My original plan for this piece was to have a two-layer composition, with the trees and the pavilion itself on separate, differently coloured layers. But as you guys know, what we're doing with these laser-cuts is new, and un-tested, so we weren't sure if it was going to work, because it's never been done before.
So we had a mock-up created, with two layers, and then had it framed, but after a week, it was clear that because the two layers were separate, with a gap between, the paper was beginning to curl at the edges. Therefore, after much consideration, we managed to merge the layers and create this one-layer piece, which, like my previous work, is much more stable and easy to mount and frame.
We're really please with the result, and if you ever get to see one up close, I think you'll be surprised how fine the detail is.
Thanks to everyone that has supported me so far, and hopefully you won't just bugger off when you find out you haven't won !! I'll be doing another giveaway soon, and you'll still be eligible for that ! So bear with me. I might get interesting one day xx
Tonight's winner, who will receive a laser-cut of The Royal Crescent, or Brighton Pavilion, is...................
Kirsty Elson ! So, please can you get in touch, and I'll wing something over to you xx
(and this was picked using a digital random number generator)
Hi folks, just to let you know, that despite the piece not being finished, we're inundadated with pre-order requests. So to facilitate this, we have added a pre-order function to this website. You can pay a deposit for the Brighton Pavilion laser cuts, by clicking here:
This will be a two layer laser-cut, and will come in a variety of hand-sprayed colours.
More information is available if you follow the link
Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me on:
So, I suppose I'm about half-way through cutting the Brighton Pavilion, and I'm getting lots of enquiries about it. Therefore, I thought it might help if I gave you more information here.
The original will be for sale, along with a small limited edition run of multiples, some mixed media pieces and a really small run of stencilled originals.
Excitingly, this time, the limited edition run will be mixed media. The back four layers of the original will be made into a screen-print, and the front layer, with the trees, will be laser-cut paper. Therefore, buyers will get a screenprint AND a laser-cut. As far as we're aware, this is a first, but please feel free to correct me....!
The mixed media pieces will be laser-cut timber and etched steel, to make up a layered piece, and there will only be 3 made.
The very small run (TBC) of stencils and will all be hand-sprayed by me.
Now, you're going to ask about prices, and to be honest, I'm not 100% sure yet, as we are still negociating with the screen-printers, however, I can give you a rough idea.
The original will be in the region of £1700.
The screen-print / laser cuts will be roughly £120-£150
The mixed media pieces will be £600-£700
And the stencilled originals will be £175-£200.
Pre-orders have already started even thought its not finished (you mad people), so if you want to make sure you get one, please email brunt.james@orange.fr and I am happy to reserve.
So at last I'm making progress with the Brighton Pavilion composition.
This one is going to be a little different, for the following reasons. The paper is MUCH thinner; dangerously thin actually at 60gsm, which is the same as cheap white printer paper ! This gives me the chance to achieve greater detail and has the benefit of wearing my cutting bones less !
Also, this will be a multi-layered piece and is larger than normal for me. The trees will form the front layer, along with the grass, and then th Pavilion itself will make up the bottom three layers. I'm not sure that the layering will add much time to the process, but it does need a little more thought and will hopefully add depth to a medium that can be very two dimensional.
I'm entertaining the idea of having each layer cut into wood, once finished, with a laser, so that the final piece is composed of four layers of timber. We'll see how things progress as we go along xx
So my latest composition is the first of a triptych of Brighton. It is the view of the atmospheric burnt out West Pier, from half-way down the Palace Pier. The finished piece will be layered in someway, instead of my normal technique of just using one piece of paper for the whole composition.
The Palace Pier has some lovely ornate railings in a kinda rococo style, and these are going to sit in the foreground of the composition. I've yet to decide whether to use the actual paper-cut I've made of the railings, or spray them as a stencil. The sky is definitely going to be sprayed, and the pier itself will definitely be the paper-cut, but I am undecided on the rest.
Here's an image of the West Pier, with the stencilled 'negative' at the top, and the paper cut at the bottom. I really like the simplicity of it, as it is. I think, at some point, I will do a very short run, of maybe 10 or so stencilled pieces, with just the pier, as it is in this image. I'm not sure when they will be available, or how much, but I'll let you know as soon as I can xx
I often get asked what kind of paper I use. My personal preference is an old French brand called Canson, which I believe is available in the UK too. I use 125gsm for the originals and also for the laser-cuts. I know a lot of paper-cutters who use a heavier weight paper, but I find it hard to get the intricate detail with anything heavier than a 125. If you're just starting out, I'd probably go with a 180/190gsm, but it depends on the details you are trying to create.
After the cut is complete, I also like to spray the page with a few light coats of latex aerosol spray. This, I believe, gives a more polished finished, and reinforces the paper slightly. It also makes is more rigid and easier to handle.
I use X-Acto knifes and blades, and on an average cut, I get through about 40; it can be quite an expensive business !
Generally though, paper-cutting is a cheap art, relative to other mediums such as oil painting or sculpture, with a low set-up cost. It just takes time, lots of time, and an awful lot of patience.
If
you pushed me to choose, and you have to push hard, I'd probably tell
you that I prefer 'The Circus' papercut, to that of 'The Royal
Crescent'. But, and here's the thing, I definitely prefer the
stencilled version of 'The Royal Crescent'. What do you lot reckon? xx
Previously, my internet home was jimmybrunt.co.uk but today I have
moved, and so far, I'm settling in nicely. Its much nicer here and the
support staff who helped me set everything up, can actually speak
English. I bought the dot.com through Shopify, and within five minutes,
everything was working. Many of you will know that I've had a bit of
bother with my UK webhost, and, as of today, I have given up on them.
May the flees of a thousand goats infest their armpits............
Yesterday, I finished 'The Royal Crescent' paper cut. This took a lot longer than I thought, mainly due to a slip of the knife, resulting in me having to discard the first attempt and start again. The silver lining was the fact that I was able to change the composition slightly, and I'm much happier with the result. Limited edition laser-cuts will soon be available, along with some original stencilled artwork. Watch this space folks.
