A few years ago I started to cut paper more regularly, completely out of the blue.  Completely out of character, I mentioned this to a coworker and friend who, by a bizarre stroke of luck, heard from the “art show ladies” that one of their scheduled artists had canceled without much notice and they needed someone to…

I love this piece. I love it for its stark contrasts, its simplicity and movement, and it’s simple frame. Had I thought more about it, and I thought a bit, I might have over-complicated it. I’m pretty particular about each work being one piece, everything connected (if even by a thread), but this is one…

Making a complete piece of art, for me, is a four step process (give or take).  When I say complete piece I mean something I would be willing to either sell or hang on my own wall; this doesn’t count the dozens of half-finished, slightly mangled pieces I have hidden away in my art storage areas…

I very rarely cut anything that does not remain one piece. Everything is always connected, if even by a thread, so to speak. Even less frequently will I cut symmetric pieces, pieces cut from folded paper. One constant exception are my butterflies. Each butterfly is one piece, but they are usually grouped into collections, and…

One of the reasons I didn’t always enjoy art class was that making art on demand was very difficult for me.  It seemed to sap the joy from the process.  I never imagined I would be able to create art for a living, and while that might still be a far off option, it’s closer…

Before Discourse, I had my first solo show at the retirement community where I work.  A retirement community might not be the first venue to come to mind when you are considering shows, but it’s actually a really interesting choice.  I was especially lucky to show in a place in which I have come to be…

My faces later became the focus of my largest (and most complicated) piece to date.  I credit my good friend, Lawren Alice, of Arch Enemy Arts in Olde City, Philadelphia, with inspiring me (forcing me) to submit something to a group show several years ago.  The theme of the show was “Apocalypse.” I later entered it…

During our senior year in high school, students of the art classes had the option to display their collective works in a panel to be displayed in a hub on campus.  I didn’t have a single cutting, and I also didn’t have much of a collection to show. I didn’t use any particular medium so…

I was cutting so intermittently that I stayed usually in the bounds of a few themes. I started with a lot of florals and hands because of how interesting the contrasts were to me. I was starting to play around with pattern and texture and that led me to Hens; because they are fantastic birds.

Before 2012 I had a very small body of work.  I played around with paper cutting but never committed to it as a “regular thing.”  Below are a few samples of what themes and strategies I started with.  I used the same #11 blades as I do now, but I am using medical scalpels in place…