Word Review

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

It has been years since I tried papercutting designs. Of course, back then, they were basic and straightforward designs that anyone could do. When I saw Papercutting Geometric Designs Inspired by Nature by Patricia Moffett, I figured this was my chance to really try it.

I was hoping for step-by-step, easy to follow directions for beginners. Instead, Moffett provided an in-depth look at amazing but intricate geometric designs. The book gave me the feeling I was reading someone’s term paper for an advanced class whose audience was other students with the same knowledge. The designs were too challenging for me to do.

This book would be perfect for someone who has already been papercutting. However, if you are a beginner, I would suggest you look for something else.

The rating given is three stars. On Goodreads, three means I “liked it.” I did like looking at the beautiful designs and, if I become proficient in papercutting, I will come back to Moffett’s book and try them again.

For now, Moffet has illustrated several interesting coloring/activity books that are more my speed. My favorite is The All-Round Activity Book: Get Creative with Activities, Games, and Illusions All Based on Dots.

This review was published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 5/25/20. When available, the review will be published on Scribd.com and, using Overdrive, will be rated in 9 libraries.

Genre: Art, Crafts & Hobbies
Print Length: 128 pages
ISBN: 9780764358081
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
Publication Date: September 28, 2019 

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