Silhouettist

Anybody who's seen me work at an event will know that silhouette cutting can have a curious effect on people.
In the middle of a wild party you'll see somebody standing stock still, not moving or speaking, staring straight ahead of them. It's an odd sight. Those who stumble across such a scene sometimes wonder what's on Earth's going on.
One such incident happened today, whilst cutting silhouettes on board The Georgian, sailing on the River Thames from Maidenhead at a 50th wedding anniversary party. I was cutting the silhouette of an elderly gentleman (one of many on board) who posed very well for me. As he stood there, not moving a muscle, his face completely expressionless, a friend of his happened upon on us.
"Hi" said the friend
"What's happening? Are you OK?"
By way of explanation, without hesitating or changing his expression in any way, the man replied:
"I'm doing a Joe Biden... "

Here is a new set of paper cuttings I’ve been working on. Do let me know what you think: would love to see a comment or two under thus blog!

Portraits of Rakugo HERE’S AN ARTISTIC QUESTION: can I cut a portrait of storytelling in action? I don’t mean cutting a portrait of the story teller – I know I can do that – but somehow to capture the act of storytelling…

I'm doing a private view at my studio tomorrow evening, to show my most recent paper cuttings. Hope to see some of my more local friends there!
https://fb.me/23B1phW4hFVIpLo

Open studio weekend: today, tomorrow and next weekend too. More photos to follow soon!
Caversham Arts Trail

Five silhouettes by Max Noël. All I know about Max comes from these silhouettes, since (as is often the way with early twentieth-century silhouettists) there’s no clue about him online. Max painted, rather than cut, his silhouettes onto smooth, shiny card before scratching details into the still-wet paint. Perhaps using the back of the paintbrush or some other sharp implement. He sometimes added further details in thinner paint.
The first silhouette I have is dated 1913, while the last is dated 1923. So he was working at least for 10 years, although I’ve not seen any silhouettes dated during the Great War. He always signed and dated his silhouettes, although his signature became less decipherable over time. My 1913 example (shown first) has the clearest signature. This was also my most recent purchase; until I found it I didn’t know the artist’s name! His signature is usually underlined with a strange design, looking like the rear end of a cat with a raised, curled tail. I’ve no idea what this is.
Both the 1913 and a 1922 silhouette were created in Marseilles, France, so it’s reasonable to conclude that Max lived and worked there. The 1922 silhouette was painted at the Exposition Coloniale, Marseilles, on 18/8/22. This exhibition was a major event and was open from April to November that year. It’s possible Max had a booth there to make souvenir silhouettes for visitors.
I’d love to know more about this artist. If you own or have seen about silhouettes made and signed in this way please do drop me a line. His style is unique and distinctive.

-history -artist -noel -artist -coloniale-1922 -silhouette -portrait -history -history

Here's one for my American friends. I wonder how many know that Francis Scott Key, the American lawyer, slave owner and poet, most famous for composing the anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" and giving his name to an ill-fated bridge, was also a keen amateur silhouettist?
Here's an old American postcard featuring his portrait of his parents cut at the family home, Terra Rubra, in Maryland.

In the autumn of 1949 a young soldier called Risto found himself in Ljubljana. Today this city is the capital of Slovenia, but back then it was part of Yugoslavia.
I’ve no idea why he was in Ljubljana, whether he was billeted there or simply on leave, but I do know that he came across a silhouettist working in one of the squares in the city centre. I know this because he stopped to pose for a silhouette so he could send it home to his mother.
The artist cut this silhouette using a simple pair of scissors in a minute or two. They then pasted it to a cheap, blank postcard, of the kind that would have been easily available in any local stationary store. They probably provided two copies, facing in opposite directions on separate cards.
On the back Risto wrote, in Cyrillic script “To mum as a memento from Risto”. He also added the place, Ljubljana, and the date, Oct 4, 1949. It looks like he sent it in an envelope, to protect the delicate paper cutting, as there is no stamp or address on the postcard. The fact that he wrote in Cyrillic script means that his mother probably lived in modern-day Serbia.
More recently, this interesting silhouette found it’s way to me via an online seller in Croatia, perhaps after a house clearance following the passing of a family member. There’s no way to know, just as I know nothing more about Risto, or what kind of life he led, other than that he thought to send a silhouette as a memento for his mother.
I’ve no idea who the artist was, although the style bears a passing resemblance to other silhouettes made by an artist who may or may not be called Mollo, so I added this as a tentative attribution on the back.
For me, what I love about these old silhouettes is not so much the image as the lost stories they hint at.
With many thanks to my Facebook friends who helped translate Risto’s handwriting.

