May 3, 2013

Shoo Fly

I know it's been a bit since my last post.  When starting this blog, I made a commitment to myself to post at least once a week.  I felt this was important in order to keep my blog fresh and build an audience.  But I found myself stuck on what to write about recently.  I had quite a few ideas and a few false starts, but none of them felt "right."  So I sat back and waited, knowing that Divine Intervention would set in when the time was right.  Too New Age-y??  Sorry :(

Any-hoo, here I am, and I'm inspired!  I've been working on lots of cuts, both as stock for upcoming shows and commissions that have come my way.  I must say I've been quite blessed in the amount of commissioned work that continually comes my way, especially when you consider I only went public a little over six months ago! 

Along with my cuttings, I've been doing a lot of spiritual work on myself.  Yes, getting New Age-y again!  Deal with it!

I journal on a regular basis, but I've since been inspired to write myself a manifesto.  It's different from my general journaling in that I start each piece by addressing:  "This is what I know..."  I know I'm not alone when I say that there seems to be so much confusion in Self.  We all struggle with it at one time or another.  So I figured the works I record in my manifesto would help ground me and keep me on track during those times when I lose sight of the horizon in my life journey.  Some thoughts I had recently on Beauty have really been inspiring me in a profound way so I decided that needed to be the direction of today's post.

I'm committed to Beauty -- to seeing beauty in myself, in my life, in those I surround myself with, and in the natural world. 
I'm committed to sharing in that Beauty -- by sharing myself with the world, by my actions, my choices, and my treatment of Self and others. 
I will create Beauty -- by bearing witness to it, by exposing it to others, and by creating my art. 
I express the Beauty of my Soul through my creativity and I perpetuate Beauty through how I choose to live my life.

I was recently asked to create a piece for a charity event that was auctioning off homemade quilts.  The money raised is being used to help rebuild homes for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  I was honored to be asked to create a piece for this worthwhile endeavor.  In making this cutting, I feel I was fully embracing that which I wrote of above. 

Here is a picture of the finished product, framed and ready to go.  The pattern is called 8-Pointed Star & Shoo Fly.  This popular quilt pattern is seen a lot here in Berks County, where I live.  I may not have the mad sewing skillz needed to make quilts...but I am pretty handy with a scissors, if I do say so myself!  ;)

April 5, 2013

Reminiscing

Today's entry is going to feature another Victorian house cutting.  It's a very special cutting to me as it triggers lots of memories from my youth!  Please join me at this time for a trip down memory lane.

Queen Anne Victorian
I grew up primarily in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, which is where I also currently make my home.  Wernersville is a rather small old town with a typical main street called Penn Avenue.  Along Penn Avenue are quite a few of these beautiful Queen Anne Victorians.  All are privately own, are in relatively good condition (some better than others), and are quite a feast for the eyes -- all except for one which was just demolished, quite sadly, earlier this year.  Incidentally, the one that was demolished was owned by my childhood piano teacher.  From what I'm told, it was one of those sad elderly couple situations where the wife died and the husband remained in the home, alone, living as a recluse, while the house literally fell down around him.  Heartbreaking indeed, in many ways...

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I have quite an unnatural love/obsession with old homes, particularly Victorians.  Maybe it's a reflection of my love of all things old or all things spooky.  Maybe it's a mutation from my childhood fascination with ghosts and haunted houses.  Or maybe I'm just an "old soul" and my ancestral memories whisper so strong to me that I mistake the old as something current.  Either way, I love it O-L-D!

One of Penn Avenue's Queen Annes used to be the local library when I was growing up.  Throughout my teens and into my early 20's, I had a volunteer job at this library and Oh what a glorious time that was!  It was a quiet library, as all libraries generally are, but beings this was such a small town there was not much action going on during my work nights.  So to entertain myself I spent the majority of my time getting lost in all the faintly lit rooms, perusing the dark wood bookshelves for anything that caught my eye, or fantasizing what it would be like having this place all to myself as my home.  After all books were checked in and returned to their rightful places on the shelves, I would retreat to a darkened window seat in one of the front rooms and lose myself in whatever story struck my fancy.

