Woman with Jasmine Flowers - Art by Sarah Myers

Woman with Jasmine Flowers, Sarah Myers
Charcoal, conte, paper-cut and collage

    She looks out from the storm of perfumed jasmine flowers, blooms that blow down and across her and are caught in her stillness. Her face with its intense but motionless glance is reminiscent of ancient portraits from late Rome or from Fayum, but she and the fragile blossoms are clearly from own our time.

      Cut-out, collage, 'decoupe', 'mixed media' are all names for the techniques used; a charcoal and conte portrait was sketched and then cut from brown paper and applied to a sheet of soft grey; white bristol makes her large, handsome collar and the jasmine flowers hovering around her are simple stars of white paper, fastened down lightly.

Woman with Jasmine Flowers, detail.  Sarah Myers
Mixed media.

Autumn - Art by Sarah Myers

Autumn, Sarah Myers
Cut paper and line-drawing in charcoal.

      Autumn with her tall basket of fruit, a wreath of windblown leaves crowning her dark hair, gazes forward; her dignified profile forms a contrast to the firm lattice and heaped fruit of the bounty she holds. This artwork was created from three kinds of paper; charcoal line-drawing stating most of the shapes, which were then hand-cut and assembled in collage.

Autumn, Sarah Myers.  Detail.

Autumn, Sarah Myers.  Close-up of wreath.

Autumn, Sarah Myers.  Detail of basket with fruits.

Two Faces on Dark Paper - Drawings by Sarah Myers

Face and Doorway, Sarah Myers

     Creating drawings of this type is very intriguing, as the basic technique is almost opposite that of a usual sketch. Here, the ground of the paper must be used as the shadow, rather than the highlight. It is the density and strength of the pencil that determines the brightness of the glow. Because I have purposefully left the white charcoal unblurred and unblended, you may see in the details the myriad of tiny lines that form the face's shapes and expressions.  

Head in White Charcoal, Sarah Myers

Face and Doorway, Sarah Myers
Detail

Head in White Charcoal, Sarah Myers
Detail

The Christmas Tree - Art and Photography by Sarah Myers

Christmas Tree, 2016
Photography and paper ornaments by Sarah Myers

“Here in a little crib lies He whose reign is without end,” sings an old carol, and in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the birth, the childhood of God, we often decorate with cheerful, toy-like ornaments. This year I have brought out these again, a smiling star at the top of the tree, a smug sheep, a toy soldier, a camel. But the great amount of the decoration is a snowstorm of cut-paper flakes – each a different pattern, fragile artwork taking time and concentration in spite of its simple technique. Many of these snowflakes have been adorning the tree every Christmastime for years, but an avalanche on the north side of the fir is made up of flakes or medallions created this winter. The tree beneath is real – a six-and-a-half foot Noble Fir, smelling of evergreen needles and resin.

Christmas Snowfall
Photography, cut paper ornaments and tiny gift-bearer by Sarah Myers

A Christmas tree covered in whirling snow...
Sarah Myers

Caught in a Snowstorm
Sandro, the little glass soldier from Italy, and an angel smile amid the huge flakes and starry lights

Christmas tree and ornamental screen

North Side of the Christmas Tree
The side facing our kitchen holds the snowflakes I cut this year

The Christmas Fir
Although the tree is visible through three doorways, this view is essentially its front.

A Snowy Christmas Tree
In front, my sculpture carries flowers from the still-blooming desert garden.  In the background, a painting I created, and which I bring out for the Christmas Season, hangs on the wall.

Ornaments on the Tree
Details of the cut paper medallions we call snowflakes - some in patterns of flowers, leaves, fruit and palms.

East Side of the Tree
Snowflakes, glass baubles, a toy orange

The Small Angel
An announcing angel I created last year

Christmas Atmosphere
Christmas 2016, Sarah Myers

Summer - Art in cut paper and charcoal by Sarah Myers

Summer, Sarah Myers
Charcoal, cut paper

Pomegranates, palm-fronds, jasmine stars, grapes and various flowers wreathe around the head of a personification of Summer. A charcoal drawing with cut paper ornamentation of brown, black and white.

Summer, detail
Sarah Myers

Face of Peace - Charcoal Drawing

The Face of Peace
Sarah Myers, Charcoal and Conte on Grayscale Paper

Olive branches, a dove with outspread wings, and the face of Peace.

Face of Peace, detail
Sarah Myers, charcoal on paper

Star Medallion

           Levantine Star  
   S. Myers   Medallion, cut paper

    This decorative medallion was inspired by intricate stone-carving on a pillar in Israel.

Carnation Medallion, Cut Paper

Vase of Carnations, S. Myers    Cut Paper Medallion

   The inspiration for this piece was a distantly glimpsed faience tile.  The medallion gained a life of its own with broad vases and exuberant blooms - it is an exceedingly fragile framework of paper!

Homage to Matisse, Paper Medallions

Matisse Foliage Medallion, S. Myers

   These are medallions in cut paper inspired by Henri Matisse's paintings and own cut-paper works.

Matisse Still Life Medallion, S. Myers

Matisse Lattice Medallion, S. Myers

Paper Maiolica

Maiolica Medallion

   These are cut paper medallions inspired by the patterns on antique Mexican maiolica.

Maiolica Birds

Maiolica Garland