Wife gets her aging dog’s silhouette made for a New Year’s resolution

The most amazing gift can be a thoughtful one. Reece Davenport got a custom hand-cut Cindi Rose silhouette made of Ocho for her adorable husband, Fulton. What do

you get the man who has everything (I mean he has Reece for a wife, and that is everything)—a silhouette of his best friend! She just e-mailed a profile photo, to www.silhouettesbycindi.com

selected a frame, and there was the happy howl-aday gift. What a great way to start the New Year, remembering and cherishing a moment that will make it last forever.

Dog and Cat Silhouettes make loving Gifts

Having a silhouette made of your dog, cat, or horse, makes a loving gift, that is personal and lasts beyond time. Here are a few of my favorite dog silhouettes

done from profile photos e-mailed to me. There is something so special about a one-of-a-kind hand-cut original animal silhouette made of your own pet, it

shows they are family, and have found a permanent place in a home, to be cherished forever. The pets show so much personality in their cut portraits. For

more silhouettes check out silhouettesbycindi.com

Silhouette Artist's Amazing Review

Cindi -

Good Afternoon, and Happy Thanksgiving,

I am sending this message in hopes of finding out where you might be that I can send

my kids, I've told them this is all I want for Christmas.

I have a Silhouette from when you sat in front of the Emporium at ASTROWORLD,

I worked at the store when I was sixteen, and would watch you in such amazement.

my mother still has my silhouette it hangs mixed in with other pictures. It has made

a few moves over the years but has always hung with her most precious memories.

Everyone ask her where she got it, and of course it is no question who it's of. You made such an impression on me that summer I have never forgotten your kindness nor your name.

I have always told my kids that I wanted one of them, well they are 23 and 25, I think

it is past time.

Please let me know, how we can schedule an appointment or where you might be

that they can come.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you.

Kelly H.

Thankful silhouettes at Children’s Discovery Museum

Thankful silhouettes at Children’s Discovery Museum

Be thankful for family, friends and, health this holiday season. Delight in discovery, art, museums, love, history, science and education. In these photos, Silhouettes by Cindi does silhouettes for the Children’s Discovery Museum in Victoria, Texas.

Learning is the magic wand to empowerment Gratitude is the gift of an abundant heart. Happy Thanks for giving, and receiving joy and blessings.

Cindi Silhouettes School Fundraisers!

Throw out the cookies, popcorn and wrapping paper, bring in Cindi Silhouette school fund-raisers!

Billions were spent this year on candy, cavities, and wasted wrapping paper pollution, in the name of great school fundraisers. Cindi Harwood Rose discovered that schools, churches, and non-profits can profit from a real silhouette artist, donating a percent to their venue. For River Oaks Baptist School, Cindi Rose, did 87 children’s silhouettes and taught them great facts about art while entertaining them on the famous history of paper profiling. Rose, does the antique lost art of looking and cutting miniature silhouettes, the type that is treasured for centuries, and is collectable. The silhouettes will be made into a quilt and sold at the school’s auction. The separate silhouettes will be sold to the parents, too for additional school profit. Some schools, such as Austin’s Grace Garden Child Development Center is procuring Rose and will sell picture frames, for the silhouettes, to add additional church revenues. These non-profits can make a few hundred to a few thousand with the promotion. They have hired Rose at a flat fee, one that is one-third of Cindi’s normal appearance fees. At Houston’s best art and craft boutique, Hanson Galleries, Memorial and Post Oak, Cindi Harwood donated all her profits to the Craft Relief Emergency Fund to aid those who lose art and craft supplies from emergencies, such as the recent Texas fires. Cindi also can recommend other real silhouette artists in other cities, there are around 5 other expert silhouette artists in North and South America, and three in Europe. This lost art, can’t be taught, as no light, camera, photo, tracing, is used. That is why it is a keepsake, and the paper is acid-free, perfect for the environment.

The best part is that people can get treasured gifts at a reasonable price that they actually cherish and want. The children are entertained, and learn about being empowered by being their authentic self through their own talents. For more information go to www.silhouettesbycindi.com or e-mail CindiSilhouettes@gmail.com

Patriotic historical Cindi Rose Silhouettes at DAR luncheon

Patriotic historical Cindi Rose Silhouettes at DAR luncheon

With honor, Cindi Harwood Rose, America's premier silhouette artist was the featured historic speaker at a Daughter's of the American Revolution luncheon for the Alexander Love NSDAR chapter. In 1923 a group of active ladies joined together to offer patriotic support and volunteerism setting up "Camp Logan" which is now in Memorial Park, Houston, Texas. Historical documents and silhouettes were brought in by Cindi Rose, including those by Augustine Edourt and C. Harwood Rose of John Hamilton, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and George 111. Rose speech, was for the pursuit of happiness, and light upon capturing moments. She demonstrated, how real silhouettes done by viewing a person and environment, and not using a shadow, or camera, or Photoshop, capture personality, and say more about fashion, style and history, than the ones made from wall shadows. The lost art of heirloom silhouette profiling that Rose does, is almost non-existent, especially with the detail and acute likeness she acquires. She cut the polka dots out of the dress, and flowers in the hat, at the meeting of one of the DAR members, offering around 8 actual, on-the-spot silhouettes of members (drawn from a hat), as well as her delightful lecture. Member, Lane Llewellyn says, "Cindi Harwood Rose was completely prepared with a historical discussion on how silhouette artistry was at its peak during the American Revolution. Rose's work was featured as an American Hero in American Profile Magazine, this month, for breast cancer awareness." Cindi said, "it is part of silhouettes for survivors, I donate my profits to the roseribbonfoundation.org for internet orders. For more information see silhouettesbycindi.com or CindiSilhouettes@gmail.com

Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose featured at Hanson Galleries to benefit Craft Relief Emergency Fund

Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose featured at Hanson Galleries to benefit Craft Relief Emergency Fund

This Friday, Oct. 21, by appointment at Hanson Galleries, Memorial City, Cindi Rose, will hand-cut and sign silhouettes of individuals to benefit the Craft Relief Emergency Fund. For more information see silhouettesbycindi.com or e-mail CindiSilhouettes@gmail.com Rose will do the antique, lost, French art of hand-cutting silhouettes, from modern black silhouette paper, with edge and style, making a keepsake or holiday gift.

Silhouettes for Survivors on AmericanProfile.com

Silhouettes for Survivors on AmericanProfile.com!
Check out the article here!

How did Kathryn and Cindi acquire their Silhouette Artistry?

Silhouettes in collage with wedding invites by Silhouette Artist Kathryn Flocken.

Silhouette couple by Silhouette Artist Cindi Harwood Rose.

The meeting of silhouette masters, Kathryn Flocken and Cindi Harwood Rose began on the internet. Rose, after putting her precious antique silhouette art paper away to raise two children, searched the net for today’s practicing silhouette artists, to find what she thought was the most professional and accurate living silhouette artist, that proved to be Kathryn. She immediately purchased Kathryn’s bestselling silhouette art book, Silhouettes, rediscovering the Lost Art, and new silhouette paper (as Cindi’s silhouette paper is antique and saved for the most expensive silhouette cuttings, investment value. Kathryn, sent her book, supplies, paper, and friendship. They made plans to work together. Both had worked for Disney World, both were fine art majors, self-taught, both friendly people and pet lovers, in happy marriages. Flocken and Cindi felt like sisters. Both came from literary backgrounds, and had giving souls. They both see the light in their work, not the dark shadow, that is flat and says nothing. Kathryn and Cindi work events together anywhere in the world. It can make your event, unforgettable, with a precious beautiful lasting keepsake, an heirloom silhouette, passed down from generations to come.

Posted here are samples of bride and groom silhouettes made simply for invitations, decorations, napkins, cake toppers, and entertainment at the wedding.

To hire Cindi and Kathryn for your wedding, please go to www.PaperPortraits.com and send an inquiry including the date, time, location and number of Guests at your Wedding reception.

Silhouette Artists, Silhouette Artistry, Silhouettes, Q and A+

Quick-blog about Silhouette Artists, Silhouette Artistry, Silhouettes, Q and A+

1. What is a silhouette artist? The broad word silhouette can apply to window shades, fashion, prehistoric cave drawings, Chinese embroidery patterns, iconic symbols on Grecian and Egyptian urns or crafty photo shopped or traced shadows. A real silhouette artist, the term created by the America’s premier silhouette artist, Augustine Edouart, applies to fine artists who can capture a profile, from hand-cutting portraits from black paper, freehand, using only their vision and natural talent, scissors and soot-blackened paper. Edouart renamed the English term “shades” after, Etienne de Silhouette, a French minister of Finance who loved the thrifty price of silhouettes compared to expensive oil paintings, there were no cameras at that time.

2. Where do you find a Silhouette artist? You find them on the streets of Paris, or in amusement parks, or in nice stores. However, all silhouette artists are not created equal.

The silhouettes created by these authentic silhouette artists, can be only as good as the artist is. In other words, some artists do not see the differences in everyone’s face,

and may not know style. I would shy away from street artists, and research the internet, for the gifted silhouette artists. Make sure the artist you select, does not make

everyone look old-fashioned or “out-of-style”. Look at the video by Cindi Rose and Cody Bess on You-Tube. The best silhouette artists, also know fashion.

3. How do you learn to cut silhouettes? Usually, the best way to acquire this talent is genetics—it is passed down from three to four generations of silhouette artists. It is a natural talent. I tried to teach it to other fabulous artists while I was a student in fine arts at University of Texas. The husband/wife team I taught after hours of training, cannot capture a good likeness, and thus, I have not spent weeks again trying to teach this art, even to top art students. There are books on the internet on this subject, but the books can’t guarantee that you can master this complicated, lost art. The best book is by Kathryn Flocken, Silhouettes Rediscovering the Lost Art.

4. How long does it take to do Silhouettes by a real silhouette artist? As the world’s fastest silhouette artist (see SilhouettesbyCindi blog story printed in San Antonio Express Newspapers, submitted to Guinness Book of World-Records) I can do over 100 silhouettes per hour—with an exact likeness, and eyelashes, style. However, at most weddings, corporate events and stores, I do 30 to 60 silhouettes per hour, depending on if someone else is mounting them, and how much detail I will put in to it. The fastest silhouette artists are the premier silhouette artists, they have the innate gift of seeing contour, detail, form and structure.