Our town's library is now located in a newer building and the Queen Anne is once again a private residence.  The home has been beautifully restored (for the most part) and I get to feast my eyes on it daily.  And every time I drive or walk by, I'm transported back to my days in that front room on the window seat, lost in my imagination, creating new worlds to explore...a habit I have yet to break.

March 28, 2013

"On the Road"

"...they danced down the street like dingledodies and I shambled after as usual as I've been doing all my life after people that interest me, because the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yearn or say a commonplace thing...but burn, burn, burn like roman candles across the night." ~ Jack Kerouac

I have come to learn that all the weird interests I obsess over -- little snippets I stumble on and then get a hair up my ass about and must immerse myself in fully, digesting every speck of dirt I dust off as I search to "uncover the truth" -- it's all inspiration of some kind.  I'm winding my way through a maze of artistic inspiration, and these "things" shall all culminate in serving as illumination as I make my way to the prize -- my authentic creation. 

I don't know what that is to be just yet, and I'm impatient to know when exactly I shall stumble upon that "a ha!" moment.  But I don't give up.

Some may call it a "waste of time," while I myself for years thought of it as "passing time."  It used to be a distraction for me.  It was my way of creating an Alternate Universe, some place to flee to that gave my days purpose (not to be confused with meaning), even if that purpose was just to amuse myself until tomorrow comes.  But every day continues to be an endless stretch of the evening before that ever elusive tomorrow.

Why am I writing this?  Can't rightly say.  It just crossed my mind and I felt the need to put it to paper...er, computer.  There might be something important in here, ya know!  Some secret...some elusive filament.  Or maybe I do it just to please my hoarder heart.  Some may say I'm a collector of crap.  I prefer to see myself as a sleuth of stimulus!

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the following...

Commissioned Wedding Piece
Once again, very poor quality photo!  But I needed shaded light in order to show the gold-leafing of the butterflies in this piece.  I'm delivering this commissioned work to its new owner tonight.  The finished piece is framed in a simple black frame, size 8 1/2" x 11".  Being a wedding gift, the couple's name and wedding date are written on it as well in simple cursive italics (done after this photo was taken). 

I must admit I'm quite partial to the imagery in this piece, or at least my interpretation of said imagery.  I love the idea of the tree as roots, or the foundation, of a newly-forming (or already existing family), with its leaves turning into butterflies that are flying off (or have flown off) into different directions in the world.

And here are the last few completed pieces for the American Indian series to be available at Artifest in June.





I will be mounting these pieces this weekend on black backings.  The reason why the backgrounds looks wavy on these is because I photographed the cut-outs, pre-mounted, on the black leather ottoman in my living room.  Sloppy, I know.  For shame!

March 20, 2013

Dancing Queens

When I first made a sincere push to get my work out to the public, I was taking belly dance lessons with a group of marvelous ladies.  I highly recommend this form of dance for all women!  I never felt so sexy and feminine before!!  It improved my posture AND my state of mind!  I miss it.  When I started focusing on my business, I gave up the lessons until I get myself established.  When my schedule loosens up a bit, I'll start dancing again. 

Some of the first pieces I released were these two pictured below.  I made them for my dance teacher, Lois, to put in her studio with my business cards.  I received lots of complements on them as well as requests for them.  But I decided not to mass produce either, keeping these as one-of-a-kinds for my teacher who I so adore!



Belly Dancer

Sword Dancer


I should point out that my teacher dances with a sword on occasion.  I remember the first time I saw her do it.  I was in complete awe at how she was able to keep her whole body in motion while balancing the sword on her head.  I should mention that I am a mere student and my dance abilities are nowhere close to that undertaking!  :)

The teaching assistant in the class, a brilliant dancer named Becky, recently contacted me to make a piece for her to use as a gift for her step-mother.  I wasn't able to post a picture of the piece on any of my sites until the piece was given because her step-mother views my Facebook page.  However the gift has since been given and I can now post!


