Cut Paper Art Workshop

In this workshop, artist Maude White introduces the intricate, meditative practice of building cut paper art. We invite you to explore Maude’s visual portfolio of work on her website and through social media to see all of the possibilities this technique implores. For this particular workshop, we’ll be focusing on custom templates that range from beginner to advanced paper slicing as well as observational creation from the world around you.

Learn more about the details of this project on Maude’s Featured Maker Page.

The ancient art of paper cutting is practiced around the world. It first originated in the 4th century CE in China during the Han Dynasty. In the 13th century it came to Europe via Germany and Switzerland with folded scherenschnitte and silhouette art. In Japan, people create kirigami, which is cut and folded paper art. In Mexico, people create papel picado from folded colored tissue paper. A beautiful aspect of paper cutting is that paper is everywhere, all over the world, and so many richly diverse cultures have their own paper cutting traditions. You’ll soon see that Maude’s technique varies from these historical practices by utilizing a very sharp blade held much like a pencil or paint brush to execute fine cuts to ultimately create positive and negative space.  

This workshop includes:

• A detailed, digital workshop on the techniques and execution of cut paper art by Maude White
• A live & recorded Maker Chat Q&A with our artist
• Tools and materials from artisan suppliers, curated for you, by Maude

The tools & materials included in this kit:

• The blade handle + set of blades Maude uses to slice paper
• A self-healing cutting mat
• Protection tools to keep fingers intact
• A set of specialty sourced paper with the fiber counts and weight Maude prefers to work closely with
• An archival black mat to mount one’s finished work on
• A custom ash wood frame built in collaboration with carpenters from New Mexico to display your art in your home (includes glass, frame backing + hanging accessories)
• Three custom templates designed by Maude ranging from beginner to advanced (optional but helpful to use as you start)

Happy making!