I been getting rather ambitious with my paper cutting. I wanted to see how fine the cutting I can get. This latest paper cut of the Kingfisher I able to cut out some very fine lines as thin as pencil lines. It is like drawing with just my knife. I am happy how this turn out. this piece is 8″x11″
A couple weeks ago I picked up a local art guide and saw some artists wanted ads for group shows. I responded to a few of them,.
I was surprise the first respond came back within hours with an attachment. The email r addresses me as Martin and not a word about my works. As I was reading it and then realized it seem this gallery was more interest for my money than my works. The only requirement to be in the show was to pay the fee of $80 and nothing about if there was a theme for this show or what I should exhibit. Although the amount wasn’t that much) but the works were restricted to within two square foot.. I had never been to that gallery and it doesn’t even have a web site except a facebook page. .
. The gallery is located in area I rarely visit however I was invited to the opening at a artists co-op gallery because a of artist friend is in it.
Last Sunday, I decided to visit both galleries. As soon as I step off from the streetcar I was right in front of this gallery. A man in short and T-shirt was sitting outside the gallery, next to him was a banquet table with paintings all spread out One quite glance on the offerings but nothing really grab my attention except the price tags for a :painting being offer for $30!
The man likely the gallery owner never acknowledged me or made eye contact with me so I walked in the gallery.
The galley is one of those small store front galleries, about 10’x12’ room and every walls were covered with odd mixture of paintings, drawings of different sizes and styles. None I would want for myself although the most expensive one was only $120.
Lately, in the morning when I woke up, I have numbness and tingling feeling on my left hand and fingers. I figure it must be my long hours of holding the knife I use for the paper cutting. Usually it goes away after the first half hour after I woke up.
However, today when I started to do the cutting the tingeing came back. I decided to give my fingers a break and took the day off. I went to visit some galleries and took pictures.
Hopefully, I will able to resume my cutting tomorrow.
I got few emails asked to explain how my paper cut watercolor was done. Here is the step by step explanation
First I work on a watercolor painting and when it done, I would think about where to add the second design elements with paper cut.This one of the grasshopper I wanted to add some more grass as the background. Although it is a small painting (8’x9″) but I wanted to challenge myself to do some very fine lines and details.
The painting took about four hours but the cutting took about eight hours. The finish piece is a lot like a piece of lace. I took it out to the park near my studio for a photo.
I am quite happy how it turned out, the white area are the mat board I use as backing. I could change to whatever color I wish.
I even have a name for my hybrid art “Dis-Constructive Watercolor”.
i have a number of frames in my studio. I found this handsome black frame which is more than inch deep and it was perfect for the grasshopper..I built up on the mat to about half inch thick which added extra distance between backing to create the shadow effects for this.
I post my latest work, another dis-constructive watercolor ( a combination of watercolor and paper cut) on my flickr account this morning and received a comment: “this is very interesting art, is it laser cut?”
it made me laugh, so I replied “yes, my own laser ( my hand) lol.
I guess I might need to explain how I make them each time I upload one.
Here is today dis-constructive watercolor, “bottle squash with grasshopper”, watercolor with paper cut, 16″x14″. The squash is from my mother’s garden.
alfredngdesign 