 

The image idea came from a tiny picture that Becky sent me of a decal (I believe that's what it originally was) and asked if I could do something similar.  

For these three pieces, the main image is cut out and them mounted on a backing.  Here you see the cat cut out of black and mounted on parchment, with the paper types being reversed for the dancers -- parchment mounted on black. 

But some pieces I do differently -- cutting the image out of what is the top sheet and then mounting it so that the backing paper shows through the cuts, essentially filling in the image.  You'll see that when I post a picture of the commissioned piece I'm currently working on.  It is a tree with leaves that turn to butterflies and take flight.  This piece is for a wedding gift and will have some gold-leafing and calligraphy added to it before completion.  

I'm not aware that either way of making the picture defines it as scherenschnitte.  I was told that scherenschnitte means "scissors cuts."  Therefore, for a piece to be termed Scherenschnitte, it must be cut with scissors.  If a piece is cut with blades, then its just a papercutting.  If anyone out there knows otherwise, please correct me.  I definitely don't want to be spreading incorrect information!  Oh my!

March 13, 2013

Artifest

I am honored to be participating in a two-day event this year called  Artifest.  Artifest describes itself as "celebrating culture through art, music, dance and food."  Click on the link to see their website which shows beautifully all the exciting things this event has to offer.

Artifest is running June 8th & 9th at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, PA.  So not only do I have the pleasure of being a part of this exciting event, but I also get to check out this museum which has been on my list of "must see"s for gawd knows how long!  The Museum of Indian Culture is dedicated to educating all those who enter its doors on the Lenape (Delaware) people who inhabited this area.  They teach about other American Indian tribes as well.  Such an amazing organization!  I'm so honored that I was invited to be a part of such an event!

I had teased in my previous post that I'm doing some special pieces which I plan to debut at this event.  I have about 4 more designs to cut for this series.  Here is a preview of what's finished so far, with more to follow.

March 8, 2013

Think Spring

"To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart." ~ Thomas Watson, Sr. - Founder of IBM


Such inspirational words!!  And not only inspirational, but very profound for me at the moment. 

As I had mentioned last week, I had a small trip planned to visit family in Pittsburgh.  We spent an enjoyable time visiting with my dear darling sister (one and only sibling) and dearest brother-in-law.  They share a sweet Cape Cod with 2 adorable mini daschunds, Lady and Dimitri.  These dogs are sooo very precious and make for great portable heaters!  The minute your butt hits the sofa, they are on you!  They love to snuggle up tight against you under covers too!  I adore animals, especially snugly ones, so this made our visit all that more enjoyable.  Except for the fact that my son took ill while we were there, but let's not get into that now...

Once I returned from our little get-away, I had every intention of getting back to my blog and sharing with you all those exciting things I think of in the middle of the night or in the shower in the morning and just can't wait to talk about!  But then I returned to work.  And with returning to work came stress and exhaustion, and it just threw me for a loop this time for some particular reason.  Therefore, you haven't heard from me until now.  Needed to rest my brain a wee bit in order to write.  And even with that, I'm not fully rested so I admit this is a sad excuse for a blog post! 

But let's forge ahead and think happy thoughts here, shall we!  I have found that when I'm feeling less than creative, there are certain things that can help to spark me.  What do you do to get those creative juices flowing?  My go-to's include acts of quiet contemplation through meditation as well as immersions into favorite music or books.  Right now I'm hooked on this eerie piece of music from Abandoned Toys called The Witch's Garden.  If you enjoy any type of dark ambient, then this is for you!  Lots of piano, some strings, and an abundance of spooky sounds -- it totally transports me into a fantasy of roaming through a forest and stumbling upon an old abandoned stone cottage to snoop around.  (One of my favorite hobbies -- snooping around old abandoned buildings!  Ssshhhh...don't tell!!) 

