Bianca Severijns – Paper Sketches

In many ways, writing about one’s art is like demystifying the process of art making. Although I am passionate about writing blogs about other paper artists, it is kind of hard for me to reveal my own art process. It would totally freak me out to imagine myself in a transparent studio exposing my art-making to passing-byers, like those restaurants where diners can see straight into the kitchen. Not that I have anything to hide, but for me the working process of art is like a private voyage of discovery and an experiment with the self.

That said, there is one thing about my working process I am willing to share: my paper art journal. At the beginning of this year, I began collecting my paper sketches which normally would have ended up in the bin. I consider this art-journal as a playground for possible new beginnings. It offers an opportunity for inspirational new try-outs of paper shredding techniques. I can play around freely and even throw sewing, folding, painting, embroidery and cutting into the mix.

The paper sketches collected in my journal can be awkward, even ugly, but also wildly beautiful. They all honor the process. Some are layered paper surfaces that draw the eye inwards and beg to be touched, while others reflect my interest in patterns and rhythms. Though my artworks depict recognizable subjects, somehow my paper sketches stay abstract and don’t connect to the real world. One thing’s for sure: with these sketches, the emphasis is on my intuitive search and experimentation.

As an artist, I feel privileged to be a part of the magic that comes with creating extraordinary things. When I started to devote more of myself to art, I came to the understanding that art equals freedom. Freedom in experimenting with (my own) techniques and exploring the depth of paper. That’s why I see my paper sketches as a fantastic tool for enriching my art! Sharing them with you, in some odd way, feels like revealing part of my working process without sitting in a transparent studio.

Images of Bianca Severijns Paper Sketches