One ‘scale’ will be shared by both spirals so you will need to decide which colour that one is. Pinecones are another example of natures adherence to the Fibonacci sequence. There is a lesson here about a famous number sequence, Fibonacci, if you want to make the activity about that too.Īfter painting your first pinecone spiral line, you can observe the opposite turning spiral and paint that in too, making the interconnected pattern where the two spirals cross over each other. Interconnected SpiralsĮach cone will have one type of spiral that turns one way (duplicated several times) and another shape of spiral that curves the other direction (again duplicated several times) This is what is known as the interconnected spirals in nature. You can carry on creating stripes or using different colours as you wish. I suggest keeping to one colour per line to start with to emphasise the pinecone spiral shape. Any poster or acrylic colour paint will do, just not to drippy as you need to turn the cone in your hand as you work. Use one paint colour and paint each scale in the curving line creating a solid spiral that wraps around the pinecone. We are encouraging our eye to pick out the spiralling line that neighbouring scales create around the shape of the cone. (This is the angle that is commonly referred to as Fibonacci or Golden angle but don’t get too worried about the numbers here!). The angle that they sit at to each other tends to be because of efficiency of space. The scales are arranged in a pattern as they grow out from the central axis. (We have painted them closed then when they come inside and warm up they have popped open and the painted pattern moves with the scales, its sort of exciting to see) If it is tightly packed then it has still to release. If your pinecone has opened up it has released this already. NOTE: The scales that make up the outline of the pinecone (yours might be roundish bumps or spiky triangular bumps) hide the seeds or the pollen under them. More close up observation this time about looking for the pattern in the pinecone shape. This is about the immediacy of a natural item becoming art. I don’t really worry about this too much. Sometimes they will be quite damp depending on where you are. It can be done at most times of the year as pinecones tend to be around for a while.īrush off any leaves and mud. Yours will vary depending on type of pine tree. Rummage under trees and in bushes to find your specimens. The resulting ratio is approximately 1.61803398875. It is derived from the Fibonacci sequence by dividing each number in the sequence by the number that precedes it. An important part of the activity is getting outside, observing and really looking at nature. The Golden Ratio: The golden ratio is a mathematical proportion that is found in nature and has been used in art and architecture for centuries. I have led this activity several times as part of The Smart Happy Club in after school groups or family events and it is lovely to see how everybody can identify with it.Ĭollect your pinecones. Thats quite a lot for one small painting activity! Finding the pinecone spiral and tracing its pattern in paint is such a simple exercise that improves observation skills, nurtures the Waldorf ethos and brings about an awareness of the patterns in natural forms that indicate the underlying mathematical rules of growth. I love this natural craft activity and I could do it again and again.
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