Another thing that really gets those juices bubbling on high boil is flipping through the pages of any publication from Stampington & Company's Somerset Studio.  Right now I'm hooked on their newest publication Where Women Create Business.  So inspiring!  I highly recommend any of their publications, whether your interest be sewing, crafting, cooking, photography, journaling, scrapbooking, blogging...trust me, they have something for everyone! 

The weekend is upon us, and although I will be a bit busy, I will still have an opportunity to hit the reset button by doing some enjoyable things.  For example, I have a group of ladies I'll be gathering with tonight for wine, munchies, and lots of loud cackling.  Yes, we cackle!  There will also be some family time along with quiet time for reading and cutting.  And speaking of cutting...

I am finishing up some commissioned pieces and starting on a new series of cuts in preparation for an event I'll be participating in June 8th & 9th called Artifest.  It is at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, PA.  More on that event and the special cuts I'm doing for it later.  In the meantime, let me leave you with some pictures of one of the commissioned pieces.  Well, this isn't specifically the commissioned one, but it's the original of the piece.  Let me explain -- I did a piece on butterflies, to get me in the mood for spring when I was feeling the melancholy of a long cold winter night.  When I posted the piece on my Facebook page, I was contacted with a request to make one that someone wanted to purchase as a gift, using a dark blue background.  The pictures you see here are of the original piece I did which is mounted on a black background.  But the imagery is the same. 

In parting remember to think spring thoughts as you turn those clocks ahead this weekend!  Woo hoo!!  Bring on the flowers!




close-up of cuts


another close-up


March 1, 2013

Until We Meet Again...

I'm traveling out of the area for a weekend visit with my sister in Pittsburgh.  Therefore, no time for a long-winded post.  Lucky you!

I will however post one picture -- This is the first house I cut in a series I'm doing this year.  I adore Victorians!  And I have every intention of owning my own one day.  I hope for it to be a restoration project (thinking of you Insomniac's Attic!) but am not opposed to acquiring one that has already had the work done! ;) 

The piecces will be done seasonally so expect to see the next in this series sometime in May.

Eastlake Victorian
So until my return online on Tuesday, have a wonderful weekend! :)

February 28, 2013

Modern Times

I *love* making paper cuttings!!!  I can't emphasize that statement enough!  I love the whole process involved.  I love the finished result.  I love the way I lose myself for hours in cutting, the meditative experience of it.  I love taking a piece of paper and seeing a picture evolve from nothing as I slowly carve away the pieces, resurrecting the finished image.  I love analyzing the piece at the end, looking for imperfect cuts, cleaning it up, and later mounting it and adding my signature.  I love the feeling I get that can only be describe as a mix of satisfaction and awe, when a piece is matted or framed and the knowledge sinks in that I had a hand in creating something I feel is beautiful.  I feel great pride!  I feel accomplishment!  I feel, in that moment, like I could take on the world!!  That's how good making art makes me feel.  Any of you out there who creates any number of things will know what I'm talking about.

But I'm not going to lie.  I also love the way I feel when a piece sells.  It has nothing to do with the dollar amount exchanged.  Believe me, it doesn't!  But knowing someone is willing to spend hard earned money on something I've created is validating in a way that compliments aren't.  Of course, like any human being, I love to receive a compliment.  Who doesn't?!  And to receive a compliment on something I've created is best of all!  But when someone thinks enough of your work that they're willing to pay money for it, whether to give as a gift or hang on their own wall...well, there's just no other feeling out there like it!  It is quite the honor!!  And I wish for each and everyone of you out there to have an experience like that -- for something in your life to give you the kind of joy I feel in that moment!!

To say I feel passionate about what I'm doing is an understatement!!!  It is my passion for making art that keeps me going.  It is my passion that propels me forward into growing my art into something more.  Making art excites me!!  What excites you?