I have seen the slower, less gifted silhouette artists, take up to 15 minutes to cut a silhouette. The finished product is not smooth. The most capable silhouette artists of Victorian and classic paper profile cutting take 5 minutes or less per person.

5. Can I get a silhouette by e-mail? Yes. Cindi Harwood Rose only does e-mail orders of original signed silhouettes from SilhouettesbyCindi.com or Roseribbonfoundation.org. They are more expensive, but are of archival, antique, French silhouette paper, worth more than their cost ($100 as a tax-donation to cancer-survivors). They come on archival paper, with hand-cut black oval mats, and postage is included. You can also order silhouettes on cuff-links or pendants.

6. What should I wear for the silhouette, and should I fix my or my child’s hair? Don’t dress for the silhouette, or worry about the hair. The most gifted silhouette artists

have an imagination, and are fine artists and can make you, your loved one, or child’s hair and clothing look “fixed” in the picture.

7. My child will not “sit-still” how can I get a silhouette? No worry, the preeminent leading silhouette artists are skilled with “wiggly children”. They move to the child.

You may have never seen a real silhouette artist, they are not the school teachers who trace a crude shadow off a wall, or use the trick of a camera. They are talented fine artists who have natural talent to see profile.

8. Can you do pets? Yes, of course! I love to do furry and feathered friends. This is done from profile photos sent to CindiSilhouettes@gmail.com It is a charity donation to a pet cause or cancer cause. SilhouettesbyCindi only takes internet orders for non-profit donations. They cost more than other silhouette artists charge, but you get signed, mounted art, that is collectable according to Peggy McClard, the world’s foremost authority on purchasing and collecting antique investment silhouettes. Rose is the only living silhouette artist that still has 50 year-old French antique paper (purchased in volume 38 years ago).

9. Will you do silhouettes at my wedding? Yes, of course, if the arrangements work with both our schedules. I love to help with the total theme, the invitations, napkins,

and centerpieces. If I am unavailable, I can recommend an alternate accomplished silhouettist, from American, Europe, Australia, or Canada. There are only about 18 skilled silhouette artists in the world who capture an accurate likeness, with interior details, and speed. Just e-mail Cincere@wt.net for details.

10. What else does a skilled silhouette artist do? I love being a curator or speaker on the effects silhouettes have had to pre-date the camera. It is interesting to give lectures to museums and art galleries about the shadow, and how I work with the person, so the Jung definition of the shadow being your dark past, is replaced with the light of my work. In addition, I can do large scale silhouettes for plays, set-design, art and advertising design. Look at my video on YouTube with Cody Bess, and see the Papercapes we incorporated with fashion models, from fine art museums, an art gallery, bistro, and Farmer’s Market, all done with surgical scissors and imagination.

Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose does Pet Pendants for Pet charities

Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose does Pet Pendants for Pet charities

http://www.houstonpettalk.com/reviews/looking-for-a-unique-pet-portrait-try-silhouettes-by-cindi/

Pet Silhouette of Dear Dog Betty

Wednesday I met my friend, Bruce for lunch, and to bring him pet silhouettes

of his 4 dogs for a birthday gift. I completed them at 4 a.m. in the

morning. I was not happy with the dog silhouette of Betty, as Betty looked

cartoonish, happy, and not real. I left it as was, and in the late morning

(with 5 hours sleep) I pondered changing it, but did not. I brought it to

lunch. He got tears in his eyes. Betty had died that morning, little did I

know.

Betty wanted Bruce to know that she was happy in doggie heaven, and related

that to me, as I cut her silhouette. I try to do psychic silhouettes, and

go into the soul. I did not know I had the ability with pets, too.

A note from Bruce:
A great BIG thank you for lunch today, and for the awesome gifts. :-)

You all are so thoughtful and I am so glad that we are friends.
I have to apologize for running out on you, I had a conference call that I was giving so I had to be on time!

Also, if I seemed a little out of it, I apologize for that too.
One of our dogs passed away early this morning, and I have been a little dazed today. :-(
It was one of the ones that you, Cindi, made a silhouette for, Betty the husky.
I almost busted out crying when I saw it, you don't know how much that that one means to me, especially now.

So thank you so much for your friendship, it means a lot to me.
:-)

Hugs to you all,
Bruce

Review of "Silhouette Art" Reclaiming Lost Innocence; The Power of A Cindi Rose Silhouette

Review of "Silhouette Art"

Reclaiming Lost Innocence; The Power of A Cindi Rose Silhouette

by George Molho, Author of "Scarred, a Memoir"

Silhouette artist Cindi Rose would like you to view the knol: Review

of "Silhouette Art". Click the following link where you can read the knol.

http://knol.google.com/k/george-molho/review-of-silhouette-art/r4u4tdx6zazw/4

I am honored by Jaguar to be an Iconic silhouette customer!

Iconic Silhouettes by Cindi as selected by Momentum Jaguar. Cindi Harwood Rose models her silhouette and describe the luxury of the Jag’s silhouette, and comfort.

Thanks for the service, Jaguar. Silhouettes by Cindi says,” My Jaguar XK Coupe is so luxurious. With its great navigation system and hatchback trunk, I am able to load it up with my silhouette supplies and travel in comfort.”

