I have always been in awe of artists that can create stunning images with just a knife and paper. My own experiences with this medium usually result in frayed edges, wrinkled paper and lots of frustration.
Today’s featured artist, Angie Pickman, is a great example of how the proper skills, talent and patience can create magnificent, delicate works of cut-paper art.
Originally from Atchison, Kansas, Angie knew from a young age that she was meant to be an artist but it took her many years to figure out which medium best fit her skills.
She started cutting paper in 2003 after seeing The Adventures of Prince Achmed, a 1926 stop-motion silhouette animation film done entirely in cut paper. Traditional art never felt quite right to Angie, but this film clicked with her.
Angie’s life philosophy of achieving simplicity is beautifully translated into her art. She strives to “winnow away” things that are not needed in her life, and this same philosophy holds true in her art.
She says, “Cutting paper is metaphorical for this—the cutting away of all that is unnecessary to reveal the subject in a simple, bold form.”
What’s amazing about Angie’s cut-paper artwork is that it is purely black and white, with no shades of gray. Texture in her art is created through the exquisite detail she adds to her cut-out patterns of birds, leaves, borders, and other subject matter.
Once you remind yourself this is paper and not ink or paint, you’re drawn in even more to study her craftsmanship. Her tools include a rubber gripped x-acto knife, black paper, mechanical pencils, a self-healing cutting mat, and coffee “…for consumption and for a few stains here and there”.
I invite you all to visit Angie Pickman’s lovely website or etsy shop to experience more of her delicate and intricate cut-paper art.