Articles about my journey from Covent Garden street artist to the modern-day silhouettist who cut several portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
I’VE KNOWN ADAM STERNBERG for 30 years. As the owner of Sternberg Clark he was one of the first entertainment agencies to begin booking me for events in the 1990s. So I was very happy when he asked me to appear in the first series of his new podcast.
THE AREA OF LONDON around Strand and Aldwych has always fascinated me, so I was intrigued to be approached by One Aldwych to be one of their cultural curators.
WHEREVER I TRAVEL in the world, I always try to meet other silhouette artists. There are not many of us and I’ve always felt it’s important to make a connection if I can.
MY JAPANESE MOTHER IN LAW was 96 years old when she passed away in the summer. She was fond of telling everybody that she was born in the same year as the Queen. I think it gave her a connection to her strange English son in law!
WATCHING THE NEWS of Russian forces rolling into Ukraine a fortnight ago I was embarrassed to realise just how little I knew about the country. I had to look it up on a map! What’s the history, I wondered. Why is this happening? I found I knew almost nothing about either Ukrainian culture or history.
WHEN PEOPLE ASK, I tell them I accept any challenge. As an artistic philosophy I’d recommend it to anybody. I’ve frequently experienced unexpected but welcome benefits from testing my scissor skills this way.
PAPER CUTTING is not what I do. Everybody assumes I love paper cutting, and given that most people meet me wielding scissors at a party it’s quite understandable. I do, after all cut paper! Despite this, until very recently, I’ve never regarded myself as a paper cutter. I’d like to explain what I mean by that.
IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN my film, or heard me speak, you will know the story of how I taught myself to cut silhouettes by studying the duplicate albums of Hubert Leslie.
I WAS SURPRISED, on arriving at a recent 60th birthday party at The Garrick Club, to see a flag flying outside, featuring a silhouette. I immediately realised it was one of my own. I felt I’d arrived!
WHENEVER I FEEL I’ve exhausted all the challenges silhouette cutting has to offer, a new one always opens itself up to me. Can I cut a silhouette on the raidoi? A week or so ago I was invited into a BBC studio to cut a single silhouette. The subject was the well-known DJ Tony Blackburn and the challenge was to cut him out live
IN THE YEAR of the DIAMOND JUBILEE I was invited to cut silhouettes over lunch at a marquee in Coworth Park. It was one of the only events I’ve attended where the toastmaster had to announce lunch by calling for “Your Majesties, Royal Highnesses, Highnesses, Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen… ” to take their seats.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS people most often ask when they see me cutting is “How many pairs of silhouette scissors do you get through?” I get the impression they’re expecting to hear that I use at least six pairs a night!
THE LAST SILHOUETTIST was suggested to me as a blog title during a phone conversation a couple of years ago. At the time I didn’t really believe that writing a blog was something I was capable of. I’m still not sure it is, but at least I’m going to give it a go!