Silhouettes of Houston Socialites for Reality TV

Click here to check out this article at CultureMap.com.

Silhouette miniature original portraits hand-cut in minutes for gifts

Silhouette profile miniatures past and present, have been cherished in the 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st century. The art of scissors cutting profiles freehand, has been prized by royalty, celebrities, and families. At one point, the Pennsylvania Dutch, would secure their family miniature silhouettes in their Bibles. The French established the art’s popularity, but it was silhouettest, Augustin Edouart, who named the art “silhouette” after Etienne de Silhouette. He was the most prolific American Silhouette artist, the first “silhouette man”. Today, there are four people calling themselves that. John Miers also used that title for himself. A few women call themselves “The silhouette lady.” My favorite of these women, is Kathryn Flocken.

Have you ever watched a genuine paper profile artist hand-cut a likeness of a person or pet, without a sketch, light, or shadow, in minutes. It appears like magic—they look and cut, from sight. This is an especially great gift during the holidays, for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day, for a loved one or a best friend. SilhouettesbyCindi offers original, one-of-a-kind silhouettes for purchase, signed. The silhouette ladies, Kathryn and Cindi, also do silhouettes at weddings, events, business conventions, and celebrity gifting suites. They are also a top fundraising idea for schools and non-profits. Kathryn, can do silhouettes a whole school for a fundraiser. Just take terrific profile pictures, and go to PaperPortraits.com and pay on line securely through PayPal, and she will send back the lovely silhouettes, done, mounted, signed, framed. These are not photo shopped, they are authentic. Kathryn and Cindi do interior details, groupings—one face cut into another, these are the type of museum silhouette art to invest in. Holly Harwood Skolkin also does silhouettes. Silhouette art talent is inherited. Cindi and Holly Harwood have three to four generations of profiling and paper cutting in their genes. Although both started doing silhouettes in their teen-age years, and during college, they both slowed down while raising children, and doing other careers—Holly an inner-eye photographer, Cindi, a writer, publicist, and director and founder of a cancer non-profit, The Rose Ribbon Foundation. People can donate to cancer causes by purchasing silhouettes from Cindi Harwood Rose, she calls them silhouettes for survivors through roseribbonfoundation.org.

Many silhouette artists offer their services on-line such as Paperportraits.com which sells three silhouettes for $25.00. There are over 15 tutorials on E-how, on how to cut a silhouette, but those are for the novice, non-artist. These are not silhouettes, they are shadow tracings, or photo-shopped color-ins, and rarely really look like the person, as the shadow is often distorted. I examined and commented as “Cindi Rose Silhouette Artist” on all of them. The only good one, was the tutorial that suggested how to make silhouette images of full figures for parties. The problem is the tools on these e-how tutorials. They use cardboard, and rough paper. They cannot get the lovely smooth cuts skilled silhouette artists get. In addition, since they cannot draw a portrait with a pen or pencil (unless they are maybe an art teacher skilled in that?), how could they translate the shadow, and actually do a good job cutting it out afterwards, where it was not clumsy? They paste the art with Elmer’s glue, which leaves tell-tale signs. For great silhouette ideas look at You Tube silhouette artist and view the speed, quality, personality, and style of the artists. Also, look at the Guild of American Paper cutters site, and see the history of the marvelous art of silhouettes, historical, contemporary, modern, and cultural—past and present.

Shadowing Silhouette Artist Cindi Rose on Charming Web Design Blog

Click here to read a story about Cindi on the Charming Web Design Blog!

Silhouette artist Cindi Harwood Rose sculpts Vienna’s Nose

Silhouette artist Cindi Harwood Rose sculpts Vienna’s Nose

by Nicole Brende

ABC’s popular Bachelor Pad will start airing Monday, August 8, starring friends Erica Rose and Vienna Giraldi. Both girls will be on all episodes. While filming, Vienna confessed to tiara-clad Erica, that she did not like her nose. She did not know that Erica’s father, Franklin Rose, was a plastic surgeon. Erica suggested and arranged for Vienna to get her nose done by her father. Law student/reality star Erica picked Vienna up from the airport, and had her sleep at her parents’ home. Next day, Erica’s mother, Cindi, came in with surgical scissors, to perform nasal surgery” a la silhouette art” on Vienna. In a minute, Cindi silhouetted Vienna’s crocked nose from thin black paper, freehand, making two copies. Vienna exclaimed, “Oh, I love this, I will always remember why I am having my nose done.” Then, in a snip Cindi performed nasal surgery on the other silhouette. “This “ Cindi said, “is how my husband may make your nose.” The nose will be unveiled in US Weekly this week. Don’t get confused when you watch Bachelor Pad, that is Vienna’s nose before she had it done.

Now that Vienna has a new nose, word is she will be filming her own reality show on a country television network, called something like, Vienna’s Hillbillies.”

Authentic Silhouette Artists do not use shadows by Cindi Rose

Ever wonder why real fine artists who do paper profile portraits do not use a shadow to do a silhouette? As a third generation artist, and silhouette artist for over 35 years, I have pondered the same question.

