She’s a whirlwind in a thorn tree…

This is a loose step-by-step of how I’m creating this papercut. I hope you find it useful! My sister, who I’m making this for, said she’d like a picture of a goddess. I took a Johnny Cash lyric as my muse and title of this piece – A Whirlwind in a Thorn Tree – a…

Paper Moth Heaven

Paper Moth Studios is here! I’ve been ankle-deep in cuttings and confetti for quite some time now. I love the mindfulness and meditation of paper cutting; just following lines, cutting space, making way for light to shine through. I’ve been in heaven. What would a paper moth’s heaven be? A lightbulb? I think so; good…

Silk Skirt Ripped from the Lining of an Antique Wardrobe

  Dupioni silk – stiff, high sheen – has always been used for royalty and wedding dresses. This gorgeous silk lined my antique wardrobe until this weekend. When I bought it, the silk was ripped and hanging loose, threadbare, begging to be stripped. I had just moved to Oxford and vowed to buy a wardrobe so…

Chalk Skulls & Vodka

The Chiltern Hills in England are made of chalk. Friday night Sean collected armfuls of the rocks from a building site that were bound for the skip. Balls of chalk rolled from Sean’s arms onto the kitchen table like dusty skulls. We took them in hand and wrote each other love notes on the house –…

Home-Grown Love Letter

In my Oxfordshire garden in 2012 I spelled out my name and my lover’s name with dandelion leaf, pods, seeds, sweet pea tendrils, and anemone. The neighbor’s horse on the other side of the wall nuzzled me and searched my pockets for fruit as I arranged my foraged love letter. The horse, the wind, and…

Yours Truly with Tattoos

  Years ago my youngest daughter drew my portrait for me with blazing red hair, a “Sublime” T-shirt, and a realistic rendering of my Celtic tattoo necklace. I love it. It’s hanging from my computer as a reflection of my best self.