Overview

Gail Armstrong has been creating paper sculptures for over 20 years and her enthusiasm for the medium hasn’t waned one snip. She still wants every image she creates to be better than the last, and this approach has led to plenty of awards, including a Cannes Gold Lion for her Kleenex campaign. She finds inspiration in contemporary art and, not surprisingly, the huge Paperchase outlet on Tottenham Court Road in London.

Training

Gail did her foundation course at Sheffield Polytechnic before gaining both a BA and Post Graduate Diploma in Graphic Design and Illustration at Glasgow School of Art. She began her career in graphic design, gradually accepting more and more illustration commissions and perfecting her paper crafting skills.

Approach

Though finally rendered in pieces of paper that have been carefully cut and glued together, each image Gail creates begins as a series of drawings. As she explores the composition and various concepts, she focuses on creating something that has both style and substance to it. The result is usually a photograph of her artwork, which viewers love to see more than once, poring over the textures, colours and patterns in the final construction.

Style

Paper may seem flat to most of us, but Gail sees in it the potential to create new worlds with their own look and feel. Simple sheets are manipulated and transformed into 3D sculptures, imbued with beauty using a gamut of stocks, textures and colours.

Awards

Shortlisted in AOI Illustration Award 2014 - Research and Knowledge category for “Life Cycle of a Butterfly”

Asiago International Award for Philatelic Art 2012 - winner for “Land” stamp in set of 3 for United Nations conference on sustainable development in Rio

Cannes Gold Lion 2010 – Billboards
Cannes Bronze Lion 2010 – Illustration
Cannes Bronze Lion 2010 - Press
The Big Won 2010 – 1st in Press Campaigns
Creative Circle Awards 2011 Silver in Illustration (Craft Print)
Creative Circle Awards 2011 Bronze in Magazine Campaign (Press)
Creative Match Flair Award for Illustration 2011
Daler Rowney Award for Outstanding Paper Sculpture 1997

Client List

• Kleenex
• United Nations stamp
• Nestle
• Sogo, Hong Kong
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Macy's
• IRS
• Guersey stamps
• MidFirst Bank
• Illinois Lottery
• Dole
• SouthWest Airlines
• CITGO
• Which?
• Minivelle
• PALL
• Microsoft
• Virgin Travel
• Anchor
• Rotary