Showing posts with label paper-cut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paper-cut. Show all posts

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Paper Garland Decoration


This Saturday we are having a party at our house, our first party in the house.  It's both a housewarming and a birthday party for me!  So this week I have been playing around and making some decorations.  Here are some pics of the paper garlands that I've been making.  I got 2 old music books from a second hand shop, $2 each and used a circular cutter to cut out perfect circles.  I also found some pre-cut circles of vintage atlases at the Glen Waverley Antique Bazar, which I included with some music circles and brown paper.




I used a neon pink thread.  I love a bit of neon these days!


I thought I would try making more 3-D garlands which was simply sewing 5 layers of paper together.  You then just fold them out to make a more bouffant look.


A mixture of different papers...






Vintage atlases ...


I'm not sure how I will hang them at the party, but for now they are hung up around the house on random doors and chairs...

Sunday, 29 January 2012

Lotte Reiniger...Paper Silhouette Animator


I feel like I must be very late to come across the wonderful animations of Lotte Reiniger, but nevertheless, today I've just discovered her work!  Lotte Reiniger (1899 - 1981) considered herself to be an 'entertainer' and found inspiration from puppets, cinema and traditional Chinese paper cuts. 

This one is called 'Papageno'....I like the birds in this one....

She worked over a light box, and took still frames after each adjustment of the paper silhouettes....



Check out this clever contraption used to capture the frames....



These are still from the animation 'Prince Achmed' which took Lotte 3 years to complete!.....










Here is a short clip of the animation here......


Sunday, 11 December 2011

Art Club

I am super excited about a new project called ART CLUB! 

One night in November around a kitchen table (and after a few red wines) I was talking to a new friend Brenna about how I'm always more creative when I have a project and sometimes a deadline to work to.  She felt the same way and I mentioned that my partner and myself used to set each other monthly creative projects, back when we lived in Glasgow, Scotland.  With only the 2 of us, my partner and I were always distracted with other things like work, commitments, bad televeision and lots of the other things in life that soak up time.  This montlly project fell away but I always loved this idea of having a project to work towards.  

Looking around the table on this November gathering, I was amazed at how many creative people were there that night: singer/songwriters, photographers, graphic artists and a trained sculptor.  After lots of excited discussion the group at the table all said they felt the same and we decided to set a monthly creative project.  Art Club was born there and then!

For the first monthly project the task was to do something with a piece of A4 paper (any colour).   

The idea is that everyone creates something relating to the theme and interperates it in their own unique way.  A new theme is posted each month then at the end of the month we share what we have created.  You don't need to stick to you normal field of creativity, for example if you are normally a painter you might want to make a short animation, or if you are normally a photographer you might enjoy writing a poem, and so on.

It's really simple, free and hopefully fun for everyone involved! No one will tell you off if you miss a month...I promise.

I think the project should be open to anyone that's interested, all around the world - so please spread the word , the more the merrier!

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  This is my Art Club submission this month, and I decided to make a paper cut.  I spent a bit of time living in China in 2006 and I have been obsessed with paper cuts ever since.  I also adore the work of Rob Ryan!

I used navy blue card to cut out, which was a good weight to use, as it didn't rip too easily.  I didn't have any of the official paper cutting scissors that they use in traditional Chinese cuts, I just used a craft knife.

I am really happy with the end result, and I know that I wouldn't have made a paper cut if it weren't for Art Club, so that makes me even happier!  



This is my initial drawing (so technically I used 2 pieces of A4 paper to make the paper cut, but hey, I won't tell if you don't). 

I have 2 books on traditional folk patterns from Russia and Eastern Europe, which I looked through for inspiration.  I then drew out my design on the paper and went over it in black marker.  This part is important as it is easy to get confused with what bits you need to cut.  I cut away the white parts of the drawing, which was taped over the top of the blue card.