Daveland Disneyland Main Street East Side Photos features Silhouettes by Cindi!

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Silhouette Wedding So Sweet!

Nestled in the famous 17 mile drive in lovely Carmel, California the most intimate, special wedding was designed by a secret society event planner extraordinaire, and she researched talent and selected American top silhouette artist, Cindi Harwood Rose, from extensive research on unique wedding ideas.  Although, C.H. Rose, lives in Houston, she readily accepts silhouette bookings in New York, California, Colorado, London, or Virginia, as she has family there.  The exquisite wedding included catered Italian food, the best wines, an Italian opera singer, a musical trio, abundant flowers, and a scrumptious 5 course dinner.  This catered dinner included, hand-made gourmet pizza, lobster, two different steaks, salads, cheeses, and beautiful desserts.  Cindi Rose topped the wedding cake with her silhouette art--  lovely cut profiles of a couple looking at one another. Silhouette touches were, placed in romantic locations throughout the lovely grounds and in the interior of the mansion.  As usual, silhouette artist, Cindi  Rose arrived early to eliminate stress for the wedding planner.  This was a small, intimate wedding and the distinguished silhouette artisan not only entertained everyone at the groom's reception, it was a conversation piece.  Cindi is a silhouette artist of over 35 years' experience and is from a line of four generations of artists. She had formerly done her art at both Disneyland and Disneyworld, becoming, not only the fastest silhouette artist in amusement park history, and history,  but one of the most accurate, and detailed artists.  "I really see that everyone is unique as they are," Cindi says.  Style is important to this skilled fine artist, and accuracy, no two of her silhouettes ever look the same.  Her silhouette art work is not the generic style you may find that does not contain details, or is computer generated or drawn first, then, cut.  These are delicate heirlooms and keepsakes! Cindi, a natural born artist, merely looks at you, and does not sketch, she cuts the profile directly out of thin black paper, then mounts it on acid free cardstock, signing each piece.  She offers the bride and groom lovely oval picture frames of their silhouettes facing one another, as a wedding gift from the premier artist.

"It was wonderful, to go to Carmel as a working vacation," Cindi admitted.  She said her husband, Franklin, played golf at The Inn at Spanish Bay, while she did wedding silhouettes.  Cindi did two silhouettes of each guest, and of course, the bride and groom, one for everyone to keep, and one for a guest book signed by each guest for the newlyweds to cherish forever!  She brought her own camera and captured a few shots to share with the many who tie the knot for bliss ever after. . . silhouettes by the sea, and by C. H. Rose!  

Silhouettes by Cindi for Cancer Survivors

Silhouettes by Cindi for cancer survivors

Silhouette artist, Cindi Harwood Rose, will cut silhouettes on Oct. 13, at an inspiring fundraising Yoga festival titled "Stretching for a cause"  to benefit cancer survivors and their families.  She founded the Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation 501 ( c ) ( 3 ), in memory of her sister, Holly Harwood Skolkin, a former silhouette artist, wife, mother, photographer, and evolved human, who battled cancer with love for over 15 years.  For this event, "Stretching for a Cause" Cindi hand-cut a man, woman, and child peacefully doing yoga, to depict that peace and love can cure much in the world.  Yoga has been found to add much to a life span, through a vegetarian diet, and meditations.  Stretching and bone density exercise benefits wellness in body, mind, and spirit.  October is breast cancer awareness month.  The HRRF benefits men, children, and women, and their families, to prevent cancer, help cancer survivors, and to make life better for those with cancer with loving activates, scholarships to college for high school graduates who lost a parent to cancer, free post reconstruction. The non-profit was founded by Dr. Franklin and Cindi Rose, and is directed by Lily Paxson.  Any donation is appreciated, as all monies raised go to the patients and research.

This fund-raiser is generously underwritten by the gorgeous world-renown Houstonian health club, the best you can find.  To make a donation, please go to HollyRoseRibbonFoundation.org

Five most important steps to a Wonderful Wedding by Cindi silhouettes

Five most important steps to a Wonderful Wedding by Cindi silhouettes

Get Engaged, Get ready, Get set, Go, Stay Focused on Love!

