The second day of design school, I used an X-acto knife for the first time—and promptly had to call the campus paramedics. Ever since that moment, I have had incredible amounts of respect for artists who specialize in hand-cut paper. Karen O’Leary is no exception! Combining two of my favorite passions—travel and maps—each of her creations is cut by hand onto crisp white watercolor paper.
This mapcut of San Francisco is a prime example of the level of detail Karen can achieve. While she captures the dense grid of the city perfectly, what really blows my mind is the level of openness in the upper right corner. A truly delicate work, this piece reminds the viewer of just how much of an art form the geography of a city can be!
My personal favorite is, of course, the mapcut of Seattle. I can practically see my block …
{Images via Karen O’Leary}