Stories in silhouette

There's something haunting about papercut silhouettes. There is beauty in the black and white simplicity and a gorgeous irony in the way that, somehow, a featureless image can be so striking.

My favorite papercuts are of fairy tales. That shadowy wolf in "Rotkappchen" makes me shiver, as does the witch in the window of Hansel and Gretel's candy cottage, the moment before they land themselves in her clutches.











































(Images via wackystuff)

One of my favorite Etsy artists, Elsita, has a beautiful series of prints of her original storybook papercuts. I love Alice in Wonderland the most, the white rabbit is so dignified in her illustration:






















Another amazing Etsy artist, Paperdiecut, offers these original papercuts with a charming storybook quality:













































I'm smitten with the vintage feel of these images, with their understated loveliness. And I am in awe of the steady hands that created these pieces--what a painstaking, exact art. And what a gorgeous result.