Many of my ideas came from a simple notation of “what if?”: yesterday while taking some photos of some of my latest my paper cut,I noticed one was done on black paper, another one was in while.All of sudden, I … Continue reading
last year, I painted a watercolor painting of a white cattleya orchid but it was not satisfy with the result and then put it away for months. later I pull out the painting to look at it but was still … Continue reading
Few weeks ago, I was at a huge craft fair and saw one booth which sells butterflies and bugs and nothing else. The insects were framed in shadow boxes. I was really attracted by the colors and patterns of them. almost tempted to buy one but didn’t. although the seller told me the insects were farm-raised but the idea of the insect’s whole propose of life as my wall decoration just did not sit well with me.I walked away without buying any.
later, after I got home thinking I could create my own butterfly with paper and paints. This is my result “forever spring” watercolor painting with paper cut and sculpture, some of the butteries are 3D as well, 12″x19″
This is my latest watercolor/paper cut , although it is rather small compare to the others I had done but it took days to complete. I had spent the last month working on my paper cut. Today, back to painting … Continue reading
Last night, while in bed I look over at my blooming orchid by the window. An idea came to me: often, I use my orchids as my subject for photos and painting. It would be fun to take photos … Continue reading
Last week, I was making some bookmarks mainly try to use up some of the small strips of paper I had saved in my studio. Somehow my simple paper cut bookmarks started to expand and more ideas unfold:
At first, I made some bookmarks using the image of Dahlias and then I started to expand into paper cut pop up cards.
Here is the first one I made.
Almost as soon as I finished the first, as I was looking at it and feel the need to make it better for the next one: instead of having the whole flower pop out, I let only the center part as the pop up part. It seems to make it more three dimensional.
This morning, I decided to make envelop to go with the bookmarks and cards.
I finished this paper cut a few days ago been waiting for the sun to come up to take photos of. Finally it did this morning.I like how the sun adds the shadow to the piece.
paper cut 7″x10″
During the recent move of my studio, I unearthed some of my old art works which were done my art school days. One of them were the little booklets of how to use the school l library. One day, I found them outside the library in a boxful of them as discard. They are less than six inch square with twelve pages. I immediately attracted to them because of the size and picked up a large handful as not to let them end up in the landfill.
I created a different screen images for each page and printed in one color except for the centerfold with two. My finished remade booklets were popular with my classmate which I had given most away.
I was delighted to found the few remaining copies of the booklet in my studio. Right away, I wanted to give it another make over.
My slow studio move took over six months started in winter, spring and into summer. During these times, each night after supper for relaxation I would work on my paper cut on the little booklet. Sometimes, I would worked on it few night in a row but then stopped for days or even week without touching it.
Eventually when my move was done I was able to finished the little booklet as well.
paper cut on book
When I was a child with brother, sisters often we played a game by looking at the clouds and called out what it resemble to, a bird, a cow or a person.
When I grown up and entered art school, one of the first and important lessons I learnt was to see the negative and positive space. When I paint in watercolour, the unpainted white spaces are as important as the painted area.
My childhood game has never left me, every thing I see, I notice things other over- looked and my imagination seems limitless.
With my latest fascination with paper cutting, the principal of negative and positive spaces are in evident again.
Many artists myself included often have doubts about our works, worry about the lack of sale. It took me years to realized, those are the things we I have little control over, instead on focus on the negatives. I just put my energy to create and explore on how to use my talent which I have control over.
My latest piece is another paper cut but on a photograph because lately I have the need to combining my other art forms I practice into one. I had done paper cut on my watercolour paintings and prints so photography is my next experiment. I took this shoot of a wheel of motorbike with its shadow because I like the pattern it creates and the positive and negative shapes.For me the motorbike represents strength, speed and freedom which gave me an idea to add the dragonfly into the shadow. The dragonfly represents the power of light, creative imagination to usher in positive changes in our life
paper cut on photo, 8″x11″.
When I was in art school, I majored in print making. I had stacks of hand pull prints from that period; some are etchings but mostly are silk screen prints. I never sold any of them and no one has seen them since I graduated from art school. I just treat them as part of my ever expanding works. I had no intention of discarding them so they came with me for all my moves. Finally, last year, I started to remake them to my current art. At first, I used them for paper sculptures and cards
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Yesterday, I found this one which I had already cut into narrow strip among some of my old works. The piece is 5”x17” with a dark brown and blues.
Right away I see the blue area in the print looks like a koi swimming in the pond. I turned it into a paper cut which took almost a whole day to finish. The first one is the original print before and the one below is the finished piece.
alfredngdesign 