I am like every other modern-day woman out there.  I have commitments, responsibilities...who doesn't?!  I work a full-time job in a very stressful corporate environment.  I have a home to take care of, a family to support, and a young son to raise.  I have extended family I enjoy spending time with and friends I love to have adventures with.  Each week I make time for reiki and mediation, as my spiritual practice is just as imperative to my sanity as my art is!  And once the weather here in Pennsylvania starts to warm up, I'll be making time for hiking and "communing" with nature - also imperative to my sanity!  But I still find time for making art.  I make time for my art, because I love it so very much!!!  When my little boy goes to bed at night, I cut.  When there is a free moment on the weekend, I cut.  I wish I could devote much more time to cutting than I do.  This is why there are delays for me in my rolling out the different lines I have in mind, such as my literary series, my multi-colored pieces, and - gleeful whisper here - my super secret squirrel line that I just can't tell you about for fear someone will produce it before I do (shush, don't tell!!!)!  Someday soon, my art will be my mainstay.  But alas, that day is not today.

We are a fast-moving society.  We must acclimate ourselves to our environment in order to keep up.  But along with that, I believe it is of extreme importance that we find time each and every day to devote to something we love.  We must have an authentic expression or we'll go crazy!  I want to know - What is YOUR authentic expression?  What do you do that excites you?  What can you lose yourself in for hours that compares to no other form of release in your life?  What is your passion?

And without further ado, I shall step down from my soap box and add some pictures for your viewing pleasure.  Here are some pieces I did in the last few months that have a more contemporary flavor to them.  A traditional art form blended with contemporary flavor for these modern times.  Enjoy!!!


Willow Tree on some wavy green paper ~ Really makes that black pop, don't you think?

Chrysanthemum ~ again, posted on bold color paper in the hopes of appeasing those who prefer a more contemporary look

Bookmarks, anyone?

Octopus ~ holiday gift to my dearest friend (she loves octopi), which she hung in this totally awesome frame she found.  I love how the swirling pattern is a perfect compliment to those tentacles!


Commissioned holiday gift ~ contemporary sihlouette ~ I apologize for the crookedness of the photo

Housewarming gift for my sister & bro-in-law, who are proudly "owned" by 2 daschunds ~ mounted on brown polka-dot paper ~ get it?  brown paper?  The Browns?  hahaha, I slay me!

February 26, 2013

Versions

In my previous post, I showed you a cutting that was given as an anniversary present.  I explained that it was based on a more traditional look, using imagery and symmetry commonly found in traditional German pieces.  In this post, I'm going to show you another anniversary cutting that I did just two weeks ago, but this one is not so traditional in its look. 

I was commissioned to make this piece in celebration of a 10th wedding anniversary for a couple that was married one Valentine's Day.  When I was originally contacted, the woman who requested the piece had liked a more modern looking tree cutting that was pictured on my Facebook page.  The tree in question was originally cut as a gift for a teacher.  The client really liked the look of the tree and wanted something similar.  I must admit, she made it easy for me as she already pretty much had in mind what she wanted so it was easy to flush out details with just a few back-and-forth messages. 

She asked specifically for a black tree and gold parchment background.  She also wanted a heart or multiple hearts thrown in there and some writing, specifically "Happy 10th Anniversary" as well as her original wedding date.  Through our brief messages, it was decided to include 10 gold-leafed hearts to represent their 10 years together and frame it with a gold speckled black mat.

This was a fun project to work on as it was something unique and involved more than just the cutting.  I had fun speckling the mat by using a toothbrush to "flick" the gold paint onto it.  And as for the gold-leafing...well, in the past that was always a touchy task to do.  Anyone who's ever done gold-leafing with those flimsy pieces of paper knows what I'm talking about!  But I found a new product to use this time around and after sampling it found that it worked beautifully and gave a perfect finish!  As a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to using more of this product on the commissioned wedding piece I'll be starting next week!!


close-up of speckled mat


close-up of gold-leafed hearts
 Here is a picture of the finishing piece.  A more modern folk-arty tree for a more modern couple!  I wish many happy anniversaries to come for Nicole & Steve and I'm ever so grateful that I was given this opportunity to make a piece for their wall!!!