I remembered my aunt, a school teacher, tracing my profile from my shadow projected on the wall. She used crude black construction paper, it was life-sized, and even in elementary school, I did not think it looked like me. The shadow can distort you. It is who you are not.

When light is blocked, your shadow can appear. A gifted silhouette artist uses his/her inner light to capture your profile. According to the history’s noted psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Jung, “the shadow must be confronted. When repressed the shadow lurks like an angry dragon locked up in a dungeon.”

Silhouette artists who work in amusement parks, gift stores, or weddings, hand-cut portraits from sight. They focus on the positive—and cut from the white side of their silhouette paper. Then, they mount the opposite side, the black side. Sometimes, people will ask for the white side to be pasted “hollow-cut” style on a black fabric. Hollow-cuts were produced by a physiotrace machine, from shadows. This pre-dates the camera. Because the individuals operating this machine used white outside images to paste they were still working with a positive image.

The individuals who are trying to jump on the “silhouette art bandwagon” with photo-shopped silhouettes, are basically, not working from an evolved soul, they are working as a business. These trendy items look stylish in home decorations. They can be ordered in large sizes, and in colors. However, all the renown silhouette artists also offer this contemporary service, but with their signature, and their positive vibrations. You will not have to worry about the silhouette as a shadow, which Jung also claimed were “the inferior aspects of the psyche that we’re not proud of.

The white cut-outs made by silhouette cut artists are light-giving. You can order them on-line from silhouettesbycindi.com or roseribbonfoundation.org. Kathryn Flocken also offers a fabulous selection of silhouette art trends on Etsy. You can also view or purchase her interesting book, Silhouettes Rediscovering the Lost Art on Amazon.com

Five Easy Ways to Decorate your Home with Silhouettes and Paper Cut Art works.

Silhouettes have been in style since early black etchings on cave walls. So, why not put them on your own wall too! In fact, adding silhouettes as decorations is fun and easy, you can do it yourself as a craft project or hire a professional.

The word silhouette applies to an organic shape, that is black on the inside. On Grecian Urns you see figures marching, on Egyptian artifacts you view hieroglyphics, icons, symbolic gods. Originally, black profiles were called Shades in England. Profiles were hand-painted with lamp soot on glass, pottery, or ceramic. In China, the paper cuttings were used in the world’s best culture—the Tang Dynasty, as embroidery patterns. I am enclosing a sample of one I did of a popular Asian Art theme for good luck. In China and Japan these are still considered “good luck” and they use popular silhouettes such as animals, fish, flowers, birds. Their choice of material is Rice Paper, which is sold in craft stores. They buy a self-forgiving mat, and use a scalpel, exacto knife, or sharp blade. There are patterns on the internet, that you can down-load and use. I bought my pattern from Dover Books.

1. To begin with, you can make table ware with a Sharpie Marker, and white or beige pottery. Snap a photo of a pet or person’s profile, reduce it to the size you want, cut it out. Use this as a pattern (template) to trace the contour. Then, fill it in with the marker. You can buy plain white or cream pottery at Pottery Barn, perhaps a dollar store, or Target. Grandma should love this contemporary keepsake. If you want to do this in a color, I suggest a dark color such as navy blue, or green, if you get too light, the shape will not show-up. You can also look on Etsy at Paperportraits.com and order silhouette mugs, and canvas bags. The canvas bags can be framed, and combined with oval silhouettes.

2. Take a photo, and send it to Paperprofiles.com and Kathryn Flocken will send you three authentic silhouettes for just $25.00. She also has super inexpensive picture frames for $12 to $40, depending on material, and size. This also takes care of holiday gifts for grandparents and spouses. Silhouettes by Cindi also does silhouettes but charges more, as her site will only allow people to acquire silhouettes from archival, antique historic French silhouette paper ,and the silhouettes

are non-profit donations to either a pet cause, or The Rose Ribbon Foundation, 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) for those with cancer. They are $100 for three copies, but from ancient silhouette paper, 50 years old. Both artists do the real silhouettes without tracing or photo-shop. Cindi and Kathryn both worked at Walt Disney World as silhouette artists, both girls have fine art degrees, and can do lovely details in their work. This type of work is a lost art, and will only go up in value. You will want the signatures.

3. Photoshop, or trace. If you do not want to get the “Real McCoy” and feel crafty, just take a profile photo, put it on your computer, and fill it in, Photoshop style. You can also stand a subject near a window, turn the lights off, tape black construction paper on the shade or wall, shine a light or projector, trace the shadow (with pencil to erase markings later), then cut it out. You can also use colored paper, If you want this larger, just go to a FedEx or a copy machine and enlarge it. It will not be fine art, but it will make a warm and fuzzy memory, and a grand statement of your caring heart. I have attached a hand-cut silhouette I did of a couple facing one another, with a stylized look. This is how your

wall tracing should look, and you may want to keep it without an eyelash, to make it look clean. If you want the professional look and cannot cut the last out, draw in the eyelash.

4. Make silhouette fabric. Do this by having a professional silhouette artist make cool silhouettes of you and your family, full-figure, or just bust-line. Go to Spoonflowers, and decide a pattern, and order fabric. You can turn this into a bedspread for a

child’s room, cover a wall with it, or use it as a tablecloth. The sample I am enclosing, is one that I did for a bride and groom, to be at their table at their wedding. I also made a silhouette art apron for them, from the fabric.

