David Jenkins is a self-taught papercutter from Arlington, Virginia. During Dave’s 30-year career with the federal government—where he worked as a geographer and, most recently, as a senior manager—he found papercutting to be an artistic outlet after work. Now retired, he continues to find this intricate art form to be relaxing, despite it being compared to “doing brain surgery on paper.” Over the past 20 years, he has sold some 3,500 original pieces, including numerous special commissions. Dave is a member of the Guild of American Papercutters (GAP).
Shows and Exhibits
Dave has been selling his work at juried arts and crafts shows in the Mid-Atlantic states since 1999. He is a founding member of Arlington's Dominion Hills Fall Craft Show, highlighting local artists.
Dave's papercuttings have also been exhibited at various venues, including at the Arlington County Central Library (where his “The Princess and the Pea” is part of the children’s room permanent collection); the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia; the Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen, Virginia; and the Strathmore Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Another of Dave's pieces, "Courtly Love" (see below) is part of the permanent collection of the GAP National Museum in Somerset, Pennsylvania.
Technique
Dave uses simple materials to create complex images out of paper. Silhouette paper is black on the front and white on the back, where he draws his original designs in the reverse. Each piece is hand cut from a single sheet of paper, using an X-Acto knife. Dave occasionally applies his papercuttings to vintage backgrounds, such as antique sheet music, maps, or ledger sheets. He sometimes incorporates other vintage ephemera, such as seeds packets, magazine advertisements, board game piece cards, or postage stamps, into the work. Dave's designs are eclectic and range from more traditional works echoing German scherenschnitte, to humorous contemporary pieces, to elaborate alphabets depicting culinary, floral, musical, or marine subjects.
Shows and Exhibits
Dave has been selling his work at juried arts and crafts shows in the Mid-Atlantic states since 1999. He is a founding member of Arlington's Dominion Hills Fall Craft Show, highlighting local artists.
Dave's papercuttings have also been exhibited at various venues, including at the Arlington County Central Library (where his “The Princess and the Pea” is part of the children’s room permanent collection); the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia; the Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen, Virginia; and the Strathmore Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Another of Dave's pieces, "Courtly Love" (see below) is part of the permanent collection of the GAP National Museum in Somerset, Pennsylvania.
Technique
Dave uses simple materials to create complex images out of paper. Silhouette paper is black on the front and white on the back, where he draws his original designs in the reverse. Each piece is hand cut from a single sheet of paper, using an X-Acto knife. Dave occasionally applies his papercuttings to vintage backgrounds, such as antique sheet music, maps, or ledger sheets. He sometimes incorporates other vintage ephemera, such as seeds packets, magazine advertisements, board game piece cards, or postage stamps, into the work. Dave's designs are eclectic and range from more traditional works echoing German scherenschnitte, to humorous contemporary pieces, to elaborate alphabets depicting culinary, floral, musical, or marine subjects.
Princess and the Pea
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Courtly Love
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All Papercuttings Copyright 2000-2020 David B. Jenkins. Images may not be reproduced without permission.