Silhouette artist Cindi's Five Key Wedding steps to Forever Bliss!

1.        Get Engaged!  Have you ever looked at the best wedding magazines such as Premier Bride, The Knot Magazine, Wedding Style, Get Married, Martha Stewart Wedding, or Inside Wedding, and tried to come up with a unique wedding idea for your special day?  So many people dream of their wedding day, and start planning it even before they have met their mate.  This article is not for the dreamer, it is for someone planning an actual wedding.  After, you and your special someone has decided to wed, it is important to find an agreeable date, a judge or clergy, a cantor or special wedding singer, photographer, and book the venue (even if it a secret elopement). The venue can be a destination, a place of worship, a ranch, a restaurant, hotel, home, country club, ranch or farm.  You have to figure out "your bride and groom signature."  Let's call it " the bliss theme."  Decide if you want a wedding videographer, this can be very expensive, and you need to put this in your budget. Men, you have plenty of time, to figure out the honeymoon, and it is your responsibility to pay for that, the ring (bride should buy you a groom's ring), and the rehearsal dinner.  Don't worry, the wedding can often cost more than all that.  Bridezillas- contain your inner diva, don't start acting like a brat already! Remember always during the next steps, why you love the person you will marry, keep that on your mind 24/7.

2.        Get Ready!  Pick your theme-- creative theme ideas are: vintage, classic, modern, rustic, over-the-top, elegant, or storybook.  Themes can be a fruit, a season, or even your favorite book, or classic silhouettes!  One unique blogger used the season, winter, as her theme. Not only did her wedding party wear gloves and warm furry hats they served hot chocolate, warm apple cider, with a home-made cake being placed on logs, and  crafty pine-cone candles as party favors.  Bands are tricky, they are either too loud, or a bit off key. You can find your entertainment on-line at wedding sites such as Gigmasters or The Knot.  Please go listen to your band in person, or your DJ or wedding singer.  You can't rely on the CD, you need to really check them out! This second wedding detail includes thinking about linens on the table, chair covers, and your over-all color scheme, which your bridal party should also wear. If you want to do a black and white theme with a splash of color, check out silhouettesbycindiblogspot and Cindi Rose's wedding wonderful video on Bing, YouTube, and AOL. Any museum that allows you to have a wedding there, is a fabulous place to do a wedding, and that can be your theme, and you are donating to their venue, to preserve a tradition, or body of work.  You should also take time to pick and ask friends to be in your wedding party, and let them plan any special showers for you, at their price point, and your relatives may want to give an engagement shower, or perhaps your parents.  Older, brides and grooms, you can give your own engagement party, should you chose to, or skip this part, just shouting on top of the mountain, "I am getting hitched, I am in love, I am in love, I am in love!"

3.   Get Set!  Find the cake or cakes!  Normally there is a chocolate one for the groom,  almond, carrot, or raspberry cream for the bride.  Often the bridal party is told to place their bouquets around the cake!  Some elect to do one cake with each layer being a different flavor, but normally chocolate is one of them.  Your theme can top the cake!  You can look -on-line for a special cake topper, or put something that has to do with your favorite activities or a keepsake.  At this early stage in many cases a wedding planner is enlisted. It can cost ten to twenty thousand dollars or more, depending on how involved you want him/her to be.  But they have researched venues, meals, gifts, timing, dresses, events, social etiquette, staging, bands, music, florists. . .   If you have an incredible career, you may want them to do their job, so you can focus on your job and your honey and the nuptials, which should be personal.   Wedding planners take you to the best and most reliable sources for your cakes, flowers, stationery, dress, tux, music, extra entertainment, stores to register, clergy. . . in the order they feel is "the order!"  Musically, you have many choices:  a friend with a great voice can be "your" singer as you walk the aisle. You may want a band, DJ, or your own music mix.  It is YOUR day! They have their staff (at $50 per hour) and free interns standing around and trouble shooting at your wedding, and making sure the announcements are made-- first dance, throwing the bouquet, eating the cake, leaving for honeymoon. . .  It is costly.  I did not have this, I had a bridesmaid do this at my wedding, she also happened to work in a wedding shop. Bridal shops and your favorite city magazines such as Aspen Peak, H Magazine, Dallas, or New York Times Weddings have the best tips.  You can get more ideas on SilhouettesbyCindi.com, The Knot, the O List, or GigMasters.  Your wedding should reflect your love, and your hearts.  It should be personal.

