If a picture is worth ...

I learned about the art of paper cutting today in a session at the NewCAJE 5 conference that i am attending in Los Angeles this week.  Rachel Silverman taught the session titled "If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words..."  

Rachel introduced us to the history of Jewish paper cutting, then shared many of her original paper cut art.  Inspired by the examples she shared, we set out sketching our own unique pieces of this folk art.

First step is to draw your design, sketching lightly.  If you are including any script, be sure to sketch the letters backwards (in mirror image) as you are drawing on the back side of the paper.  Shade the areas of the design that you plan to cut out.  Then using an exacto knife, carefully cut (slice?) the edge is the shaded pieces, freeing your design.  

Before beginning to cut out the design, Rachel checked each design to be sure that areas that needed to be attached were.  She was an excellent teacher, assisting everyone - both those struggling and those that understood the concept right away.

For our class, Rachel brought plain blank typing paper to draw our designs on, inexpensive exacto knifes and larger pieces of corrugated cardboard to use as the cutting mat.  When I make my next paper cut piece, I can use one of my rotary mats instead of the cardboard. 

After the cutting away was complete, I auditioned several pieces of different colored papers (the 12"x12" scrapbook size), before selecting this brilliant blue.  I taped my chamsa carefully to the blue background. I plan to frame my piece, as a soon as I am home again.

This was a challenging and fun hands-on class.  I look forward to making my next piece of paper cut art...