In keeping with the edges theme/obsession, this week I picked up some knives and began to cut paper. There is something remarkably soothing about the process… the blade is flexible, so it flows with the curves nicely…well, as nicely as the hand holding it;) You can feel it sink through fiber and the trick is to guide it smoothly. I want my paper cut lines to be delicate, fluid…just like my watercolors. Practice needed. Even more, I am intrigued by the secret layer of shadow that forms at the edges… I am experimenting with adding watercolor over, under….and in between. And there is something glorious to my eye about combining my watercolors with cut paper (and in this case, embroidery thread too…) It’s a textural dance that leads me along, a new direction that seems right. I feel my heart beating which tells me it’s real.
I am in awe of those who master this art so brilliantly. There is much learning involved and my impatience taught more than one lesson along the way in just two studio sessions. At the end of the day, my desk was covered in hundreds of shards of paper. I found that oddly satisfying:) Can’t wait to keep playing, experimenting, adding to, learning. I know the look I am trying to achieve and I see now how to get there. It feels like a gentle parting of branches when walking down a quiet path. So much to discover, just beyond… ~
Original Ink, watercolor, embroidery and paper cut ~ ©Michelle Rummel Shellrummel.com
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