The Angel of Christmas

First of all, Merry Xmas and a prosperous new year to all of you who visit my blog. It's always good to know there's someone out there looking at my work while I'm hidden away in my little studio!

Recent work

A friend, who has decided to devote herself to rediscovering her spiritual self, commissioned this silk paper cut, entitled ‘Angel’. Influenced by Shamanism she asked for very specific images to be included in the work.

Here, she is wearing traditional Chinese clothes which are richly embroidered with symbolic imagery. On the front is a stylized rose which represents loving with courage.

As the Angel rises into the sky, she is surrounded by four ducks, which are her ‘Power animal’. These birds inhabit land, water and air and are her soul guides.

As she rises up the sun provides the warmth and energy thst will protect and empower her on her journey.

On another note I'd like to say thanks to the Online Graphic Design Degree for honouring me (along with a select group of other origami and paper cutting artists) the...

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Doodling!

After I finish cutting a silk paper cut I’m always left with thousands of beautifully shaped pieces of silk.

I collect and keep them - boxes and boxes of beautiful scraps, the result of years of paper cutting.

Every now and then I start gluing them onto coloured paper, sketch books, wooden bowls, in fact anything I can get my hands on.

I just let the scraps determine the shapes thus the title ‘Doodling’.

But now I look at them I see all manner of images. What can you see?

Klompen Blog aka Clog Blog

I have just completed an art charity project to aid children in Maolin township in the south of Taiwan. This was the area devastated by typhoons last year. 70 artists were each given a pair of traditional wooden clogs and asked to decorate them in any way they wanted.

Here are my clogs or klompen. I tried to create a feeling of movement, like water or air. I wanted this to flow around the clogs. If you look carefully you will find several butterflies and beetles. These little creatures are full of life and beauty, just like children. They are curious and a little naughty!

It was a perfect opportunity to use all the silk paper scraps I have left over from my cuts.

The clogs will all be exhibited before being auctioned off, but to tell the truth I have no idea where or when!

Butterfly Flow Opening

Thanks to all who came to the opening party for my show, ‘Butterfly Flow’. I think everyone had fun! I know I did. It was nice to catch up with friends from all aspects of my life and to meet new admirers of my work.

It’s always difficult keeping up the momentum once a show is up as it’s such an exhausting process getting everything ready. Luckily I’ve got a few commissions to keep me busy, but more of that later.

Butterfly Blast!

This 100cmx100cm silk paper cut is the biggest and most detailed thing I’ve ever cut. Entitled ‘Butterfly Blast!' here is the piece at my current show. The daybed is where the owner treats customers to tea. Cut into a 230 x 100cm silk paper scroll the piece can be used as a wall hanging or a screen.

Butterfly Blast! shows many butterflies in a woodland setting. The Butterflies are arguing, bickering, fighting, pestering, pushing and pulling. What is it that they’re fighting about? The answer is simple - they’ve forgotten! Now it’s become a habit that they’ve got used to. In fact it’s become a ritual dance!

Gently moving shadows make it seem the butterflies are flitting.

The chaotic energy of the whole piece

A detail.

'Butterfly Flow' show

My new show, ‘Butterfly Flow’ is starting next week (Aug 31^st – Sept 19^th) at the Piao Piao Gallery at 63-1, Yong Kang St. Taipei. This gallery is in the heart of a vibrant district of eateries, bars, antique shops and galleries. I love this area! For more info on the gallery and the address in Chinese go here.

If you’re in town on Sept 4^th please come along to the opening party starting at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

One of the newer silk paper cuts on display is the latest in my series of circular works entitled ‘Jagged Waves’.

Waves crash against defiantly jagged rocks creating a rugged razor sharp surface. Higher up in the rocks plants and flowers cling to the surface immune to the salty spray around them.

The waves twisting and turning

The swirls and eddies of water

Some flowers

The Breath of the Spider

I’m working hard preparing for a one man show this September. It'll be a mix of new and revisited silk paper cuts made over the last year or two. It'll include the largest cut I've ever done.

Between the yells and screams of doubt, frustration and cut fingers there are times when I think I’m onto something such as this piece (Click on it to get a better view).

I’ve been working on it for over a year. It’s provisionally called ‘Spider Breath’ (I know spiders don’t really breath like you or I but in my world they do!). This spider breaths and the sudden exhalation of air causes a domino effect of events that creates this silk cut world shown here.

I’ve layered coloured silk to create an exaggerated sense of depth to the work.

There’s a whole ecosystem here. From the roots of palnts…

To a gushing stream…

To the numerous ‘beasties’ that inhabit this place…

And the clouds and rain that bring life…

Textures

Just took a month long pause to visit home in the UK. From the sweaty tropical balm of metropolis Taipei to the cool greenness of the deep Dorset countryside. What a contrast!

Here are some textures that I discovered and that will at some time or other appear in my work I hope.

The trip was divide between countryside....

and sea

The skeletal remains of a half eaten but still alive leaf held together by thin sinewy threads.

The energy displayed in the seeming solidity of wood always amazes me. The way the surface flows hints of a time when there was much struggle.

I love this lump of softened mudstone crammed full of rock. You can often find fossils in this grey mud.

Waves

I grew up next to the ocean with all its moods, textures and colors. I’m sure its restless energy is in all my work somewhere, so I decided to cut a piece about it.

This silk paper cut, called Wave, is the fourth in a series of large circular works. It started from a tiny sketch in my sketchbook and I instantly liked its movement and the flow of the lines.

Here are some pictures of the work in process.

Referencing Japanese wave imagery I created two large drawings (this is the second, more refined one).

Once happy I traced the finished design onto the back of two layers of silk and cut it. Here's the work half cut.

Then I played around with the lighting. Here the work is lit from the front creating shadows.

Here's a detail showing the two layers of silk

I haven’t decided on how or if to colour the piece.

Lit from the back the different layers of silk and the luminescence create interesting effects.

When I’ve decided how to colour, mount and light the work it’ll be exhibited in my upcoming show in September.

Nice Surprises!

A good friend came over one day, saw this, my second butterfly lamp design, and promptly bought it for his recording studio. Let’s hope the fluttering butterflies inspire some great music!

I used an existing Ikea floor lamp and fixed my silk paper cut design inside it. This is the second butterfly design for this type of lamp. Nice 'n' moody.

Then along came a commission from a wonderful lady who gave me just two words to work with – Purple & Dolphins. I’ve never used dolphins in my repertoire of imagery and I’ve never used purple before. Therefore the design and cut took much longer than I thought. Despite being late the lady loved it and promised that it’ll go with her to the grave!! (Don't worry she has a looong time to go yet!)

I layered several colors together to create a sense of movement and depth. Doing commissions such as this really do stretch me in a very good way.

News: I have a solo show coming up at the end of August til mid September. Details nearer the time. The gallery is situated in a cool district of Taipei full of interesting shops, galleries cafes and restaurants. I am really looking forward to it.