5. My favorite last idea is to make huge wall silhouettes from contact paper. Buy sticky black contact paper from an art supply store, have a child, friend, or loved one lay upon it, outline the shape, and cut it out. Or put it outside in the sun, and trace an exact shadow, then cut that out. These images can be mysterious. You can stick them upon a quality card stock from an art store, in your choice of color, or apply them directly to a wall or window. One friend put a black silhouette of a couple (life size) in the window, and she says that it scares robbers away!

Museum Quality Silhouettes

Museum quality silhouettes

The type of art that you will find in museums or art galleries, can vary depending on the dialogue, subject matter and medium, but usually it has a human form attached to it. As a professional silhouette artist for over 35 years, I have realized that the term “silhouette” is broad-based. By definition, silhouette refers to the outside shape or contour of an object, usually black in the interior. The history of the beginnings of this style has been seen 32,000 years ago in primitive cave dwellings. Marching black figurative silhouettes are viewed on Grecian urns, and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic icons. Beautiful silhouettes can also be documented in Chinese embroidery patterns used in the brilliant unprecedented Tang dynasty. These exquisite paper cuttings, are still used today as treasured templates for special occasions, most normally, cut from Rice paper.

The original black profile renderings were hand-painted on a surface such as glass, ceramic, or porcelain. They would be made with lamp soot, from a machine called a pantograph, which had two pens affixed to each other. A person would trace the shadow off the wall, one pen would copy it, and the other, would reduce it. The first silhouette noted was cut from paper in 1699 by Elizabeth Pyburg for King William and Queen Mary. The skill of hand-cutting a real profile, from a fine profile portrait artist, was not mastered until around 1761 when Robert Hinchliffe of Sheffield cast steel to make scissors in London and became a manufacturer and purveyor of high-quality scissors. Around this time a professional paper portrait artist named Isabella Beetham made career from her genius-art ability to master the scissors profile. This has always been the most difficult silhouette art to master, as it is not from a shadow, or light. There is no “cheating” for the true silhouette artist. By accident, I discovered this art, after being a natural portrait and fine artist. The art talent was inherited, and this is true of all silhouette artists, their talents come from generations of artists, all great silhouette artists are also talented portrait artists.

From a collector’s point-of-view, the value of the silhouette art piece you acquire value, depends on the history associated with it or the dialogue that it may engage you in—such as Kara Walker’s large silhouettes depicting slavery, abuse, and negative thought. Other famous museum silhouettes are Charles Dickens’ character silhouettes depicting personality, and movement, or Edourt’s historic statesmen and Presidential silhouettes which show fashion, career, and personality. Edourt named the “shade” silhouette, after Etienne de Silhouette, a French minister of Finance who was known for cutting pensions, and for his love of the black profile cut- arts.

Most amusement park-style silhouette artists, do not render their talents further, than an attempt to recreate a person’s profile. This is a remarkable skill, but that treasure varies depending on the person creating this rare, lost art. The most skilled of these current silhouette artists, do many interior cut-outs, and can cut groupings; one face into another face. The artists that can only paste single silhouettes individually, not as a puzzle, have not fully mastered the art.

The solid black silhouettes are easier to master, yet are quite decorative, and may find a home in a stylish boutique. The internet photo- shopped silhouettes, do not take a talent to do, and will never find a home in an art gallery or museum, unless it is of a popular cult figure such as Lady Gaga, signed by her, or a President. These can be ordered by sites in colors of large scale, they are trendy and chic. They also are popular at weddings, on napkins, pendants mugs, gift-bags and center-pieces.

The prestigious Peggy McClard Gallery of antique, Victorian-style collectable silhouettes has honored me with the fabulous chance to repair precious, historic silhouettes hand-cut by Augustin Edourt, the most prolific American and European freehand silhouette artist. If you are interested in purchasing a collector’s piece, that would be an excellent place to begin your search, on e-bay, the site antiquesilhouettes, Richard Mole, or directly in antique shops in Europe, a heirloom, or keepsake, forever.

Origin Magazine

Origin Magazine
Silhouettes by Cindi Harwood Rose is now covering art + philantrophy for the national magazine, Origin.
Follow cultural, mind/body, health, wellness, galleries, art scene, giving. Deepak Chopra is also contributing,
I am proud of the publisher, Maranda Pleasant for her vision for the universe.
\ Column by Cindi Rose p. 4 and 5.

Cindi on Skirt!

Please click on the following link to read about Cindi in Skirt Magazine!

Silhouette for Vienna Giraldi

Silhouette artist, Cindi Rose, sculpts Vienna Giraldi’s new nose, for her plastic surgeon husband, Dr. Franklin Rose to use as a guide, while Bachelor Pad star Erica Rose, scrubs in, too.

Dr. Franklin Rose, MD, and board-certified plastic surgeon did a “nose job” for Bachelor Pad contestant, Vienna Giraldi, who used to be engaged to The Bachelor Jake Pavelka. While filming, the soon to air ABC hit show, she mentioned to her friend, Erica Rose, that she would like her nose done.

