Nicolette Callaway

​First, I get an idea. This can be inspired by an interaction with an animal, a story I hear, or an event I'm thinking about that I find spirit animals to represent.

To create the piece, I first start with a sketch.  I use many reference photos before I get a sketch I'm really excited about.  

Then I start cutting.  First I go through magazine after magazine to form a bank of colors and textures I want to use.  If I'm lucky, I may already have a pretty good bank from the last few pieces I've worked on.  

Then I choose an element (usually the animal in the foreground) and start with the tiny cuts.  I paste them together with acrylic medium.  

Once the animal elements are done, I start with the background.  This part is difficult.  If not done correctly, it can fall flat, or be too chaotic.  And oftentimes, the paper can get bubbly and crinkly, which means that those pieces don't get reproduced in prints. 

Once I've completed the piece, I go over the surface with an acrylic varnish, to protect the paper and keep all the little bits together.  

Then I document the work, either by scanning the piece into the computer with a scanner, or by photographing the work.  This way I have a record, and can later reproduce the piece if I so choose.