Papercu!er Jessica Baldry draws inspiration from vintage botanical prints and nature to create her striking silhoue!es
Taking her inspiration from classic folk art and antique horticultural prints, Jessica Baldry hand-cuts intricate botanical paper artworks with character and colour
From sweet collages of roses and blossom, to silhoue!es of sprawling ferns and veined leaves, Bristol-based artist Jessica Baldry begins each of her papercut creations with a hand- drawn sketch. These are o"en made while strolling in her local botanic garden. Each tentative bud or tender stem is then painstakingly cut by hand, creating # nished artworks that are as delicate as they are beautiful.
What is your background?
I’ve always loved making and knew that I wanted to be an artist from a young age. I studied Ceramics at university and went on to work as a surface decorator for Dartington Po!ery, which taught me the value of my own ideas and artistic skills. I started experimenting with designs of my own during my lunchbreaks at Dartington, before leaving and # nding my own li!le studio to create in independently. This is when I began trying out papercu!ing projects: creating illustrative pieces to sell at local markets and shops. Eventually, I took the leap and set up my own design business.
When did you rst discover papercut illustration?
Papercu!ing originated in ancient China, and it is still a popular traditional cra " today. I # rst saw handmade paper
silhoue!es on a trip to China during my degree, and I was entranced by the delicacy and intricate detail. I bought myself a paper bu!er "y, (which I still have!) and desperately wanted to try and produce something that beautiful myself. Once home, I began to experiment with simple cut designs for friends and family, and I began to notice papercu!ing more and more in the work of the designers and illustrators that I admired.
What inspires you?
I love nature and the outdoors, so a lot of my work is based around sketches made at botanic gardens, or while walking in the woods. I also # nd myself drawn to folk art and vintage botanical illustrations – they in "uence my style of design.
How do you make one of your papercut illustrations?
All of my original pieces begin with a sketch. This is then # ne-tuned and either cut out from a single sheet of paper using a cra $ knife to form an intricate silhoue!e, or di %erent elements are drawn and cut from layers of coloured paper to allow me to create a collage. These designs then go on to become greetings cards or limited- edition prints. I have also recently begun to laser- cut some of my paper "owers, as making replica petals by hand can take a long time!
Do you have a favourite design to create?
I’m always challenging myself to produce pieces with more complex details, and I have just
‘I’m drawn to folk art and vintage botanical illustrations – they in uence my style of design.’
! nished one of my botanical papercuts inspired by zinnia "owers. Cu#ing each of the gorgeous layered petals has made it my most timeconsuming project yet, but it was so rewarding.
How do you display your designs at home?
I don’t have any of my own creations on display at home, as I enjoy collecting prints by other designers so much! I have lots of pieces by Rob Ryan, Katie Sco#, Lara Hawthorne and Naomi Wilkinson, all of whom I admire. I also love Elizabeth Olwen’s textile pa#ern designs, and I have framed a couple of her fabric o$- cuts. My family have a few of my creations on display as they have received so many papercut gi %s over the years. My parents have one of my poppy silhoue#es hanging in a "oating frame from their kitchen window, which looks really e$ective in the light.
What are you currently working on?
My priority right now is to complete a personalised wedding gi % commission for a customer – I love the creative challenge of creating one- o$ designs for people. I’m also designing a botanical logo for a "orist and I’ve started to create a new series of large-scale botanic papercuts. And, one day, I’d love to design a collection of "oral repeat pa#erns for home textiles. See more of Jessica’s intricate creations at jessicabaldry designs.com