When people first see his work, very few people believe that they are all created from ordinary paper.
Canadian Calvin Nicholls – a man who was dedicated to his beloved – paper art – is about 25 years of life. The primary niche in his creative activity is the creation of incredibly realistic animal sculptures out of paper. His paper zoo consists of a huge diversity of wild animals, including bears, lions, pandas, owls, zebras, lynx, etc.
Manner of execution of the pieces of paper is truly unique – with the help of metal and wooden tools, the sculptor creates three-dimensional and deep image, carefully handling all the details for maximum effect.
The process of making paper sculptures begins with a sketch of the animal in their natural habitat, then cardboard is cut or silhouette of individual body parts of the future figures that will give the creature the necessary strength.
After using the scalpel, the master makes plain paper printer for small parts and attach them to the rigid skeleton, giving the desired shape and texture. With the precision of a jeweler, he has every feather and strand of wool.
In his works, every detail is important – craftsman carefully watching at the hairline of his paper Pets distributed light and shadow, as in the creation of the song they play a key role, making a little three-dimensional sculptures.
The artist loves to work with white color, to see how an ordinary sheet of paper is transformed and takes the form, texture and new life. The finishing touch of the composition – the design of the new inhabitant of the paper menagerie in a frame. The more complex the image, the craftsman reaches from Canada through the Studio lighting – this stage allows to adjust all the nuances.
The process of creating paper sculptures takes on average 4 weeks, but it is preceded by a long preparation consisting in the observation of the animals. Calvin can spend hours studying the habits and behavior of animals, to catch up, to follow the movements to their paper prototypes turned out the most realistic and similar to their models.
The talented canadian education received in the public Sheridan College in the town of Oakville in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the faculty of graphic design. After graduation he worked at a design Studio, but soon made a smooth transition to paper art.
As Calvin himself says, the title of a paper sculptor he is from the middle of 1980-ies. His first real job was a sign for the bus fleet, which he produced at the request of his uncle in 1983, and received $ 15. The world learned about a talented sculptor Calvin Nicholls the in 1994, when photographs of his paper animals appeared on the pages of National Geographic magazine.
Today, works of modern art from paper from the canadian artist’s order for advertising campaigns, private collections, publishing houses, galleries and as gifts. They adorn the pages of many magazines, books and exhibited in the best galleries in Canada, USA and Europe.
