I’ve been busy working on exhibition proposals for possible shows in the next two years, and it’s been a great excuse to project farther into the future with my work. I really want the paper cut work to be three dimensional and my initial explorations led me to the structural/sculptural pieces I shared last month. But I also started thinking about ways to play with layers, and shadows within framed work.

Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Wisps, 2013 – 12″ x 12″ cut paper in cradle panel

Using the inside of a wood cradle panel as my frame, I sanded and painted it with a light wash of white. I cut the three strips that make up this piece separately from the one piece of paper and all are attached by a tab of paper at the top and bottom. The middle piece is slightly deeper in the frame than the others.

These are just some quick photos so the lighting isn’t quite right, but this way of integrating the paper cuts into the frame creates more depth. This is important to me because I wanted room for the paper cut pieces to cast interesting shadows, which will vary depending on the lighting.

With each new exploration I feel like I’m getting closer to where I want to be with the paper cutting work.