4          Go! Think about stationery.  You can go to many lovely venues that specialize in this such as Events, Bering's, Tanglewood Gifts in Houston, Swoozies in Denver and Atlanta.  In New York City favorite invites have come from: Greenwich Letterpress, Cuisine & Foxy & Winston, Kate's, Blacker and Kooby, or any on-line stationery company, Zazzle being the most reasonable and fastest.  Some of the wedding stationery must haves are the announcement, wedding invitation, wedding program, menu cards, place cards, table cards, thank-you notes for before and after the wedding (can the same with the bride and groom facing in real artist (not computer generated those are trite, not real, actually not attractive) silhouette.  You can also get creative in your invites, my favorite invitations are scrolls, or large boxes, with unique invites inside them, hand-delivered, perhaps with confetti, or rose petals (from Michael's or Hobby Lobby).

               Figure your look, examine the local bridal magazines, consult with several hair designers, imagine if you want a make-up artist such as Edward Sanchez or Michael DeMarse, if you live in Houston or Austin.  Think about bouquets, do you want them woodsy, creative, old-fashioned, what flowers are in season, what is your color scheme? Join some fun wedding sites, and share your ideas with others, see what is something, old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. You can even make your own wedding blog, with all the information of where you are registered, the history of your romance, and other special tidbits you may want to share.

5. Stay Focused!  Most important is your vows.  This can be a surprise to your fiancée' you can each write them and recite them to one another while your friends and family witness the sacred moment.  Print your vows and frame them in 5 x 7 frames as gifts to your guests.   Planning a marriage ceremony can be stressful, but remember the union is about love and commitment, don't do anything to jeopardize your relationship.

The Best one-stop shop features Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose By Renne Dilenseger

The Best one-stop shop features Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose

By Renne Dilenseger

                It was a popular attraction to have renown silhouette artist Cindi Harwood Rose at Bering's Back to School fashion show event. Happy moms, dads, grandparents and lovely children, awaited with excitement for their silhouette to be hand-cut by a master.  They were also thrilled to be in America's top one shop store which features hardware, housewares, furnishings, stationery, fine gifts, baby registry, children's clothing and toys, and outdoor living. "This is my favorite store to shop in," artist Cindi H. Rose claimed, "there is everything you could ever want in giftware and cookery." The line waiting for the former Disney artist included customers of hers from decades ago, who now wanted their next generation to be silhouetted by the master. Some came with the idea of having bride and groom silhouettes made with Bering's stationery department designing the invitations, or holiday cards made from Cindi's detailed silhouettes.  The excitement too, was that 25 percent of the income was to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. One man said he drove in from Dallas to have the former Disney artist silhouette him. " He found me on my SilhouettesbyCindiFacebook, and had his silhouette done by me when he was 5, and I was a teenager, doing silhouettes for a Disney art company in Houston at Astroworld," the pop artist said.  Another woman, came in from San Antonio, where Rose had silhouetted her for The San Antonio Express Newspaper, in 1981. A grandmother of two sets of twins, had her children done by Cindi Harwood in New York, in 1983, when Cindi lived there with her husband, famed plastic surgeon, Dr. Franklin Rose and her celebrity daughter, Erica, now a reality star and law graduate from The Bachelor and other TV shows.

