Artist Anita Bowerman discovered paper cutting a few years ago and hasn’t looked back since. ‘On a visit to Switzerland I saw the beautiful Scherenschnitt paper cuts depicting scenes from folklore, and was really inspired. The next thing I did was to take a course on how to paper cut and I was away!’
There has been a growing popularity in paper cutting lately because of interest in the designs of artist and illustrator Rob Ryan whose work has been described ‘as spreading a little love around our homes’.
The art of paper cuts has a long and interesting history dating back to sixth century China. It became widespread in Europe from the 17th century onwards. Perhaps the most famous European paper cutter was Hans Christian Andersen who illustrated his fairytales with paper cuts.
‘I absolutely adore designing each image and cutting it out,’ says Anita who has spent most of her time recently completing paper cut maps of York, Harrogate and Ilkley, each of which can take up to 100 hours. She then makes Giclee prints of each paper cut.
Anita studied fashion design and Illustration at Central St Martins College of Art in London, and has painted all her life. She runs Dove Tree Art Studios in Harrogate from where she sells her work and also runs a popular series of painting and mixed media art courses. She is currently working on a commission to complete three large paper cuts in the Tree of Life design.
Find out more at anitabowerman.co.uk
