Paper - Inlay | jane-cochrane-artist

My practice investigates how colour behaves: the way tones shift depending on their neighbours, how gradations create the illusion of light moving across a surface, and how geometric forms can generate visual rhythm and depth.

I create luminous geometric abstracts through a distinctive paper-inlay technique—a slow, meditative process where hundreds of hand-cut shapes are precisely inlaid to build each composition.

When people watch me working, they are fascinated by my technique. I call it painting with a scalpel. This diagram sets out the basics of my process.

Every piece begins with painting watercolour papers in graduated tones. I then hand-cut geometric forms, selecting each for its exact colour and tonal quality, and inlay them to create work with unusual depth and optical vibration.

Some pieces, like Kusama, involve hundreds of individual elements; others explore bold, simplified geometry, using tonal gradation to create form.

The technique bridges contemporary art and skilled traditional craft—celebrating patience, precision, and the transformative power of colour and light. I paint watercolour papers in graduated tones, then hand-cut geometric shapes—selecting each for its exact colour quality—and inlay them to build compositions with unusual optical depth. Some works, like my Dalmatian series, incorporate playful figurative elements; others are pure geometric studies. All share an obsession with colour, light, and form.

My prices are based on the complexity and time involved in creating a painting, and my work is supplied, framed and ready to hang.

Shipping in the UK is included in the price, but shipping abroad incurs an additional cost. Please contact me to discuss.

For more detail on Essence of Spring, click HERE; Colours of Summer, click HERE or Autumn's Embrace, click HERE

On ReflectionJane Cochrane

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