You must forgive me for the quality of my photos.  I am a poor picture-taker to begin with and it seems that I'm even worse when photographing my art.  Do me a favor and overlook my cock-eyed portraits.  Thank you!  :)

February 25, 2013

50 Years & Counting!

So what's new and exciting with you?  Hopefully you're answering with lots of enthusiasm as you detail happy little tidbits from this past weekend.  As for me, I had the privilege of attending a very special surprise anniversary celebration for my great-aunt & great-uncle who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday.  Below you will see pictures of the piece I made for them marking this special milestone in their lives.  As I made this piece, I took progress photos to post on my Facebook page as a "how to" for those who are curious about the process.  Allow me to share those photos with you along with a picture of the finished product!


 The design for this piece is from a pattern I bought.  As you can see, I have the pattern drawn out on parchment paper that is folded in half to create a piece with symmetry.  The imagery seen here is commonly found in traditional German pieces - birds, flowers and hearts.

For this particular piece, I used both scissors and a blade for cutting in some details, which you will see on the last picture in this post.


When cutting, it is best to start in the center of the piece and work your way out.  And most importantly, take your time!  Each cut MUST be precise.  Erroneous cuts for the most part mean trashed piece.  That does happen sometimes.



 Here is the piece with all the major cutting finished.  Unfolded, you can see the symmetry.  You'll see in the final pictures below that I did some detailing cuts to add definition to the birds and flowers. 



Here is the finished piece, pressed and mounted but prior to framing.  The parchment is mounted on black paper, which you can see through the cuts.  After pressing out the center crease, I added a little calligraphy flourish to personalize and voila!   



close-up showing detail cuts
 As mentioned above, there are times when a piece goes awry.  The original of this piece did just that, but not because of faulty cutting.  The "how to" pictures shown above are from about a month ago, which is when the 1st piece was originally cut.  Then earlier last week I did the calligraphy and put it aside to frame Thursday night.  Prior to framing, I cleaned the glass with Windex and must not have wiped it completely dry on the inside.  When putting the piece in, my calligraphy smudged.  Ack!!  Needless to say, I was not pleased and after yelling out a few choice words, knew what must be done.  So Friday night I cut a whole new piece and early Saturday morning I did the calligraphy so that it would have plenty of time to dry before being framed and wrapped for the party.  I must say, the Universe indeed works in mysterious ways because even though I was quite upset Thursday night with what happened, I definitely liked the look of the redo much better than the original and was glad that that was the piece to be gifted! 

In closing, I guess I should try to explain why I chose Doppelganger for the name of my blog.  I realize that the term has quite the sinister meaning.  But I just love the look and sound of the word!  From Day #1, it was at the top of my list when determining a name for my blog, with no logical reason as to why except to say it's catchy!  When looking up all the variations of definition, most frequently mentioned is "a ghostly double."  That describes what this blog is for me in terms of being the counterpart to the art of Preservation Art.  It's the modern written form running concurrent to my classical art expression.  Not that all the art I'm creating could be described as classical, but the creation of even the most modern imagery piece I make is based on a classic process of cutting from paper with tiny scissors (and sometimes blades).  Whereas this blog is being typed and displayed by a web-based medium -- a most modern expression.  Quite the "ghostly double" of the art it details, wouldn't you say?  So now, does my choice of blog name make sense?  In my muddled mind it does.  Bottom line is, I wanted a title that was catchy, provoking and intriguing.  I wanted something to pull people in..to trick them into entering my layer...ensnare them in my web!  Mwah~ha~ha~ha!!  And I guess it worked!  You're here, aren't you?! 

February 22, 2013

"Who are YOU?"

Willkommen!!!  Welcome to Doppelganger - my Journal of a Journey!!

