A Thousand Tiny Snips go by in the first hour...


Each piece starts with a single cut. As the hours fly by, thousands upon thousands of snips combine to create the finished product. Sometimes, the piece of paper that falls away isn't readily visible to the naked eye. 


As I work, the picture in my mind shifts and grows, accommodating the changes that are taking place on the page. Sometimes, I see the whole picture all at once, other times it emerges piece by piece as I go, as if out of a fog.


People often ask me, "What happens when you make a mistake?" Honestly? I just change where I'm going, so it's not a mistake anymore. Some of the most exciting elements actually come from snip that went too far. (A nice metaphor, if you ask me, and a lot more practical than starting over when there's no going back.) 



TOOLS: I use the little scissors in my Victorinox Classic Swiss Army Knife (the mini). Not only are the scissors the perfect size and sharpness, they allow full motion in my wrists as I work. I also love that they're a family company, which I'm honored to support. Sometimes, for long clean cuts, I'll use the blade, but I prefer the look you get from a scissor cut.

Time-lapse video: The final cuts on "Kara" 

Papercutting is an old craft, a slow craft, and one that has roots in nearly every culture on earth. I'm proud to be part of the lineage of historic papercutting artists and the current resurgence of this time-honored art form.

HOUR BY HOUR: "West 10th Street" 


© 2016 by HANNAH KOHL. 

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Hour 9