29 Sep The Pinning Process
I was thinking as I was pinning this piece that I’ve never really shared this part of my process with you. The drawing and cutting get all the attention. But the pinning is just as important as it turns the cut pieces into the finished art work.
It doesn’t seem like it would be a complicated thing, but it always takes twice as long I expect and is invariably quite fiddly and a bit tricky. There is a lot of tension on the paper at this point which can cause ripping, which is never a good thing!
You can see the finished piece here.
I love the way the pinning transforms the flat paper into a living breathing sculpture. The act of raising up the birds gives them life and sets them free. I never really know how a piece is going to work out until I pin it. I always have a vision in my mind but things always change once I start pinning.

My pinning finger ready to go – it takes quite a lot of pressure to push the pins through and I found that without a plaster my finger hurts and I get an indentation in it.

Once I’ve pulled all the pins out I lift off the whole piece and start to push the pins though and replace any that have come out. This a view from the back.

Now I put it back, using the holes that have already been made in the foam board. This is my favourite bit and also quite tricky, because this is the bit where tears can happen. Slow but sure is the order of the day.
You can see more pictures of the finished piece by clicking here