Rose was attired in silhouette necklaces that can be made from her own work scanned and placed into findings from craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's and sealed with Modge Podge. She also had a silhouette game at her table for the children to play with.   Cindi Harwood did over 80 silhouettes in 4 ½ hours, mounting and signing each one herself.  "I love to do fundraisers for Presidential and children's museums, schools, churches, historic houses, and non-profits.  It is a win/win. The venue gets more traffic and sales, and they benefit financially," Mrs. C. H. Rose attested.  Her work represented a modern twist to the old-fashioned art, making it more pop fine art, with style.

                C. Rose taught herself to cut silhouettes as a young teen when she realized that drawing portraits for a theme park was too competitive and messy.  "I did not know that silhouette cutting from life was a lost art and that there are only a few handfuls of silhouette artists in the world.  I just picked up the scissors and cut one out by looking at the art manager, and he hired me on the spot, took back my portrait artist smock, and let me design my own silhouette outfit," Rose explained.  For more information, look at SilhouettesbyCindi.com and see her videos on YouTube.  The real art of cutting a French styled silhouette is with small black paper, no shadow, no light, no photo, just from observing a profile and a personality, and then directly cutting the interpretation with fine details.  Lavatar, a German psychiatrist a few hundred years ago used silhouette artists to help him determine personality from features.

               

Color Silhouettes by Cindi Harwood Rose for Home Decor

Color Silhouettes by Cindi Harwood Rose for Home Decor

America's premier silhouette artist, Cindi Harwood Rose, has been adding color to her palate of modern-day hand-cut (not Photoshopped) silhouettes.  With Oily Moss doing popular comic, television, and action figures, it is a delightful challenge to add a touch of color to the Victorian art of carving black cut profiles with scalpel, scissors, and exacto knife.  Many of C.H. Rose's  designs are requests, Emilio Pucci was done for a Fashion show, a bride and groom for the front room of their dining room, and the Peter Pan artworks for a children's room.  Cindi Harwood, the daughter, of an architectural designer, is knowledgeable on utilizing space with art to emote feelings. "My mother would draw interiors of home to scale for architects, and then pick the furnishings, wall covering, floors and floor coverings."  She reflected her client's tastes, blending in her own.

  Thus, the art of silhouette for decorating a home, is as key as a belt for a dress, or that set of pearls for the basic black dress.  The silhouette, like the pearls, can make a statement.  Especially, if it is an authentic one made from observation, not a shadow, Photoshop, or from a picture.  When I do a subject's profile, I determine who they are, and add their psychology into the finished piece, often adding intuitive marks on the actual finished piece about the individual, psychic silhouettes.

Silhouettes by Cindi Featured on StyleMePretty's Wedding Entertainment Website!

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Cindi Rose- the world's best, fastest, and most detailed silhouette artist in Denver, CO just in time for Father's Day!!

Cindi Harwood Rose, the world's best, fastest, and most detailed silhouette artist will be at Swoozie's in Denver, Colorado Saturday, June 8th, from 11:00am - 3:00pm just in time for Father's Day!! 

Cindi Harwood, a fourth generation artist and paper cutter, began drawing portraits as a child, and doing silhouettes as a teen.  Her mother, Doris, was an architect, and paper cutter of known skills.  Cindi took her talents to both Disney theme parks in order to earn her college degree in fine arts and communications at University of Texas.  From the beginning, people where amazed at her speed, and unmatched details.  Very few silhouette artists can master the interior cuts, so often they are solid black, and very generic. 

In less than a minute, Cindi Rose will snip out you or your loved one's silhouette just by looking! Children don't have to sit still, the work is more than flattering and she can even do PETS! Just send in a picture or bring it with you on June 8th. 

Her fee will be $35 each person, with duplicate copies for only $10 a person, that way fathers, grandfathers, and uncles can have a silhouette, and this is less than a hand-made greeting card.

Cindi will have acid-free mats for $5  available for sale, along with lovely picture frames from $12 to $35, less than retail for the quality she will carry.

Call (720) 328-7195 or stop by the store 589 Fillmore Street, Denver, Colorado 80206 to book your appointment! A $10 deposit is requested to hold your spot. 

