When it comes to magic there are two kinds of people: those who must know how the trick is done and those who just want to enjoy the illusion. In that same sentiment, we don't need to know how Jenny Lee Fowler makes her intricate silhouettes (from birch bark and leaves in addition to paper), we just want to appreciate the beautiful results. In her words, "my silhouettes are freehand cut while observing a subject-- no shadows, no tracing, no photoshop-- just terribly sharp little scissors."
Jenny works in several mediums, most recently birch bark from the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York where she lives.
She also renders silhouettes from leaves (it it's too late in the season, bookmark this idea for the Spring).
And, of course, she works with paper as well. For all her custom silhouettes she requires a profile portrait of the subject (you, your kids, pets, etc.) taken against a neutral background. Her work ranges from $20 to $50 for one subject.
Visit Jenny Lee's shop to see more silhouettes and her other paper work including 3-D trees (great for those of us in apartments too small for a real Christmas tree).
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
