Scherenschnitte: The art of paper cutting

Constance Andrews is a living reminder that age is a state of mind.

The 98-year-old former Eldred Township teacher practices the art of Scherenschnitte, also known as paper cutting. But that falls far short of describing the craft.

Scherenschnitte is the art of cutting paper into decorative designs. It combines a number of intricately patterned scissor and knife cuts on black and white or colored papers. Those are then overlaid to create anything from abstract designs and spiritual messages to wildlife scenes. It typically begins with a photo or drawing. The artist will cut out features, like the branches of a tree. That gets transferred to various papers and superimposed to create a unique design.

"The things I do are my own ideas," Andrews said. "I don’t copy anyone else's work."

She became involved in Scherenschnitte while teaching elementary students in 1953.

"It was one of the projects I taught my third-graders at the Eldred Township School. Then I went into the Moravian bookstore one day and saw samples of the work," she said. Andrews experimented on her own, and was influenced by other Scherenschnitte artists.

"It's interesting to see what I ideas you come up. I also do some of the Polish style, Wycinanki. There I cut my designs out of silhouette paper like appliqués on a quilt that you paste on. Those pieces are cut out and glued in places on the black paper."

The traditional Pennsylvania Dutch art form has its origins in Scandinavia, then traveled to Germany and eventually migrated here, with a few other stops along the way. Andrews puts some of her work on consignment in Palmerton, and packs away some in boxes and books at home. She'll take them out every once in a while to check them.

Some are small, although she has a large one with an owl and another with six birds. "It depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes you get a good idea and you just go off."

The time each project takes depends on the kind of piece she's working on. "I have one piece I started working on several years ago. I haven’t finished it yet. That’s a bird. I make a lot of birds. They are my style." She was also asked to do a project for a wedding next summer.

Andrews is a matriarch in the community, having taught many of its residents and their children over her 63-year career. She taught third and forth grades at Eldred Elementary, but began teaching in a one-room school house accommodating grades one through eight in a single room.

"She is a beloved treasure in Eldred," Ann Velopolcek, administrative assistant for the township said. "As a teacher, she knows every family for generations and is a wealth of information."

Many locals still call her Mrs. Andrews. For most, it's a sign of respect. Yet it's probably out of habit too, embedded from their classroom days.

And Andrews is still active. She recently held a paper cutting demonstration in the township's community center. Always the teacher.