Kelsey Herber, School Programs Associate
This week in the studio we are diving into the work of Kirsty Mitchell as seen in her exhibition, The Spellbound Spirit: Photographs by Kirsty Mitchell, on display at FWMoA now until April 26. More specifically, we’re looking into Mitchell’s thought process provided by the artist herself in her thorough blog posts found on her website: www.kirstymitchell.art/wonderland/.
Mitchell cites cut-paper artists such as Elsa Mora and even fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen, as well as pop-up storybooks, as inspiration for the intricate designs found within her floral photographs. With a skilled hand, paper can be sliced, folded, and reworked in complex and elaborate methods that evoke patterns and details seen in nature; Mitchell combines these styles together in her storytelling photographs.
In the spirit of paper cutting and Mitchell’s beautiful photographs full of lush nature, just in time for spring, we’re going to make our own cut-paper pop-up card!
Materials:
- Paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
Optional materials:
- Pencil
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting surface
Choose one piece of paper to be the card itself. Fold it in half hamburger style, then cut two notches about an inch apart, along the fold. The strip that you’ve just cut in the center of the paper can now be folded inward so it bends the opposite way as the rest of the paper’s crease.
Since Kirsty Mitchell’s artworks are mostly centered around floral nature designs, I stuck with a flowery pop-up image. Using white or colorful paper, draw your desired design and cut it out. I used four different colors for my pop-up image.
Once your image is cut out, glue it to the horizontal plane of the tab you cut into the card base. This will allow the image to move as the card is opened and closed. You can practice with bigger tabs, multiple tabs, and varying imagery!
For more inspiration, see The Spellbound Spirit: Photographs by Kirsty Mitchell, on display at the FWMoA now until April 26, 2026.