Historical and contemporary, hand-cut silhouettes on the spot, by Cindi Harwood Rose, make timeless keepsakes. Rose’s work is finely detailed, capturing a real likeness, without the use of a shadow, or pen, or tracing. She does the true art of silhouette cutting freehand, only mastered by a few living silhouette artists, that actually give everyone their real profile, with interior details, and can do groupings of several people together. 

Plus, Cindi Harwood Rose, is acclaimed as the top silhouette artist in America.  The silhouette historian, Peggy McClard recommends collecting Cindi Harwood Rose’s silhouettes, they will go up in value, as collectable.  Some of her earlier paper profiles (she has snipped portraits for 40 years) have gone for a few hundred dollars!

You can RSVP on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/events/309892045810578/

Review www.silhouettesbycindi.com to see many of the famous silhouettes she has done in person, and her videos on YouTube, especially the one made by American Profile Magazine where Cindi Harwood Rose, was made an American Hero for her silhouettes for cancer survivors through the Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) that she and her husband, Dr. Franklin Rose founded.  

See you on June 8th!

Silhouette artist Cindi Rose carves Thomas Jefferson’s family!

Silhouette artist Cindi Rose carves Thomas Jefferson’s family!

 International silhouette artist, Cindi Harwood Rose was invited to do silhouettes at Monticello for The Thomas Jefferson Family reunion.  It is not uncommon for America’s greatest silhouette artists, to make world tours doing silhouettes for museums, historic venues, and former Presidents.  The best female silhouette artists are  Cindi Rose and Kathryn Flocken who are well versed in the history of silhouettes, and the art of paper cutting. They often work events together, as silhouette sisters. The lovely art of silhouette cutting, is a lost one, both Rose and Flocken can do interior details and groupings. They merely look and cut the profiles using authentic silhouette paper and acid-free card-stock.  They are available, for lectures, fund-raisers, events, and television interviews.

For more information look check out either artist’s websites and YouTube videos. 

Cindi Rose Silhouette Artist Video Youtube (playlist)

How to cut Silhouettes for Decorations

by Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose

                There are many ways to cut a silhouette.  One is to buy a book from Dover, and see templates of trains, cars, animals, birds, Valentine’s, and people.  Make copies of these pages, and then practice. When you think you are good you can buy paper from HyGloss on-line. It is black on one side and white on the other.  You cut on the white side, so that the black side is protected.

Another is to use Rice Paper and to put it in a large stack.  Get an Oriental template from your favorite craft shop, and an exactor knife.  Cut out the tiny shapes. Silhouette profiles  can be carved large as school teachers do.  This is the most amateur style. Normally, it is done with black construction paper which is taped on a wall where you think the subject’s face will be.  Have the person in front of the paper with the side profile shinning on the paper.  Try to follow the shadow, which will be off-since a shadow is never exactly how someone looks.  Next get any scissors, to cut art in the shape of the profile.  After this use school paste—deleted some and paste it to a white background.  It won’t be beautiful like the miniature silhouettes that are prized by historians, as those were done by portrait artists who could also draw with scissors.  However, if you make this yourself, it can be a nice way to remember a wonderful moment, and a good way to make a home project, and art décor as a novice.

                Silhouettes can be pasted with dry bond, spray mount, glue stick, sticky tabs, Elmer’s acid-free glue, or wheat paper paste.  Each glue requires clean up, but you can watch artists such as Cindi H Rose, glue on-line.  I use spray mount, and put the white side of the silhouette on a piece of paper, and lightly spray the back of the silhouette.  Then, I place it on the cardstock. Normally I like the card stock to be 5 x 7, when I splurge it is Crane’s.  At Disneyland, I use wheat paste, putting it in a bucket, taking a paintbrush to brush it on the paper, then mounting the white side of the silhouette so the black side is up. Then I take blank newsprint (or the type of paper that covers toilet seats) to wipe up the excess glue.  I must note to you, this often has the added feature, of giving the paper an antique color, that makes it appear older than it may be, a vintage or antique look, from the paste reacting with the paper.  I do recommend you use acid free paper and glue, as well as artist’s prepositional glue.

