Cozy Corner Crochets: Introducing Cutting Pixels

I have the privilege of introducing you to one of my favorite Etsy shops, Cutting Pixels. Katrina Mason is the owner, artist, and designer of the items which feature hand-cut silhouettes of video game characters. She has done other characters, such as Precious Moments, but video games are the source of most of her art. Her are her words.

Riding Epona across beautiful grassy plains of Hyrule. Charging through thick forests dodging panthers and tigers on Azeroth. Navigating warp zones and trampolines with Mario and Luigi. Timing the perfect jump to rescue the princess. Discovering Star World while rescuing Yoshi and friends. Swingin' jungle vines, smashin' barrels, and jumpin' mine carts. Racing the clock to get your strawberries watered and harvested before summer. Wooing the girl of your dreams. Getting up with the sun to take your cows to pasture. Searching darkened rooms for your lost friend amid hostile ghosts. Eating anything even remotely edible you found on the ground.

These are the scenes I cherished. When it was too dark to play outside anymore, my sisters and I fought over whose turn it was on the console.

Though I have always had a passion for the arts, my actual ability was never very high. I took art classes every year until I graduated despite my inabilities. I continued to love arts and crafts as I started a family and grew older. I've tried many different types of art, but nothing has ever clicked for me until now.

I stumbled upon a blog post featuring a paper cut artist. Though I love art, I've never felt moved to purchase any specific piece. But I had to fight the urge to go over budget and purchase several pieces of this artists work. I spent days gazing at her listings on Etsy. I loved her work so much, I began to feverishly look into other papercutting artists. After spending two weeks reading about the art of hand cut paper, I decided to try it. I had an X-Acto knife already from one of my many passing art attempts, though the blade was incorrect. I pulled out some construction paper and my knife, and attempted a free template.

I was hooked. I cannot even describe the feeling. It was like being reunited with some lost piece of yourself you had no idea you were missing. I had created a very shaky, incredibly poorly lined paper cut of two horses. I went online and attempted several more paper cuts. I loved cutting paper, but I tended to be disconnected from the subjects I was choosing. I wanted to find a way to incorporate my own interests into my hand cut paper. Video games were the natural choice. My entire family plays games, and it was an integral part of my childhood, as it remains today.

My very first video game papercut was Link with his shield and sword based on the newer model. It came out so well! Even with the wrong knife and heavy and thick fibered construction paper, it looked amazing. I posted it to my Facebook and my first comment was that I must be very bored. Everyone's a critic! However, I didn't take it to heart. I was too motivated! I made the decision to invest in all of the proper tools. I purchased high quality silhouette paper and extra sharp precision blades.

Once I was armed with the proper tools, paper cutting was taken to a whole new level. Picking the perfect subject and slicing through a crisp new sheet of paper is such a thrill. Each perfect line is created slowly, carefully, deliberately. One false move or mistake and your entire piece is ruined. It's an incredible rush to spend two hours creating a beautiful hand cut piece of paper art. I favor crisp simple lines mounted on brilliant white paper framed in a simple black frame. So much of the beauty of the paper cut lies in it's simplicity, which means the mounting and framing is best done as simply as possible.

Opening a store on Etsy wasn't something I pictured myself doing. I was creating art for the joy of creating. But after a month, my work was piling up. Unfortunately, my art generally was not appreciated by those around me. My friends and family really didn't express an interest in them. My mother has been my biggest proponent, encouraging me to continue and advance. With her encouragement, I made the move to create a shop and upload my work to be available to paper cut and video game lovers alike.