Cut paper ...

While in Bishop (Labor Day Weekend), in addition to hiking and exploring for petroglyphs, I went to a crafts fair.   I met Nan, a cut-paper artist.  I was quite taken and very impressed with her art.  I bought a piece and asked to take her photo with it.  She finally agreed ... and here's the photo.

I bought the piece she is holding.


We've been emailing since then and I asked permission to post this photo on my blog, which she agreed to.

She doesn't have a web site (yet), but also sent me 3 photos of work she has done.   I've posted those, plus a piece she did using 2 photos of my grandkids that were on my blog.  She totally captured their mannerisms in her cutout.

This is what she has to say about her work:     "This was call Windows picture in China longlong time age, now call paper cutting. I have some words for that:  Paper cutting art is usually cut out on paper using a knife, razor blade, scissors, or now, modern paper cutting machines specifically used for this intricate type of ancient art.  All of the pictures seen at this display have been created by an artist using a razor blade.

    The art of paper-cutting may be traced back to a period as early as the ancient South and North Dynasties. It appeared around the same time of the discovery of Chinese papermaking."

Here is the photo of the work she did of my two grandkids, and others of her work in general.   What an artist!!!!   If you wish to contact her, let me know & I'll forward your email address.  I'm hoping she'll have a web site soon.

If you look back a few weeks, you'll see the photos she used to do this cutout.  

http://2011photoblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/vintage-look-photos.html

(I hope the above link will take you there.)

These are examples of her work (she sent photos of her pieces).    Amazing!!!

Please remember, this art work is done simply with a mat-knife.  No fancy lasers, nothing other than her eye and her mat-knife.  Incredible pieces.   Amazing artwork.