Kate McAlaine

Realizing the aesthetics of simplicity

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One of my favorite artist is Nikki McClure. She makes beautiful cut-paper pieces depicting simple scenes that capture the beauty of hard work, nature, and family. I get her calendar each year, have a couple of her prints, and put one of her designs on my foot... permanently!

In college, before I knew of Nikke McClure, I did many paper cut projects myself. It was a medium I'd come back to time and time again. I love the intricate detail and careful craftsmanship an exacto knife requires.

I've toyed with the idea of making paper cut-outs quite a few times in the past few years, yet was hesitant in my attempts. Here are two pieces I did recently as birthday gifts for friends.

As much as I like the scene of Maine, I don't care for the printed paper beneath it as representation of the sea, rocks, land, etc. Next time, I will experiment with ways to simplify it, and use the black paper to represent positive and negative space, rather than just outlines.

I prefer the smaller pattern piece, because it is abstract, and there is repetition in the background paper. This is a medium I will most certainly continue to explore.

Cut Paper Pieces

Portland, Maine

Contact Information: kmcalaine@gmail.com