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Can anybody read the text on the back of this silhouette? All I can tell is that it shows a man in military uniform and was cut on 4th October 1949 by an unknown artist.
Does the text tell us where it was made, or of whom? Even better (though unlikely) the name of the artist?
Hope somebody can help...

Spent this afternoon writing a blog about of the best known silhouettist of them all: John Miers.
I find it very hard to resist the diaphanous shades of grey he uses for hair and drapery.
https://www.roving-artist.com/history/john-miers-legendary-studio-at-111-strand

Two silhouettes by on display at the Chocolate Factory today, just 100 yards from where they were made at 111 Strand in the 1770s.

Thank you Andrew for sending me this photo of my Christmas card “Bookworm Scrooge”. Sitting it under a table lamp works really well!
Can you tell what colour the paper was cut from?

Congratulations to Hans & Suzanne married today Great to work with fellow artist .

First sketches for a 2023 Xmas card. I wonder how many I’ll be making this year?
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Congratulations to San & Adam getting married today.

Kazumi and I are travelling in Switzerland for a few days, so I formed the idea of creating a silhouette sketch book. Are a the first few pages, all cut in Basel.

Time to get your silhouette cut at the London Christmas Party Show.

Self titled by the sitter: Welsh Designer
Part of a photo silhouette project using visitors to an open-studio event as models. I first silhouette their silhouette before asking them to pose for a series of photos. The best photo was then combined with the silhouette in Photoshop. Each person was asked to title their own portrait by answering the question “who am I?” in as few words as possible.

I'm very happy to share this video of my recent TEDx talk in Norway.
The talk is about 15 minutes and talks about the reasons became so popular during the eighteenth century, in the days before electricity and photography.
Please share, like and comment!

The Eighteenth-Century Selfie | Charles Burns | TEDxArendal In these modern days, we upload our selfies and profile pictures everywhere. But have you ever taken the time to study what your face looks in profile? Over ...

Looking forward to joining you.

Self titled by the sitter: Struggling Empath
Part of a photo silhouette project using visitors to an open-studio event as models

Somehow the full-length silhouettes always seem so special!
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Self titled by the sitter: The Loiterer
Part of a photo silhouette project using visitors to an open-studio event as models

Vera, cut at her birthday party at the Lighthouse pub, Kokubunji, Tokyo.
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Amazed to see myself in this first episode of ITV's Our Queen The People Stories. I appear just over half way through telling the story of how one of my silhouettes ended up in the Queen's bedroom.

Our Queen The People Stories - Episode 1 Episode 1 - People from all walks of life reflect on meeting the Queen and share how it affected them.

So sad to hear the news tonight.
My own memory is this silhouette I was honoured to cut at Her Majesty's 80th birthday, which now seems a very long time ago.

My thoughts and prayers are at Balmoral tonight, as are so many.
This silhouette cut at HM’s 80th birthday, now many years ago.
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One of a series of sketchbook drawings made on recent travels.
I began with a one-line profile drawing and then just allowed my hand to wander.
For me, drawing is the beginning and end of most art, silhouettes included.

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The wonderful .t.willy posing fir her silhouette at the first day of the London Christmas party show today.

A rare opportunity to visit my studio.

Two sets of wedding prints in preparation for delivery.
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I’ve always loved making these prints and have made several hundred over the years. I make them by scanning the white top copies of all the silhouettes cut at a wedding and reassembling them in Photoshop.
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It’s a time-consuming but rewarding process, one which must clients enjoy getting involved in. I send them email proofs which they can print out at home. They they draw coloured lines all over them tu I tell me who goes with who and which couples they want near the top!
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Once we’re all happy I make a set of fine-art prints, sign them, package them carefully and pop them in the post.
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