Scherenschnitte

That's paper cutting to you. What a pleasant break from painting. I drew my first little silhouette people when I was about 17, I'd just bought one of those brush pens and was doodling about with it, and this little person appeared as if by magic. A few twiddles and there was another one. I had found my world. I drew several lines of them on horrid flourescent orange paper and they are somewhere in all my bumph but they must be hiding. When Andy and I were at college he made me this sketchbook -

and I filled it with little scenes of my people. I think in those days a lot of them were sheer wishful thinking to be in a tranquil world, just sitting, or sleeping - I still am fixed on beds.




The entire contents of this book can be found here. Back then I was more concerned with having a pretty sketchbook - now I just scribble on the nearest bit of paper and get the idea out asap. I didn't do anything with them apart from the occasional lino cut. There wasn't much of a commercial demand for that kind of thing - and there isn't now. But it's still my favourite way of depicting things; I find it much easier to think in such a graphic way. So here I am again, revisiting my old designs, and pinching my own ideas from 15 years ago. This was inspired from a field trip to Barcelona -

and here it is tweaked a little, as a papercut...mounted on a 5 inch card, and yes, the laundry line was a bit fiddly.

(for sale on Etsy)

It feels a bit odd to be going back an old style, but rather like a comfy pair of slippers you know are going to fit.