                Today you can take a photo and blacken in the face with a Sharpie marker or on the computer in Photoshop to make a silhouette.  Very few people can do the actual art of looking at someone and merely cutting the profile, which is the highest level of silhouette art portraits.  As an artist who has hand-cut silhouettes 40 years, I always feel there are only around 38 real silhouette artists in the world, and maybe only 8 great ones. There are many wonderful silhouette artists in America and London, and the premier ones appear to be on the front page of the net, when you type in the words, “Silhouette artists”.  Some have made books to buy and you can check Amazon.com for Kathryn Flocken’s book, it is the best ever written. You can also put your cut silhouettes in miniature, from reducing them on your printer, and glue them on the outside of glass candle holders from a dramatic look.

                You can also copy a profile photo with tracing paper, and cut that out, or trace someone’s profile from your computer and place that on the top of black paper, then cut it out.  Most of these methods make great craft ideas, but are not real silhouettes.  To find a real silhouette artist, google, bing, or yahoo the words, authentic silhouette artist, you want one that actually does this lost art by looking.  The price can be $20 to $100. Many such as Paperportraits.com take e-mail orders and have a great Etsy shop run by silhouette artist, Kathryn Flocken.  You can check out Silhouette sisters, Kathryn and Cindi to get the best examples of detailed, unique, silhouettes. Paper- cutting.  View  The Guild of American Papercutters and Peggy McClard antique silhouette gallery, to purchase wonderful books and silhouettes.  To hire a silhouette artist, go to Gigmasters, some may give lessons, although I found it impossible to teach, unless the person was a master of portrait art.

                I fell upon silhouette cutting, after being hired as a portrait artist.  The smoothness of etching a profile with scissors amazes me.  I have seen people use good barber scissors, craft scissors, and surgical scissors.  The most important part is to cut with the interior of the scissors, not the tip or outer blade.  Wrapping paper is a great medium to start your cutting crafts, until you want to invest in expensive Hygloss real silhouette paper.  You should use oval mats or oval frames to showcase your cut arts!

                If you want to watch me in action on a tutorial go to YouTube to “How to Cut a silhouette 101” and also to my video “Wedding Wonderful Silhouettes”.  I also have a website, silhouettesbycindi.com that you can view, and if you join silhouettesbyCindiHarwoodRoseFacebook, you can ask me any questions, you may have.  Make sure to give most people the eyelash, they usually love that.  Happy cutting to you from silhouette artist Cindi Rose.

Décor alert: Silhouette artwork makes bold statements

Décor alert: Silhouette artwork makes bold statements

                A single use of color creates drama, and when master silhouette artist, Cindi Harwood Rose, designed a black, cream, and white space, she immediately thought that classic silhouettes would be a  sylish element.

“I chose the idea that black and white combines all colors and none of the colors, at the same time, depending if you were using the theory of light or opaqueness.  It is the yin/yang of life—opposites that cry neither

good or evil, just existing side by side.   A great room, creates thought, and with a shock of color, here and there, one awakens extraordinary feelings of awe, “ the scissors artist states.   The playful silhouettes by Cindi span over 30 years-- there is a cowboy created from her former Disneyland silhouette art days, a reverse white on black denying steriotypes, and  silhouettes of animals, children, and family groupings. C. H. Rose, even empowered some of the silhouettes with her penmenship and humor.   McKenzie-Childs funky black and white serving patterns tease Rose’s whimsical detailed artwork. The room boldly states the French/American chic-style, recalling the fact that life should be lived to the fullest!   To add a lively professional silhouette wall, just contact silhouettesbycindi.com or CindiSilhouettes@gmail.com

Silhouette Art by Master Silhouette Artist Cindi Harwood Rose

Silhouette Art by Master Silhouette Artist Cindi Harwood Rose

                Classically, the solid form of an object, or the contour of a recognizable form, filled in with opaque color is often called a silhouette.  We normally think of this shape as a shadow- like form.  However, when one looks up what a shadow is, it is a distortion from blocked light.  When an individual looks at his own shadow, or one of another person, it rarely really looks like them.  Jung said the shadow was the ego, however, he was not referring

to the visual shadow, but to the debris of the mind.

