Polish Wycinanki Designs (International Design Library)

In Poland, the art of creating beautiful designs by cutting paper into intricate shapes has been one of the most popular national pastimes. Various regions of Poland have excelled in one or more varieties of wycinanki (pronounced vee-chee-non-kee), including the leluja, woodland, gwiazdy, thematic, Lowicz, kodry, ribbon, medallion and symmetrical patterns. All of these are discussed and illustrated abundantly in this charming book by a noted artist who perpetuates her Polish heritage by conducting workshops and giving lectures on wycinanki. The designs in the book can be used in many different ways, from applique to wallpaper, as well as for inspiration in creating wycinanki of one's own.

FRANCES DRAWL was born in Posen, Illinois, where she still lives. She is a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, and a former elementary, high school and college teacher who has long been devoted to preserving Polish culture and folk art. She has taken courses in Poland, both at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and at the Marie Slodowska University in Lublin, and is in great demand for workshops and lectures on wycinanki. Currently she is under contract with Urban Gateways, the largest arts-in-education agency in the country. On of her greatest pleasures is the creation of miniature wycinanki Christmas tree ornaments, and her wycinanki art has been displayed in libraries, at the Smithsonian Institution and at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.