The Art of Wycinanki – Polish Paper Cutting

Description: Wycinanki is a traditional Polish artform used to celebrate the beginning of Spring! A wonderful and unique activity or gift leading up to Mother’s Day. Produce stunning results as you cut designs and patterns in this ancient paper art form that requires few tools, inexpensive supplies, and is portable so can be done almost anywhere. Learn basic technical skills with scissors and sharp knives plus their care and sharpening. Practice traditional cut shapes and styles. Build confidence as you practice strategies of careful observation to develop your own imagery for single and colorful multi-layer paper cut compositions. Image presentations will illustrate many examples of traditional wycinancki paper cuts and alternative uses for paper-cut designs.

Audience: All experience levels welcome, children should be of suitable age to use sharp tools and be accompanied by an adult participant if under age 12.

Supplies:

Participants please bring the following items:

(instructor will also provide paper and tools to borrow)

-Various sharp large and small scissors (straight, curved, texture cut/crinkle-cut) that you may already have

-Paper punches you may already have: both hole punches and shape punches

-Exacto or sharp utility knife

-A few sheets of tracing paper, or a bit of baking parchment

-A small cutting mat or smooth piece of card board (such as the back of an 8.5×11 inch paper pad) to cut upon

-Craft papers that you may already have: black, white, colorful, small and larger pieces, several pieces of photo-copy or school paper. Thin and thicker papers up to the thickness of card stock will work. Origami papers and colorful magazine papers work well. The papers can have designs and patterns or can be a single color.

-Something to carry your work home in

OPTIONAL: A turn table/ lazy-susan type. If you bring one, also bring a piece of smooth dense cardboard (not corrugated cardboard) to attach to the turn table to protect the turn table surface from cuts.

*Please bring your own beverages and snacks as there are no food services on site*

Cost: $75 per person (includes GST & ticket fee)

Cancellation & Refund Policy: Please note there is a NO REFUND policy on all Leighton Art Centre workshops. A refund will only be issued to participants if the workshop is cancelled by the workshop coordinator due to insufficient enrollment, extreme weather conditions, or Covid-19 restrictions. Workshops may be cancelled prior to the start date and participants will be notified via email and/or phone, and a full refund will be processed. Withdrawal from workshops for medical reasons must be accompanied by a doctor’s medical note or a positive COVID 19 rapid test and must be received by the Leighton workshop coordinator prior to the workshop start date to be qualified for a full refund.

Artist Biography: Susan Kristoferson, MFA, BFA, hand paints and dyes papers to create an extensive palette of papers for her unique collages and fine craft objects and for use by other creatives. She has been an art teacher, art professor, and head of a fiber arts program. She now works with specialty papers to create visually textured and patterned papers that often look like fabric. Her work and been exhibited in more than 200 exhibits including the Pattern & Flow decorative paper collection at the Watson Library at the Metropolitan Art Museum, and is in collections across the USA, in Japan, China, and Canada. She specializes in creating paper collages and fine craft paper arts.