Lovely Scherenschnitte depicting a seemingly Cheshire cat morphed into a folk art feline, signed and dated by the artist, “S. Gilpin”, “1987” held under glass. Scherenschnitte, which means "scissor cuts" in German, is the art of paper cutting design originally founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 16th century. This stylized art form was brought to Colonial America in the 18th century by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania.
Sandra Gilpin is recognized by “Early American Life” magazine as one of the top 200 crafts creators in the United States. According to Sandra here is some history about her artwork in her own words:
"My papercutting’s are a reflection of my Swiss and German heritage and a desire to continue the tradition of Scherenschnitte. Inspiration for my traditional and contemporary designs may develop from a quotation, museum research, or the discovery of interesting details that surround me in my travels. Once I create a design, I translate that into a papercutting by drawing the design on parchment paper with a pencil and pen and ink. The design is embellished with watercolor and ink. Surgical scissors and X-acto knife are used to cut out the design which is then displayed in a faux-finish frame. For me, the challenge of papercutting is bringing together the mechanical techniques and the aesthetic elements to create a work of art that is visually pleasing and sometimes provides food for thought”.
What an amazing artist! This creation is full of whimsical detail referencing the two opposing nests near the top as one shows baby birds that await their mother while the other holds a tiny mouse. A red heart accents the cat’s collar and his snake positioned tail is safely tucked under his paws. If this piece does not bring a smile to your face, I don’t know what will! Back shows printed history about the Scherenschnitte form along with how Sandra used this technique to create this piece. Offered with free shipping.
Stands 8” tall, measures 7” across and is ½” thick.
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