Erica had Vienna fly in to Houston, picked her up at the airport and nurse her to recovery. While at the O.R., Erica’s mom, and Dr. Rose’s wife, Cindi Rose, took out her silhouette surgical scissors, and cut a silhouette of Vienna’s nose before, and then, what it would look like afterwards. Vienna said, “I love the silhouette, it will remind me why I am having my nose done.” Her nose was prettier from the side than front, and was crocked, so Dr. Rose corrected that.

Vienna house-guested with the Rose’s asking for ice cream and mashed potatoes with tons of cheddar cheese. Erica then picked up Vienna’s latest boyfriend, Bachelor Pad contestant, Casey Kahl. Vienna was just a few days post-op so Erica entertained him in Houston, Texas at a sporting event. Inspired by Vienna’s short hair-do, and no-extensions. Erica took hers out! Now the two girls look like sisters. No wonder Jake Pavelka was attracted to Erica Rose on Bachelor Pad. Watch the show August 8, for six weeks on Mondays on ABC and see the sparks fly. Question does Vienna want to look like Erica, or does Erica want to look like Vienna? Both of the above? None of the above?

Here you see a peak of celebrity reality star Vienna’s new nose, as sculpted by Cindi Harwood Rose, in less than two minutes.

History of Silhouettes

Premier Silhouette Artists Cindi Rose; History of

Oh so trendy, are silhouettes today, and yesterday. After the scissors were invented in the 1700’s, silhouette cutting reached a new dimension. The camera was not around, and the only way the wealthy could capture their appearance

was from a painted portrait. This was done by sittings, usually taking over a week, often a month! One intelligent portrait artist figured out, in less time, they could hand-cut the profile from paper, and do around 50 or so people per day, through print

advertising. This would generate more revenue, than the handsome fee from one huge royal portrait sitting. Silhouettes soon became the rage during 1750’s to around 1870, especially due to J. L. Lavatar’s book on physiognomy; the study of the facial features compared to personality. At one point silhouettes were called “shades, paper profile cuts, or papyrus cut arts” Silhouette artists were in their hay-day. Still, the authentic ones were hard to find. A machine was invented called a Physiotrace, and it traced a shadow off the wall, and reduced it to miniature. It only shot out the outside of the silhouette called the hollow-cut (the part most real silhouette artists throw away), and that would be mounted on black velvet, or fabric. It was Augustin Edouart, who was shocked at these “impostor” silhouettes, and brought the real hand-cut from sight silhouettes back in style, mostly by being the world’s most prolific silhouette artist, and America’s premier silhouette artist. He renamed the art, silhouette, after Etienne de Silhouette, a former French minister of finance, who loved shades (silhouette profile cuts). Mr. Silhouette was not popular for his ways of cutting the budget. The term silhouette was not a nice term. People would wear all black, to show their sorrow at the frugal style Etienne was proposing. They would dress, “A la silhouette”, very New York, I should say! But, Augustin brought elegance to the word silhouette, and captured the style and wardrobe of President’s and leading business men in England and America. Today, the best silhouette artists capture personality, style, and soul. They dig deeper than a photo or photoshop shadow would, they talk to you. A real silhouette, is not what the school teachers traced off the walls. It is done by a true artist, who sees shape, form, proportion.

When the camera was invented in around 1870, sort-of from the physiotrace machine, silhouette artists lost their popularity, for the “modern age.”

Portraits in oils were expensive in the 1700’s, and hand-cut silhouettes were not. Some artists, found that they only could paint the silhouette and used ceramic and glass to do this on. They still charged a little less than the full-color portraits, as they only used the color black. In those days, black was made from lamp soot, or crushing all the things in nature they could find, and mixing it up with linseed (flax seed) oil. These valuable items are rare to find, but the Peggy McClard Gallery, often gets them in. I purchased the most gorgeous rose gold pendant with a hand-painted silhouette in it from 1825, Peggy said it used to be on a bracelet. She also has Edourt’s worth $30,000!

The hand-painted silhouettes often have details drawn into them, like a line drawing, with a white or gold-leafed feather pen. Some even had fabric pasted, and bits of human hair!

The mystery of the question, is why has it always been difficult to find real silhouette artists? I majored in Fine Arts at University of Texas, and was a practicing silhouette artist, since I was a teen. I tried to teach the art to other

great art majors, and found that the art of hand-cutting a real, authentic silhouette without a shadow or light or pencil drawing first, is not teachable. There is a fabulous book, Silhouettes Rediscovering The Lost Art, that attempts in step-by-step form to teach this art. However, when you read Kathryn Flocken’s bio, you see she has a degree in fine arts, and is a portrait artist. I interviewed her, and she said with the 10,000 books she has sold, she has only heard of a few people who picked up the art with great talent and skill. Those few were wonderful portrait artists, and were from lines of incredible artists. I still recommend this book, to all who want to view inside the mind of a real accomplished silhouette artist.

Then, I have seen that many silhouette artists claim they are from generations of silhouette artists. That means that everyone in their family must be art-gifted. Sort-of the apple does not fall far from the tree theory. The real question is why does the art of silhouette cutting by hand still fascinate the artist who can do this, and those that watch the artist do this. The other silhouette artists I have met in the over 35 years of cutting silhouettes are just “in love” with doing silhouettes. The scissors is their window into the world. Many travel from city to city, and live in nature, some do other arts, such as music, culinary skills, or carpentry. I love doing silhouettes at weddings, I feel it blesses the bride and groom and all their guests.