Oh my...  First blog entry here!  Feeling lots of pressure!!  I must knock your socks off, otherwise you'll never want to come and visit me again!  And that would make me sad.  You have no idea how many times I have re-written this initial post.  Or how many times I have worked on tweaking the appearance of this blog.  Maybe I'm procrastinating its release... 

So what's the magic formula for a first-ever blog entry?  What will make you curious enough to come back for more?  I would think that choosing Doppelganger as a blog title would be enough to intrigue you.  But alas, if that isn't enough, then maybe I should explain who I am, what the purpose of this blog is, and why the heck I chose Doppelganger for its title.  (Btw, I know there should be umlauts over the 'a' but I can't figure out how to add them...)

Let us begin with a simple introduction.  "Who are YOU?"  The imperious caterpillar so aptly asked Alice as she made her way through Wonderland.  So who am I??  My name is Danielle and I am the proud owner/artist of Papercuttings by Danielle.  And what, pray tell, is Papercuttings by Danielle?  Glad you asked!  Papercuttings is the creative venture I officially started in October 2012 with the release of a Facebook page.  In the Spring of 2012 I had a conversation with a local shop owner that helped give me the push I needed to take a leap of faith and try my hand at said creative venture (after much hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth, that is).  And before I get completely off of track, let me come back around to the question at hand and explain that Papercuttings by Danielle is my little side business for making both traditional Scherenschnitte and contemporary paper cuttings. 

My long-term goal here is more than just paper cuttings.  Hence why I'm entitling my ENTIRE creative venture Preservation Art.  In the long run, I hope to make available multiple types of creations, most of which will stem from German folk art forms, in the hopes of keeping these art forms relevant in the present -- hence Preservation Art.  In striving to keep them relevant I hope to pique people's interest by creating varied types of visual presentation to attract those who, say for instance, wouldn't desire a piece of scherenschnitte in traditional nature imagery or fraktur painted in traditional primary colors.  But more on that later...  My goal is to roll out different projects and side ventures and title them all under the umbrella of Preservation Art.  

But wait, there's more -- the preservation aspect!  I also hope to teach people about the history of these art forms.  Where do they come from?  How were they traditionally made?  Etc, etc.  All in hopes of keeping these art forms alive and kicking for many years to come.  Granted, I'm sure these art forms are just fine on their own and will be desired and admired for hundreds more years.  But maybe not, and that's my fear.
  
I was born and raised in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  My birth place is rich in German history, that being one of the predominant nationalities of its original settlers.  My family came here a long, long time ago and worked hard for hundreds of years as farmers and coalminers, never losing sight of their heritage and in turn, their familial pride.  Their primary language for quite some time was Pennsylvania Dutch.  Today, it is rare to find someone who speaks PA Dutch fluently.  Most of us only know phrases or miscellaneous words anymore because, as a language, it has been dying out.  My paternal grandfather spoke PA Dutch at home but learned English for school.  You find that is still the case for Anabaptist families in this area, but not for the rest of us who are the descendants of these Pennsylvania Germans.  In seeing this, I realize how something we take for granted as an everyday norm can quickly turn a different direction and die out. 

I am quite proud of my heritage.  I wish to celebrate my ancestry.  Therefore, I'm hoping to do so with my art and with the creation of this blog.  In my posts, I will cover LOTS of territory, from tidbits about newly created pieces and new line releases to brief history lessons.  I'll share with you the triumphs and hopefully very few trials of being a first-time sole-proprietor as I strive to grow Papercuttings, and eventually Preservation Art, into a business.  I'll make announcements of upcoming appearances and offers treats for those who come out to see me at them!  I also hope to introduce to you other local artisans and celebrate the rich culture in this, the area I was born and raised in.  And maybe, just maybe, I will amuse and entertain you enough to bring you back again and again.  So join me on a journey -- of creation, self-discovery, and preservation!

Thank you for visiting and thank you in advance for your patience as I find my way in this attempt at blogging.  Tune in next time when we will discuss "Why Doppelganger" and "What's New With You?"  Auf wiedersehen! 


View completed works on my Facebook page - Preservation Art