Another quick post to pass on another recommendation, this one from  Chandra Cerchione-Peltier, who reminded me of the gorgeous, folkloric work being done by the English "paper artist" Su Blackwell. (Credit where credit's due: I first learned about Blackwell through Carl V., in the "Book Week" series he ran on his Stainless Steel Droppings blog. Thanks, Carl!)

”I often work within the realm of fairy-tales and folk-lore," writes Blackwell. "I began making a series of book-sculpture, cutting-out images from old books to create three-dimensional dioramas, and displaying them inside wooden boxes. For the cut-out illustrations, I tend to lean towards young-girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder. There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle colour.”

Visit the artist's website to see her utterly amazing dioramas and installations. (Even the work she does as an art director for commercial clients is magical.) She's also got a terrific blog, and an online shop, so please go look at all these marvels....

Blackwell's paper trees remind of an animation I absolute love created by my young friend Carmen Bromfield Mason: "How Much Do You Know?" (about stories, language, and the effect of the media's focus on bad and shocking news on our culture). Carmen is an animation student, and she made this exquisite little film when she was just sixteen. You can see it by visiting Carmen's blog, and then scrolling down the page until you reach the videos.