It’s been a really long while since I last shared some of my paper cut work on the blog. There’s been lots in production and completion over the past few months as I’ve been working away on a bunch of new pieces for an artist call. It was a relief to finally send the application off earlier today, and get it all in before the deadline. Hooray!

This is the first of the recent work that I completed in January. It came out of the sketchbook work I was doing at the time, and a desire to explore compositions made from longer flowing cuts. I found this design an interesting challenge to do because it forced me to work at a slower and more thoughtful pace than when cutting shapes of a similar size. The cutting also feels more like carving.

Photo by Byron Dauncy

The piece is also an experiment in finishing the work in a new way. I’ve cut off the excess paper leaving behind a thick border, and then using pins to mount it suspended an inch or so away from a piece of foam core with a shadowbox frame. I think this method allows the piece to cast better shadows (which I love) and emphasizes the delicacy and intricacy of the design.