FELICIA'S FABULOUS FOLKART

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Wycinanka: "RED ROOSTER" Polish Paper Cut by Felicia

Wycinanka: "BLACK ROOSTER....Stop and smell the flowers!"

WYCINANKA ROOSTERS by Felicia

Wycinanka: "EIGHT ROOSTERS IN A TREE"

Wycinanka: GODDESS IN A TREE


This is a very simple wycinanka that can be done with children in a classroom.

Wycinanka: "Tree of Life"

This is a Wycinanka which is symmetrical (same on both sides) and stylistic...typical of the one-colored "Trees of Life" made in several regions of Poland. The blue paper is folded lengthwise, half of the design is drawn on the back, all the negative space is cut out carefully with sharp scissors, and when the cutting is unfolded, it is glued onto heavy paper. This paper cut is on permanent display at Roberson Museum in Binghamton, NY in their traditional folk artist section.

Wycinanka Polish Paper Cutting and Scherenschnitte German Paper Cutting

The paper cutting above is a Wycinanka, or Polish Paper Cutting. It has a stylized cut for the tree, horses, and animals. This one includes the "Goddess in the Tree". Roosters represent fertility and life. The curlicures represent water and air.

The paper cut below is a Scherenschnitte, or German Paper Cut. The figures and the tree are more realistic, similar to a silhouette. Some of the earliest "photos" were shadow silhouettes of people, animals, and nature.

AVIARY TREE WYCINANKA

I folded the blue paper in half lengthwise and drew half of the design on the white background with pencil. I then proceeded to cut out all of the negative spaces with fine point very sharp scissors, as are used for embroidery or scherenschnitte. I like cuticle scissors the best. When the design was unfolded, it revealed the completed Tree of Life with roosters and birds in the tree and on the ground. I found a piece of scrapbooking paper that had the golden squiggles on it and felt that it gave my cutting the whimsy that I was looking for and it made the blue color POP!