                As a natural artist, who discovered the fine art of hand-cutting silhouettes from sight, by accident, I have contemplated why silhouette artistry, once called shades of the past, is as popular hundreds of years ago as it is today. I also know why this art can’t be taught, it is very difficult to master, and the artist really needs to be born with this talent.   I have discussed this topic with international renown silhouette art historian and collector, Peggy McClard, who has the best history of silhouette art on-line.   She is fascinated with the lives silhouette artists have led, and what compels them to do this unique art, when all of them are accomplished fine artists, who can paint and sculpt on a professional level.  When an accomplished silhouette artist is asked this question, they can’t explain the magic they feel when performing the art. It is quick, and it connects them with others. One of the great silhouette artists explained that water coloring was calming, and oil painting was sensual, but silhouette art in the authentic manner of viewing a person or object, and merely directly cutting or carving a likeness from thin black paper, was empowering. This rings true for my soul as well. The work of silhouette cutting, still amazes me, and delights others at many events that I do my work, regardless if it is for royalty, or a peasant, life comes out from my hand-cut artworks.  This silhouette work is in demand at business events, gifting suites, premiers, weddings, gift and children’s stores, and for fund-raisers for schools and non-profits.

                Since I was almost 16, I stumbled upon this lost art at an amusement park, where I had been hired to do watercolor and pastel portraits.  I had always felt “different” and could not stop drawing or trying to model people and objects from clay since a child.  The quiet time, made me happy.  When I drew portraits it took quite a long time, and normally, no artist is 100 percent satisfied with their works, which was my case.  Other people would rave about my art, but I always felt it was not complete.

                I remember a school teacher at 8, took a projector, and traced my shadow on to crude construction paper, and then cut it out, and it was awful!  I also noticed that most of her children she cut out looked a bit crude, and had odd expressions, such as an open mouth, and a little double chin.  My mother, a superb artist, threw it away, and I was glad. However, when I saw the sophisticated man in the amusement park that I was to do portraits in, look at someone and just cut out their exact likeness in a few minutes, I asked the art manager, to let me try.  He actually laughed, since he had 27 portrait artists employed, but had to fly this silhouette artist in from Paris, since good silhouette artists are scarce.  At my first attempt, the park manager, exclaimed it was extraordinary—for some reason, it was spot-on.  He immediately fired the other artist, and told me I was to be the silhouette artist.  Then on, the shy person I was, felt a passion in life.  Black and white became yin/yang, it was all about light, and happiness.

                Forty years later, I still adore doing silhouette paper profiles.  Cut art, Paper cutting, feature carving, psychic physiognomy profile snips, all are ways to describe what being a master silhouette artist means to me.  When I am next to a person, I go inside them for a minute, to decide where they are going in their lives, how to interpret them as more than their features, and then incorporate this into my silhouette of them.  Some of my works are simple, some complex. I was also told that the word, master silhouette artist, refers to any real silhouette artist, who has worked at least one year, and has the ability to earn a living with the art.

It is also noted, that many of the few living silhouette artists (usually no more than 38 in the entire world at a given time) do old-fashioned work, or can’t do groupings, or can’t do interior details, some do trite work.  All, however, find great satisfaction, in preserving a lost art, and giving people heirlooms and keepsakes to last generations to come.  For more information contact Peggy McClard and purchase Mrs. E. Nevill Jackson’s book, Silhouettes, A History and Dictionary of Artists or British Silhouette Artists and their Work by Sue McKechnic. There is a world of information on the history of silhouettes and silhouette artists at SilhouettesbyCindi.com and SilhouettesbyCindiblogspot.