Whirls, is a recently completed piece composed of spirals hand cut from 98lb Canson Mi-Teintes paper. I was inspired by the work I did with the previously shared Cumulus, and wanted to work larger. The long curved shapes that make up each spiral feel like paper carving as I work. It’s an interesting shift in the process.

These are photos I took during the work in progress. It was a challenging process to compose spirals while cutting at the same time. I need to improve my drawing skills so that I can sketch out a design in advance to guide me, beyond a general outline of what I am hoping to achieve.

Photo by Byron Dauncy

The final photo is of the completed piece of work in all of its whirling spiral glory before figuring out how it should be framed.

This piece is somewhat of a reproduction of a paper cut design I made all the way back in August 2012. I think I did it as a practice piece at the time and then it went into a drawer because I wasn’t happy with it for some reason. I’ve been using it as a sample in my workshops, and recently took a good look at it for the first time in awhile and felt inspired by the design.

This version is about three times the size of the original, which I’d cut from a piece of 8.5″ x 11″ black card stock. I wanted it to be larger, and this ended up at approximately 11″ in diameter. The process of making it felt slower than normal, and think that is the nature of piecing together and creating a flowing design with multiple shapes.

I cut away the excess paper and left the work with a border that closely outlines the piece. I think doing this gives a better sense of the design and delicacy of the work.

I’ve titled this paper-cut piece, Wild Growth, because it brings to mind the wild tangle of grasses and plants one can find when a human isn’t trying to keep things orderly.

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.