Carmen McNally's Art

Adjustments for the layers   Below is a video of how and why I wanted to create some depth between the gate and the pathway. The video below shows what and explains why I worked on the hills in the background. The next stage is all about the very reason I created this scenery in the first place—the cherished memories I have shared with my children during hikes and our country walks. 

Foam strips and problem solving Below is the process of attaching foam strips and stacking the layers up. Now that I’ve had my first proper look at how my piece is coming together, I do wish I had used a more powerful light source—so far, I’ve only installed a 5-metre strip light. Initially, I didn’t take into account how many layers of card the light would need to travel through, especially since most of the examples I came across in my research used no more than 15 layers, often fewer. That said, I still believe my piece has a strong presence and communicates the message effectively. This is simply my critical mind reflecting on things I hadn’t fully considered during the early stages.

  Process of the sky and sea layer This video captures the process of creating the final two layers, using tissue paper in rich shades of blue, purple, orange, and yellow. The front layer is made from newsprint, which is more transparent than the card used in the earlier layers, allowing the colours beneath to shine through with a soft, diffused effect. I used tracing paper for the moon, giving it a subtle glow that gently brings the scene to life. The concept of layering adds depth, which naturally creates a play of shadows and light that subtly shift as the layers recede. I find this effect to be quite magical. The idea of incorporating colour came to me during a conversation with my tutor. He mentioned taking a silhouette photo of his house, but what made it truly captivating was the soft yellow glow from a bedroom light, which beautifully complemented the deep blue of the night sky. This sparked my inspiration to introduce a pop of colour.

Process of laser cutting This link showcases my  process of laser cutting  35 layers.  I still have two final layers to complete—the sky and sea—which I plan to add colour to and a newsprint paper layer which will diffuse and soften the coloured tissue paper. I’ve also explored the work of various artists who create paper cut-out light boxes. One artist I’ve been following goes by the social media name  Light Box Life . In one of her videos, she discusses experimenting with different light box colour settings, but found that keeping the light box on a white setting and using coloured tissue paper creates striking pops of colour in specific areas. I’m going to create the background next using a selection of sunset colours. I believe this will draw the viewer’s eye in more and also add a sense of excitement, as it’s not just limited to light and shadow tones.

  Several layers ready to be laser cut Below are some examples of my layers that are ready to be laser cut. I am so happy that I have managed to complete them as even though I enjoyed adding new and intricate detail to some layers, I also felt the strain of how long this was taking whilst still juggling other projects. I look forward to seeing all the layers cut out and I hope that the layers line up together. I will be putting a 20mm border around the outside of each layer to give it structure and integrity. Everything that is black in the background will be cut out. Everything that is white will be attached to the border. Above is an A4 and A3 test piece of the new sketches. I did this to check the borders worked and were in proportion.

Not giving up Below is an annotated video explaining my process of having to redo all the layers again, correcting mistakes I made. Redoing the layers taught me a valuable lesson: never give up. At first, I was frustrated with myself because it felt like a setback. But once I started again, I realised that redrawing the sketches allowed me to add even more detail, making them better than before.