Meet Your Makers: Courtney Duzyk of Clumsy Creative Designs

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business:  I'm Courtney Duzyk of Clumsy Creative Designs. I create hand cut paper artwork.

 

How did you come up with your business name?  Anyone who knows me knows that I'm kind of a klutz. Clumsy Creative just came naturally in naming my business!

Where do you live?  I live in the East End of Pittsburgh. 

 If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?  I'd love to sit down and talk to Lotte Reiniger. She was a German artist and animator, and her work inspired my film studies and my papercut work as well. She was a pioneer of the craft. 

What inspires you?  I'm inspired by Pittsburgh and the craft and art scene that continues to grow here. I've met so many amazing artists here. We still have a way to go, but I love what's happening here. 

 

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why?  I love creating the hearts and leaf papercuts. They're fun to make and each one is different. 

 

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why?  I love the cards by John the Craftist, and the hand-knit items from Neighborhood Blonde. It's really hard to choose just one thing, though, because there are some amazing artists at the Boutique!

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations?  The best advice I've been given is to stay true to your vision and don't be afraid to stick to your guns. Artists have to be their own advocates.

 

Artist Bio from Courtney Duzyk

Welcome to another Artisan Bio from Boutique 208. When I received Courtney's Bio on her art of paper cutting I knew that it had a deep and long history. I researched the art and what follows is a short description on the history of Paper Cutting. Paper cutting is a craft dating back hundreds of years, yet it is still very popular today. Paper was invented only around A.D. 100 in China .The art of Paper Cutting began almost at the same time. Soon it became very popular in China, especially at the time of the Sung Dynasty (10th - 13th century). Paper Cutting in China was wide spread as folk art and people used it for many reasons, such as: window decorations, pasted cutout pictures for lanterns, house door decorations, etc. Large Paper Cuttings were used as decoration for sedan chairs, boxes, chests, and saucers that were burned at funerals. The patterns for Chinese Paper Cutting were mostly taken from Chinese mythology. Silk paper (a very thin paper) and parchment are generally used for this art.
Enjoy!
Amy Levier

I began paper cutting as an animation and design student at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I was drawn to the organic nature and layered techniques of cutout animation, and even took the medium a step further in creating storyboards as cutout designs as well. Since then, I have incorporated multimedia collage techniques, and researched the history of paper cutting techniques to develop my own style.

Most of my work incorporates silhouette with original photography and textured papers. Many of my ideas stem from the free-flowing lines found in nature, which begin the contours for the layered pieces. I also prefer to balance traditional paper cut forms with abstract shapes. I enjoy that each layer of a piece could stand alone in form and style, but together the layers say something completely different. The layers draw the viewer in closer, to experience the paper cut in a whole new way.

My work focuses on using both modern and traditional paper cutting techniques. I enjoy the idea of combining two very different styles. My most recent work is a series of Victorian heart patterns layered with handmade paper, digital prints, and vellum. I am also working with incorporating other media such as watercolor, pen and ink, pencil, and found objects into my paper cuts. I am exploring recycling my own paper “scraps” into handmade paper, which will be used in future work. This is an effort to make the art form more sustainable, and give a sense of history with previous pieces. My goal is to do less planning with the cut designs and rather be more intuitive with the pieces to give the designs a more free-flowing approach.

I'm currently living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, soaking up all the creative energy that the city has to offer. I get endless inspiration from the rebirth of our historic city, as well as the incredible wealth of talented artists that are in the area.

Boutique 208 is full of some of those talented artists, so when you get the chance stop in and buy local, handmade!