For Family Saturday this month, we are delighted to welcome Constance Perenyi for a demonstration of her Chigiri-e influenced collage art using hand-made papers from Japan.

Chigiri-e is a kind of collage technique practiced in Japan and translates “to tear art,” or “painting with paper.” It uses delicate hand-made papers that resemble watercolor painting. Traditionally, the only tools used to tear paper in Chigiri-e are human hands. Constance departs from this tradition by having a pair of fine scissors and a sharp knife on her art table. Papers torn into tiny bits, and layered with a vegetable-based paste, they combine to create the feel of fur and feathers in the detailed portraits and landscapes she creates.

With a background in fiber arts and an abiding passion for the natural world, Constance Perenyi turned to paper to illustrate Growing Wild, Inviting Wildlife into Your Yard, her first book for young readers. After publication of her books, Constance toured the northwest, teaching students from kindergarten to high school how to illustrate with paper.  She taught for 16 years with Seniors Making Art, a program started by Dale Chihuly to get working artists into retirement communities, senior centers, and health care facilities.  She has shown at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Parks Arts Council Gallery, and currently creates commission portraits of animals for clients all over the world. 

For more information about Constance’s work, please visit www.pieceablekingdom.com

Join us on Saturday, April 14th, 11am-1pm in the Tateuchi Community Room for a demonstration and a fun family-friendly hands-on experience!

Admission is FREE from 10am to 2pm for visitors 12 and under for April Family Saturday!