Trend watch: Silhouette art

S@H: You even make appearances at special events, working your silhouette magic at weddings and parties. What's that like?
KJ: It's always a big hit. Because it's something unusual that people aren't accustomed to seeing done, a line generally forms, and people crowd around and watch, and it becomes a bit of entertainment. It's nice because they have something to take home afterwards, and often the event will be reflected in some way on the mounting card for the silhouette. I did the American Idol wrap party here in Los Angeles, for example, and they had me make a black jacket on the outside of the mounting card with the American Idol logo on it, and the silhouette would be glued inside. It's always a lot of fun. Typically, I'll work from two to four hours -- and that translates into as many as 150 to 200 portraits. It takes about a minute or two per portrait.

S@H: 200 hand-cut portraits in under four hours… It sounds painful!
KJ: I could crush walnuts with my hands. (Laughs) Cramping isn't an issue for me at all anymore -- I'm 42 and I started cutting when I was 10, so I have a mean handshake. I do a show in the fall that involves 1,500 silhouettes across 10 days. By the ninth or tenth day, my hand is done. It's not a cramp, but I get a callus and pinch a nerve in my middle finger. It's just an occupational hazard. My scissors are custom-fit, with leather-wrapped finger holes, so they're comfortable in that respect.

S@H: The silhouette has been around for hundreds of years. What's key to its enduring appeal?
KJ: Even as we become completely overcome with technology, we'll always hearken back to the past, and think fondly of simpler times, and the silhouette really captures and reflects that. It's a very charming little keepsake of a loved one's likeness that can be passed down for generations. Parents, in particular, love to capture that sweet little profile of their children, and that's a big part of the appeal.

Read more in Decorating & Design and Design Lesson