"Cutting the Curve" - adult workshop at the Museum of Classical Archaeology

Last Saturday 20th Feb, I had the real pleasure of doing another adult workshop at the Museum of Classical Archaeology. This time it was themed in with my exhibition "Cutting the Curve - Crafting the Classical Body". Its been a very well received exhibition, both by the public and critically and it was great to have an event where adults not used to working with cut paper were able to come and have a go at the art of paper cutting and reverse layered collage. One thing was made very clear

There is a magic to paper cutting and its this.......you have to be completely present in the now.

To use the craft knife and concentrate, you have to really focus and you find you forget about everything else like eating, drinking or even going to the loo. Its very absorbing! As you cut away you get results straight away, so its very addictive too.....and yet very settling and calming.

The sound of the creative hush of people cutting and working.....

Coloured paper being cut and fitted......

Everyone working away.....


I prepped up some traceable templates for people to use. I designed these specifically so that they could be kept as they are or tweaked and customisable. I never know who is going to come to a workshop and what ability they are, so I always do careful planning to ensure that everyone goes home with a great outcome. Adults can feel a bit vulnerable and scared if plonked in front of a plain piece of paper and these tracings just give everyone enough of a hook to grasp and get into that kind of thinking zone.

The template tracings.....

Look what was made! by ages from 14 to mid 70's!


And some lovely feedback too.......