Our February Artist of the month goes to tissue paper artist + illustrator Stacey Elaine who makes delicately layered and complicated paper cuts impressed by a wide range of colourful sources.
Stacey Elaine
“One of the best factor about this medium is its delicate nature.”
The place do you make your paper artwork?
I make my work at my eating room desk, surrounded by pure mild from home windows that look out into my yard. I like watching the birds within the bush proper outdoors the home windows. I like feeling like I am within the coronary heart of my residence after I’m making. The draw back? Having to place everything- even unfinished works- tucked away safely after every session so my boys have a desk for homework, artwork initiatives of their very own, and dinner! It might be superb to have a studio area sometime, the place I might depart in-progress items on the prepared….however for now, this works simply effective.
How lengthy have you ever been working with paper?
I have been working with tissue paper since 2017, when my youngest was taking lengthy afternoon naps and I felt an awesome urge to make issues with my arms.
How would you describe your method to paper artwork?
My method to paper artwork is….sculptural. You would not suppose tissue paper might be sculptural, however after I’m chopping designs into the fragile layers, I am doing so with a sculptor’s sensibility. How will this curve look? Are these strains attention-grabbing? Stunning? Additionally, is my depiction of this animal according to my private fashion and aesthetic? More often than not, my most important focus is making one thing that’s stunning or attention-grabbing to have a look at. I do not essentially have another finish objective in thoughts for a bit after I start. Some have ended up as greeting playing cards, some murals, some on textiles, others as framed artworks. I wish to create after which let the main points kind themselves out later.
The place do you discover inspiration?
I am impressed by a lot in nature, however I am additionally impressed by how nature has been depicted all through the centuries by different artists and makers. I discover inspiration in international people artwork, notably in India and Mexico. I discover it in high-end trend textiles that seem on runways. I discover it in Inuit soapstone sculptures and mid-century picket collectible figurines. Realizing what I like and am drawn to has helped me fine-tune my very own fashion.
Describe your work to us in three phrases:
My work is exclusive, celebratory, and complicated.
What are your favourite papers to work with?
I work solely with tissue paper.
What software might you not stay with out?
I couldn’t stay with out my chopping mat and Xacto knife.
What’s the smartest thing about working with paper as a medium?
One of the best factor about this medium is its delicate nature. I am so comfy working with it now, nevertheless it took a while to develop the finesse required to work confidently. I feel that facet of my work is what makes it particular to my collectors.
Inform us extra about your course of:
My items are created by free-hand chopping designs into layers of tissue paper, which I then prepare and seal down onto heavyweight, sizzling press watercolor paper utilizing matte Modge Podge. The chopping is the smoothest half for me; the sealing could be fairly tedious and I’ve to be utterly centered in order to not use an excessive amount of liquid glue in anyone spot, which might trigger the tissue to dissolve and tear.
