Janelle Washington

Janelle Washington is a paper cut and silhouette artist, educator, and illustrator living and working in Virginia. She has her BFA in Fashion Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her primary materials are paper, tissue paper, and digital media. All her papercuts and silhouettes are created using an Exacto knife and a single piece of paper. She also incorporates colorful tissue paper, thread, and gold leaf to add color and dimension to her paper designs. Choosing Brave, written by Angela Joy, is her debut picture book as an illustrator. Janelle's paper cuts and silhouettes have been exhibited at the National Children's Hospital in Washington, DC, the National Institute of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach, VA, among many others. In addition, she has commissioned silhouettes housed at the SmithsonianNational Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, and created art installations for the historic St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. Her work has been published in O, The Oprah Magazine, and Country Living magazine. When Janelle is not cutting paper, she spends time traveling with her husband, reading sci-fi and fiction books, and basking in the sun.