A Cut Above

Doris Sikorsky creates a riot of color with her scissors, one snip at a time.

This Chicago master of the Polish folk art of wycinanki (pronounced vi-chee-nahn-key) has been creating these masterpieces of cut-out paper since she was a child. Since the 1980s she has taken up the craft in earnest. Through the Illinois Arts Council Master/Apprentice program she has passed on to another generation this popular art form that has been around for more than 200 years.

The meticulous cutting requires patience and persistence. But when Sikorsky unfolds her paper and the symmetrical patterns emerge in bold colors, it's definitely worth the while.