Martha Aurelius Presents Paper Cuts

“Each piece I have to step back a second and think, ‘How am I going to do this?'” says paper cut artist Martha Aurelius. Photo by Len Villano.

“I would never think I would be interested in cutting paper,” laughs Martha Aurelius, sipping coffee at Blue Horse Cafe as she skims through pictures of her paper cuts on her iPhone – whimsical pieces that often feature quotes and sayings accented with birds, flowers, or hearts. “I’m doing this for me,” she smiles, though supportive friends and family pushed and encouraged Aurelius to embrace her interest and share her work with others.

Her parents, prominent Door County potters David & Jeanne Aurelius, undoubtedly contributed greatly to their daughter’s love of creating and promoting art. “I grew up in a studio. My dad was always using stencils or cuts. He would pay Lauren [Aurelius’ sister] and I to cut snowflakes for the bottoms of bowls when were little,” recalls Aurelius. “My parents never pushed me into doing ceramics or painting – they let us explore. I never felt pressure to do any specific thing. I still don’t know how to throw on a wheel,” she laughs, adding, “It’s really great to be in a supportive household.”

That support extended beyond creative pursuits. From an early age, Aurelius was interested in what lay beyond Door County and her parents encouraged her to explore.

After graduating from Gibraltar High School in 2004, Aurelius spent a year as a Rotary Exchange student in Sweden. She then attended the University of Minnesota with a major in Global Studies, an emphasis in Governance, Justice and Peace in Africa, and spent six months in Senegal. When she graduated from college and still felt the travel bug, the Lindens of The Linden Gallery in Ellison Bay asked Aurelius to homeschool their two boys in China, which she did for two years.

“My dad gives me pointers – make sure you use these knives…this cutting board,” smiles Aurelius. Photo by Len Villano.

“It was wonderful,” she says of the experience. “It changed my viewpoint on China. I never thought I would want to go to an Asian country – so many people, huge cities. We lived in a beautiful little town in the foothills of the Himalayas. I taught English to village children.”

Aurelius continues to work with children, now as the Youth & Community Outreach Coordinator of the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek. “I love my job,” she smiles. “It’s a wonderful, positive place to be. Everyone is talking about their art, it’s inspiring to see adult students come in who never touched a paintbrush. There is never an ending point with art.”

Aurelius is also in awe of the children she works with and their creative imaginations: “It’s so fun to be around little kids, to give them projects and see them go in an entirely different direction.”

Aurelius wants to create “something that’s a good thing to look at every day,” she says. “Something that brings joy to someone’s life.” Photo by Len Villano.

In fact, Aurelius primarily credits working with children as the inspiration for her recent foray into paper cutting. About two years ago, the children were creating butterflies by folding paper and cutting. “We talked about how math and art are combined, talked about symmetry,” recalls Aurelius. “I remember trying to make up example ideas and it sparked my creativity.”

So she took up a scissors and started cutting. “First I was dedicated to symmetry, but then I wanted to do more detailed work,” she says. She started researching the work of artists Henry Matisse and Rob Ryan.

“Matisse is known for his paper cuts. They said he was ‘drawing with scissors,’” explains Aurelius. “Rob Ryan seems like he’s a leader in the paper cut world. He does more folk art, fun sayings.”

Aurelius created this paper cut for last year’s “Say Yes to the Paper Dress” event.

Then the opportunity came for her to hone her skills. Her friend Jess Holland approached Aurelius and asked her to create banners for her wedding. This time, she took up an X-Acto knife and created intricate paper cuts. “It was really fun!” she says. “It really got me into this world of paper cutting.”

Soon after, Angie McMahon asked Aurelius to create a paper dress for the “Say Yes to the Paper Dress” fundraising event held last September. “I had so much fun creating that piece. It was the first time I showed my paper cuts publicly,” she says. “A lot of people were coming up to me saying, ‘You need to do this more.’ I started coming up with my own ideas.”

With a little advice from her father, “My dad gives me pointers,” Aurelius smiles, “Make sure you use these knives…this cutting board,” she is becoming more and more ambitious with paper cutting.

“I just did a piece with three layers of paper. It was more of a challenge,” says Aurelius. The piece featured an address in San Francisco. She incorporated a vintage map with blue and white paper. “Each piece I have to step back a second and think, ‘How am I going to do this?’”

She often discusses the projects with her fiancé Adam Hutchinson. “I talk about each piece with Adam. He helps me,” she says. “He’ll ask, ‘How do you see this?’ And give me ideas.”

Collecting antique frames at thrift stores and garage sales has also inspired Aurelius and become incorporated in her cuts. “I look at a frame and think, ‘What could go in there? What saying would look good in that frame.’”

Overall, Aurelius wants to create “something that’s a good thing to look at every day,” she says. “Something that brings joy to someone’s life.”

For more information contact Aurelius at [email protected].