A pair of Nelson residents took the whole concept of recycling their newspaper to a highly creative level.
Back in February, the Nelson Star challenged readers to turn their old papers into art. We received many entries for the contest at nelsonstar.com and earlier this month readers voted to determine the winners in two categories: adult and child.
Kasai Natsumi received the most votes for her creation of an origami swan. The intricate piece required the local to cut and fold small pieces of the newspaper, then weave them into her masterful creation.
“I lost count after 1,800 pieces of paper,” she said of the painstaking work that went into her swan.
It took five days, working three hours a day to complete it. By the end of the process her fingers were black with ink.
“I was kind of surprised because everybody did such a good job,” said Natsumi, who has lived in Nelson for 40 years, of her win. “I was really amazed with what the kids came up with.”
Tiana Baines won the kids category for her turtle shell which she made out of chicken wire and newspapers.
“I was making the shell anyways and I thought it would be pretty cool to enter it into the contest,” she said.
Baines is playing the Mock Turtle in the Nelson Youth Theatre production of Alice in Wonderland which opens at the Capitol Theatre on April 26. The winning shell is her costume.
The busy 14-year-old donated her prize of an art class tuition at 4Cats Art Studio to the second place winner in the contest because she is too busy with her drama, school and volunteer activities.
Natsumi also received a 4Cats tuition for her winning entry.