True silhouette artists use only scissors, and thin, black paper. They look and cut. If they are not talented, all get a generic face, the best silhouette artists capture your face, your style, and add their style. I have enclosed some of my silhouettes on this blog, and you can look at my website; silhouettesbycindi.com or my friend’s website; Paperportraits.com and see what details a fine silhouette artist can achieve. When you purchase a silhouette, make sure it was not a photocopy, computer scanned, or clumsy wall-traced cousin to this art. View the artist’s details—are their cut-outs inside the work, do they vary the bust-line, do they understand the difference in hair-styles, do they make serious people look serious, and wild individuals look free? The best silhouette artists capture face, profile, spirit, dress, style, and leave you feeling good about yourself. They give you your shadow. You are Peter Pan, and you do not have to “grow-up”. You have your shadow, forever as a heirloom. A fabulous silhouette will last forever, and be a timeless treasure.

Silhouettes by Cindi with the Susan B. Komen Foundation

Houstonian/Aspenite Lee Williams with Victoria Brink

Cindi Rose and Sandy Israel, founder of Susan B. Komen, Aspen

Michelle Gonzalez (of Houston/Aspen and Mara Cates

Roberta Miller (hostess) and Cindi Rose, honoree.

Susan B. Komen foundation of Aspen, Colorado honored master Silhouette artist, Cindi Harwood Rose, for her work with Silhouettes for Survivors with many Cancer foundations, including Komen, Rose Ribbon Foundation, Cancer Counseling, and Blue Cure.

At the luncheon, the Komen Foundation celebrated 21 years of Komen races in the Aspen area to their key donors. The Race was Saturday in Aspen, Colorado, July 16, 2011.

Cindi Rose did a silhouette of all 40 guests at the “invitation only” luncheon which included a lovely menu of roasted organic vegetables, grilled salmon, salad, fruit, and an array of desserts. There was also a 30 minute program, which included an informal speech by Rose about how her Silhouettes for Survivors, not only help cancer patients survive through her donations to cancer non-profits, but also helps the lost art of silhouette cutting survive as well.

How to have a Great Silhouette Wedding

How to have a great silhouette wedding

It is so in-vogue to have a personal silhouette theme for your wedding. You can imprint your engagement invitations with a custom silhouette of the two of you as shown by silhouettesbycindi or paperportraits.com. Later, a custom wedding invitation can be made, and examples of that are on the blog by silhouette sisters Kathryn and Cindi. At the engagement party, you can offer silhouette cookies as shown on Cindi Harwood Rose’s blog, or you can trace a shadow of the bride and groom off the wall, and order festive silhouette cookies from Victor Trading Company. Tracing the bride and groom’s silhouette is a fun craft, but it will not be as detailed, as one done by a premier paper-cutting profile artist. There are only a few skilled silhouette artists in the world, so it is best to do your research, making sure the artist you select, can acquire a good likeness. The best silhouette artists, do not trace off the wall. They are fine artists, who hand-cut the paper portrait from a profile photo sent to them by e-mail, or from life. These silhouette artists are skilled portrait artists, and actually can draw with scissors, without having to sketch. They have fine arts degrees from fine universities, and are self-taught from natural talents. Many have done silhouettes for three generations or more. There are only around 10 superb silhouette artists in the universe who do the lovely interior details, giving each person their unique profile.

To make your wedding day over-the-top, it is special to hire a top silhouette artist, which can be done from the Silhouette Ladies. The artist should be able to do at least 30 silhouettes per hour, but you can hire two artist such as Kathryn Flocken and C.Harwood Rose in the United States or Charles Burns and Sarah Goddard in the UK. This is wonderful if you have 300 to 500 guests.

A black and white theme is stylish and fashionable. Sometimes the bride wears a black sash at her waist to embellish this theme.

Silhouettest Cindi Rose has created custom bride and groom table cloths which add to the silhouette wedding décor.

The Silhouette Sisters also can put your silhouette on candy boxes, tote bags, mugs, or pendants, and cuff-links, as gifts to bridesmaids and grooms, or all wedding guests. Both C. Rose and K. Flocken offer two silhouettes at the weddings; one for each guest, mounted on 5 x 7 lovely cards, and one for an heirloom guest book signed at the wedding, and treasured for years to come.

You can also view Kathryn Flocken or Cindi Rose on You Tube, cutting silhouettes at weddings and engagement parties.

The tradition of hand-cutting silhouettes at weddings historically began in the late 1700’s, and the popularity of silhouette artists at weddings is still timeless today.

Pet Silhouettes by Cindi

Pet silhouette pendants by Cindi Rose. Get a contemporary silhouette necklace or cuff links of your pet, and donate either to Citizens for Animal Protection, Rose Ribbon Foundation, or Pet Smart. Very easy to do. Just go to silhouettesbycindi.com and e-mail Cincere@wt.net a profile photo of your pet. I will send you the rest of the details. Get a timeless cherished gift of your best friend. This photo by Herb Hochman is from a Pet Smart event, where I will donate a necklace and cufflinks to an upcoming silent auction.