Trees, a dog and a hunter. The hunter is about to shoot his prey and the dog is waiting ready to fetch it. But it is cut out of a single magnolia leaf. This makes it one of the most interesting pieces of art in our home museum.

A Hunting Scene, 2013, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Magnolia Leaf Cut Out

We have bought it during a trip to Venice in a shop that sells small art objects for tourists.  For those who are interested here is where you can find more and maybe buy one.

What makes art a creative process? Sometimes the subject matter, sometimes the technique. A lot of artists have tried and still trying to go beyond the traditional tools and techniques in search of originality. From that perspective, I have to say Miguel Angel’s art is quite interesting. It puzzled us and many of our visitors for a long time.

When we have bought this (and I have to say at a very affordable price) I spent a good deal of time trying to understand how had he been able to cut out such a delicate figure out of a dried magnolia leaf. The leaf should be very fragile and some areas like the dog’s tail are less than a millimeter thick. It looks impossible to cut out a figure like this using a knife without breaking the leaf.

Afterwards I have found about laser cut techniques and now I believe (but not sure) that he has used laser cut to cut out the image. But still, using a magnolia leaf as your canvas seems very original. I also think the leaf is processed to harden it and protect it from decay

Another nice effect is achieved by keeping the leaf a few millimeters away from the white background. The shadow of the leaf creates an immediate three-dimensional effect giving it depth and life.

This piece brings modern technology and a natural material together, giving a classical hunting scene a very modern look and feel.

Do you own other pieces from Miguel Angel Jiminez? You can join The Living Frames and share your experience …