WYCINANKI – TRADITIONAL

WYCINANKI – TRADITIONAL These papercuts are inspired by Wycinanki, the Polish folk art. They are created by first cutting out the intricate black supporting frame and internal black background features. It is important that this black frame and internal design elements are connected in such a way that it supports itself when lifted. All colored areas are then glued on top of this black support. That is why all of these elements; plants, birds and trees have a black outline. Once this is completed, and the image is supported in one piece, it can be transferred and attached to a white background paper.

Cut Paper Collage 22” x 16” — Bear in the Mountains
Cut Paper Collage 22” x 16”
A paper cut collage of a bear in the Cascade mountains surrounded by salmonberry and thistle. The technique of this artwork was informed by teaching screen printing and the cut paper stencil technique to middle school art students.

Cut Paper Collage 16” x 21.5” — Forbidden Drive
Cut Paper Collage 16” x 21.5”
A paper cut collage of cross country skiing along the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia

Cut Paper Collage 36” x 32” — The Jackpine
Cut Paper Collage 36” x 32”
This cut paper collage was inspired by time spent as a college student working on a longliner out of Sitka, Alaska. The otherworldliness of this image was how it felt to me, a city kid from Philadelphia in the wildness of the Gulf of Alaska. The original collage was made with a variety of papers, both store bought and hand painted. The numbers in the water refer to hours spent reading marine charts.

Cut Paper Collage 22” x 16” — Kelly Drive
Cut Paper Collage 22” x 16”
A paper cut collage of Philadelphians enjoying springtime along the Schuylkill River

Cut Paper Collage 24” x 30” — St. Lucia Oriole
Cut Paper Collage 24” x 30”
A paper cut collage of an Oriole with Palm and Flamboyant Trees in St. Lucia. The frame was inspired by a bas relief wood carving I saw there.

Cut Paper Collage 21” x 21” — Tidal Zone
Cut Paper Collage 21” x 21”
A paper cut collage inspired by both the tidal pools of the Pacific Northwest and summer jobs on fishing boats

Gouache on Paper 22” x 17.5” — Timber in the Pine Barrens
Gouache on Paper 22” x 17.5”
A gouache painting of Timber, my late canine companion in the New Jersey Pine Barrens where we used to go walking through the cranberry bogs.

Acrylic Gouache on Paper 27.5” x 19.5” — Woodpecker Forest
Acrylic Gouache on Paper 27.5” x 19.5”
This painting was inspired by an autumn hike on the West Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The sound of Woodpeckers was ever present.

Acrylic Gouache and Collage 24” x 27” — Book Island, A Covid Fairytale
Acrylic Gouache and Collage 24” x 27”
This image was inspired by the beautiful book art of UK artist Su Blackwell, and the meaning I took from Covid.