Paper Snowflake Making Workshop by Mary Gaynier

Mary Gaynier exhibits her work and teaches snowflake making class

The walls surrounding the Hayes Train Special holiday model train display provide a fitting location for an exhibition of The Snowflake Art of Mary Gaynier . The art exhibit coincides with the dates of the train display and is on exhibit NOW through Jan. 6, 2013.

A resident of Toledo, Gaynier earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Toledo. She began experimenting with cut-paper art in 2001. Her work has been accepted in more than 100 juried national and international exhibitions. Although Gaynier’s work is compared to Scherrenschnitte (scissors cutting), she never heard of Scherrenschnitte before cutting paper snowflakes to decorate her home for a family gathering. Her holiday diversion has become an obsession and simple designs have evolved into a complex mix of abstract patterns and identifiable images.

Gaynier has developed more refined cutting skills through use of an X-acto knife instead of scissors. Yet her work maintains the basic circular or “snowflake” form (as seen at the right).

Mary Gaynier will share her techniques at a Paper Snowflake Making Workshop 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27 in the Hayes Museum. Cost is $3/adults and $1/children 6-12. The workshop is limited to the first 50 registrants. Registration deadline is Dec. 21. Call 419-332-2081, ext. 238 or email lwise@rbhayes.org.