Reimagining the American Kestrel
In admiring John James 勛圖窪蹋s trio of American Kestrels, paper-cutting artist saw drama. Its very visceral, and so I de麍nitely wanted my bird to have some element of motion, too, she says.
Instead of diving or pecking, however, her creature hovers, a behavior common to kestrels on the hunt. Pausing above its vista, the falcon evokes grace and possibility, says White, who is based in New Yorks Hudson Valley.
To create this piece, White 麍rst sketched a faint design on lightweight, semi-translucent paper. The lines guided her incisions, applied with a No. 11 American Line blade.
In striving for visual balance, she stylized the wings and tail with an array of tiny slits while silhouetting the torso. A 麍nal cut liberated the bird from the page. Its quite a relief to see her, she says.
White has crafted many other avian species (麍nd more in her book ). She enjoys birds of prey generally, but the watchful eyes of the American Kestrel especially intrigue her.
Suspended in space, her creation encourages us, White hopes, to stay in the present moment. This is where you are. Youre not in the past, youre not in the future. Just be.
This story originally ran in the Summer 2018 issue of 勛圖窪蹋. To receive our print magazine,