Snip Snip Snap! Hans Andersen and the work of four contemporary paper-cut artists ....

  This hedgerow faery can make jam, wild garlic soup and 'things' from 'faery founds'. Can't we all if we have time. But she wishes she could draw and paint like so many a mortal creature.

   Not so many years ago, I visited the Hans Christian Anderson Museum at the little town of Odense in Denmark. What a discovery for me - I'd no idea that he had a hobby -  cutting paper to illustrate his fairy-tale world, and to give as little gifts to his young aquantances ....

Hans Christian Anderson, paper-cut - Gnomes 1870

From 'The Ugly Duckling' - paper-cut - Hans Christian Andersen

 This delicate art has a name - Psaligraphy. Like any little faery-sprig, years and years ago, my delight was real when I was passed a little row of soldiers, or ballerinas, fresh snipped from the huge newspapers of the day by my dear old ancestor Nor.

 You can read about the life of Anderson and see plenty of his paper-cuts at the website of the Odense Museum, here.   There's also an interesting book 'The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen 'by Beth Wagner Brust.

 Here's a sample of the psaligraphy from four amazing contemporary artists,
all of whom use their work to illustrate story worlds.
Each has a link to the artist's own website -

Muddypond hopes you will visit them, especially if you've never met these before....

Marvel, support and enjoy!

  

Bėatrice Coron - America     'Fairy Tale'  and  'Floating Islands'

Michael J. Lomax - United Kingdom.     'Seven Ravens' and 'Red Riding Hood'

Isabella Baudelaire - Netherlands - Shadow Puppets

Karen Bit Vejle  - Denmark

It could be that the latest posting from Muddypond on her web site diary would interest you .. all about a magical Kentish megalithic site, seen from a faery's perspective ...